How to Paint Cars & Trucks
The best way to change the appearance of your car or truck is to paint it. You can hire the services of a professional car-painter, at an added cost on the painting work, or reduce the total painting cost by painting the car yourself. No hired painter can give more attention to your car than you can.
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Things You'll Need
- Car washing detergent
- Wax and grease remover
- Masking tape
- Sandpaper
- Sanding machine
- Spraying gun
- Primer
- Paint
- Clear coat
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Clean and remove any obstacles and dirt in the painting booth or area where you are going to perform the painting. Put up a plastic windscreen if you are painting the vehicle outside to keep dust and wind out.
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2
Wash the car or truck with car washing detergent and water to remove all dirt on the body of the car. Allow the car to dry.
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3
Remove wax and grease on the surface of the truck or car using grease and wax remover or a suitable mineral spirit.
Body Preparation
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4
Ground the body of the vehicle against electricity by attaching one end of a wire to the frame of the car or truck and the other end to something grounded. Grounding ensures static electricity does cause dust and dirt to jump from the floor to the surface of the vehicle.
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5
Sand the vehicle to the bare metal or original primer using a machine sander. Use 36- to 80-grit sanding discs for speed and efficiency.
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6
Smooth out the surface of the vehicle. Use a 400-grit wet sand paper and move up to 800-grit sand paper to achieve a smooth, even surface.
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7
Use masking tape to cover the areas you do not want painted. Ensure the body of the car is clean and dry before masking.
Priming
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8
Prime the vehicle. Read and follow the instructions on the primer can. Apply an even amount of primer to the surface of the car or truck. (see ref. 3) Priming allows the paint to adhere to the surface of the vehicle.
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9
Apply two or three more primer coats for best results. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for each primer coat to dry.
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10
Sand the vehicle again to smooth out the primer coat. Start with 200-grit sand paper and gradually move up through 600-grit sandpaper and 800-grit sandpaper to attain a smooth, even finish. Primer sometimes causes dips and mounds that must be smoothed out.
Painting
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11
Check that masking on the vehicle is well done on areas you do not want to get paint, including mirrors, windows and handles.
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12
Mix urethane-based paint, solvent-based paints or acrylic paints according to the manufacture's instructions. Use a reducer, thinner or hardener to attain the right viscosity.
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13
Spray the base paint coat on the entire surface of the vehicle using a spraying gun. Keep the spray gun at an appropriate distance and angle to the surface of the vehicle, depending on the air pressure and fluid flow of the gun. Hold the spray gun perpendicular to the surface of the car or truck (see resource 1) or at 45 degrees. (see ref. 2)
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14
Apply another coat of paint. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for each coat to dry. Two coats of paint are usually enough, although you can apply up to 20 coats on show vehicles. Allow about 90 minutes for the last paint coat to dry.
Finish
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15
Apply clear coat on the surface of the truck or car after the paint is completely dry. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the clear coat to dry.
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16
Add another layer of clear coat. Two layers of clear coat are usually enough, although you can add more.
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17
Allow about 90 minutes for the last layer of clear coat to dry.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Repair all dents and even out any mounds on the surface of the car or truck before you start the paint work. Apply body filler according to the manufacturer's instructions. Dents and high spots become visible flaws after the paint job is complete if they are not fixed.
Wear protective gear when painting the car or truck. Work in a well-ventilated area.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit fast car collection image by FotoWorx from Fotolia.com
