When your car's finish gets chipped, scratched and faded, rejuvenate the vehicle with a fresh coat of paint. Applying automotive paint yourself is a time-consuming weekend project, since you need to properly strip the car before proceeding. Using Nason base coat gives your car color, while clear coat protects it.
Locating Nason paint products varies, depending on your location. Use either aerosol cans, or pour paint into a spray gun for ease of use. Work outside, in a paint booth or a garage with the door open on a clear weekend with low humidity and no chance of rain, since moisture will affect paint drying time.
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Things You'll Need
Preparing the Surface
Step 1: Put on Protective Gear
Put on protective gear, including gloves, safety goggles, a respirator and a disposable paint suit. If you don't have a wind-sheltered location for painting, rig up a paint booth with plastic sheeting and an exhaust fan to protect your health and the interior of the garage.
Step 2: Wash the Car
Mix 2 tablespoons car soap in a bucket of warm water. Wash your car using a tack cloth dipped into the soap solution. You need to remove all grime and dirt before you paint; otherwise, the particles get trapped in the finish and mar your car's smooth appearance.
Step 3: Rough Up the Finish
Run 400-grit sandpaper over the surface of your car. This roughs up the finish, allowing the Nason base coat to stick better. When you finish, wipe the exterior of the car again to remove any new particles.
Step 4: Mask Glass and Rubber Strips
Cover any areas you don't want to paint with masking tape, such as windshields, windows and rubber strips.
Step 5: Apply the Nason Primer
Apply one coat of Nason primer. Use an aerosol can or a paint sprayer (mixing the paint following the recommendations). Allow the primer to dry for the recommended amount of time, using the "flash time" on the paint can as a guideline.
Painting the Base Coat
Step 1: Mix the Base Coat
Mix your base coat with paint activator and paint thinner or reducer before proceeding. Nason Finishes recommends using a ratio of 8:1/2:4, or 8 parts of Nason base coat to 1/2-part base coat activator to 4 parts base coat reducer. Failure to mix the paint properly can clog your spray gun. If you're using aerosol cans, the paint should be properly mixed in the can for you, so skip this step.
Step 2: Use Spray Paint
Shake the paint can for two minutes to thoroughly mix if using an aerosol can rather than a paint sprayer.
Step 3: Add to a Paint Sprayer
Pour your Nason base coat into a paint sprayer. Nason Finishes recommends setting both gravity-feed and siphon-style spray guns to 1.4 mm to 1.6 mm to apply the paint.
Step 4: Spray the Car
Spray the paint onto your car. Keep your hand even and move the spray gun or can back and forth at 8 to 10 inches from the surface. If the paint drips, you're applying too much paint. Work in an even layer.
Step 5: Dry to the "Flash Time"
Allow the base coat to dry the "flash time," usually about 15 minutes, then apply a second coat in the same manner.
Step 6: Let the Paint Dry
Let the base coat dry for at least 15 minutes before applying a Nason clear coat. Depending on the clear coat product, allow 8 to 12 minutes to dry, then apply a second clear coat.