By request - How to re-spray your own car - with video

Paint: the reality... it can be done at home


The paint choice will be dictated by the prep layers, let the person who is going to do the top coats choose the brand (defined as X below). You can do the final coats yourself but that's only 10% of the job, leave that last step to a friend with experience.

(0) Pre Prep
,,,,0.1 Take everything you can off the car, glass, door handles, rubber etc.
,,,,0.2 Clean everyting
,,,,0.3 Mask interior and wheels up
,,,,0.4 Sand the whole body:
,,,,,,,,0.4.1 Rub sound paint with 800 grit paper to dull it
,,,,,,,,0.4.2 Machine sand weak, bubbly, flakey or chalky paint right off with 120-240 grit till it's gone
,,,,0.4.3 sand and scrape away all rust and treat with rust converter
,,,,,,,,0.4.3.1 etch prime the converted spots and any bare metal - brand X
,,,,0.4.4 Clean everything
,,,,0.4.5 Solvent wipe everything - brand X
,,,,0.4.6 Mask everything - use expensive blue painters tape, trust me.
(1) Bare metal/pre-pre surface
,,,,1.1 Etch primer - brand X
,,,,1.2 F.Glass and flex fillers if needed - any 2 part automotive brand
,,,,1.3 Body filler - any 2 part automotive brand
,,,,1.4 Hi fill primer - brand X
(2) Paint layers
,,,,2.1 Primer - brand X
,,,,2.2 Base metallic colour coats (or solid colour top coat) - brand X
,,,,2.3 Clear coats if using metallic etc. - brand X
(3) Finishing
,,,,3.1 Cutting compound wax coat - any automotive brand
,,,,3.2 Hand wax finish - any automotive brand
(4) Have a beer - as long as it's not Fosters, we don't actually drink that down here, it's for export suckers.

If that's all too much, here is a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9S9oQ2OWl4