Paint My Car

[extinctaccord]

so i want to paint my car, i just want to know how i should go about doing this correct so that i wont regret it in the long run...thanks guys

[Bloodlust]

Well check to see if you have any rust. If you do, get that fixed prior to the paintjob. If you plan on getting a body kit, I would recommend doing them both at the same time so the paint matches. If thats not an option because of money or u dont want a kit, just go get it painted. Believe it or not mine is a maaco job and it turned out pretty good I think. Click on my signature to look at my car and see what you think.

[88accordhb]

wow bloodlust, that's a macco car? lol doesn't look too bad, lots of people say it's cheap to paint there, which means you get the cheap quality..but i guess not...
ok...extinctaccord here's how you paint it.
1)buy 100 cans of hot pink spray paint that you can get at Kragen's
2)start sprayin that shiz on your car like there's no tomorrow
3)stand back and witness the hotpink peace of crap that you've just created. good luck!

[paynt3r]

What Bloodlust says...... 98% of people don't realy know what goes into painting a car properly. Trust me, you don't want to cause yourself the pain and suffering of trying to paint your car yourself. Most people I talk to like their Maaco jobs, and they will normally look good for a few years if you take care of it. If you don't take care of it, it will look like $h1t by two years old. Most people are only looking for a "quick fix" and don't plan on keeping the car more than a couple years anyway. I normally tell people if you want a paint job that just looks good and will get you by, go to Maaco. If you want a great paint job that will last you 5+ years and plan to keep your car for a long time, find a reputable body and collision center in your local area, and plan on layin down at least $2500. If you really want to do it yourself, just remember that the finnished product will only be as good as the surface you prime. Now if you use some of the better brands cheap paints, plan on droping about $500 at your local paint supplier.

[86LXItooFAST4me]

i think macco has improved dramatically in the quallity of there jobs. i mean its not show quallity but shit, for the price they do a damn good job. and if you take care of the paint job like paynt3r said it will last you a good while. one thing you can do prior to the job (if you want to go the cheap route) is to prep the car yourself. that way all they have to do is spray the paint. this way you know they couldnt cut corners like leaving rust spots or shity body repair. bondo and fiberglass repair is a really simple prosess. you can get a video and all supplies at most auto part stores. and you could also primer it yourself and smoth it off with some fine sand paper.

[Bloodlust]

wow bloodlust, that's a macco car? lol doesn't look too bad, lots of people say it's cheap to paint there, which means you get the cheap quality..but i guess not...
ok...extinctaccord here's how you paint it.
1)buy 100 cans of hot pink spray paint that you can get at Kragen's
2)start sprayin that shiz on your car like there's no tomorrow
3)stand back and witness the hotpink peace of crap that you've just created. good luck!

Pink spray paint ownz u!

But thanks tho. Its not bad at all really. I wish i planned it out better, if i could do it all over again i could have saved alot of money.

[extinctaccord]

im goin to get that hot pink spray paint tomorrow...thanks 88....lol jp

i think im gonna sand it myself and primer it myself too.....i do have 1 small rust spot at the top but thats it....thanks guys

btw has anybody sanded and primered their car before??

[86LXItooFAST4me]

go to O'Reilly Auto parts and "Bondo" makes a video thats like $8 and gives you step by step instructions.

[HondaBoy]

so your going to primer the car yourself? better make sure that the primer you use is compatable with the paint your going to use. thats something i see a lot of people do wrong. they will use the wrong primer and when they paint the car it doesnt dry right or something. i'd say if you going to primer your car, you should sand past the top paint color to the base paint if not all the way to the bare metal. take your time and dont use that rattle can primer! thats why peoples cars usually have to be primered again before getting painted. do make sure to get all the rust off if there's any. dont just paint over it, make very sure you take car of that because it will bubble up and look nasty.

[Vanilla Sky]

the only think i use rattlecan primer for is to go over bare metal i've just worked... i use it just to keep the metal from rusting until i would go and have it done... paint can be done yourself, but IMO, it's best to drop down some cash and have it done at a good shop

[88Accord-DX]

I personally have painted my wifes' car and mine. My car was the first to get painted and I learned that you have to have a quality paint gun (devilbliss) or equal. You have to make sure you get a good primer coat along with sanding the primer with some 320 grit paper, or finer. My car was the first paint job I have ever done, I went by the directions it came with, and ended up with some minor orange peel. Now I'm in the proccess of sanding it down again after learning that the directions suck, but when I painted my wifes' car. I used ALOT more reducer which seem to smooth the paint out evenly, after learning the hard way. It takes some practice with the paint gun to get a good even coat with out any runs, they are a pain to fuck with. I want to say that paint and all the stuff that it comes with (reducer, hardener, etc.) isn't cheap, depending if you go with acrylic or urethane!! The clear coat that goes on top of urethane paint is not cheap either. Also, if you paint your car with urethane, it easier to correct a mistake than acrylic paint. IF you paint your car in a garage, wet the floor so most of dust settles to the floor, get some air flow going with filters if you want a quality finish without any flaws from dust. If you don't have ventilation, make something that will go over the top of your car after painting it (2 x 4 structure with plastic covering it will work) If you have the equiptment and time, you can come out cheaper. Practice first!! Newbie here, hope I could help out.

[extinctaccord]

ok guys thanks a lot for all the advice, ive decided that im just gonna save up the money and go get it done professionally

thanks