Keep Your Ride Looking Smooth

Painting Your Own Car: Tips For A Professional Finish

13 September 2016 by Max Day

Painting your car is a great way to create a smooth line, hide blemishes, and fill in areas that have been repaired from dings and scratches. A professional paint job for your vehicle can cost $600 to a few thousand or more, and may be something you don't feel you can afford easily. Luckily you can buy auto paint from your local vehicle supplies and accessories dealer and paint your car on your own. Here are some tips you can use to get a more professional finish when you paint your car yourself.

Get rid of rust

Unless your car is nearly brand-new, it likely has some form of rust on its exterior. Rust is caused by common erosion of your car's shell (often exacerbated by salted winter roads) and can cause a paint job to look spotty or even gritty. Get rid of your rust issues on your vehicle prior to priming or painting your automobile by using a rust remover, which you can buy at your local auto parts and supplies store. Look for rust along the edges of doors and along your windshield, common areas where rust can be found.

Use a quality primer

Just like you need to prime the walls of your home prior to painting, you want to do the same for your vehicle. Priming helps create a smoother surface to paint final coats on as well as an even-hued foundation to create a truer paint finish. Primer of good quality should only require a single coat and should not take long to dry. Your auto supplies and parts store should sell primer along with auto paint for your project.

Choose ideal conditions

You don't want to paint your vehicle in a humid room, nor do you want to paint in dusty conditions. Humidity can cause your paint job to bubble and warp and can leave the finish feeling tacky and uneven. Dirty and dusty conditions can compromise the quality and cleanliness of your paint job, requiring several touch ups as a result. If you must paint on a humid day, provide several box fans to help keep the air dry and thoroughly sweep the area you will be painting in to prevent dust and debris from getting in your auto paint.

Painting your car yourself can save you a lot of money and give you a great project you can benefit from. There are many colors and finishes to choose from to help you achieve the results you are looking for.

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