How to Paint a Car on a Budget

Pat Ganahl's "How to Paint Your Car on a Budget (Cartech)" is an easy to read book, lavishly illustrated with 400 color photos, very informative and a real resource which provide helpful tips even though you're into "scuff and squirt" or a full on. This book will help you eliminate car painting mistakes.

Pat Ganahl is one of the most respected and knowledgeable journalists in the hot rod and custom car field, and the recipient of several Moto awards for automotive journalism excellence. In "How to Paint Your Car on a Budget (Cartech)", he unveils dozens of secrets that will help anyone paint their own car. From simple scuff-and-squirt jobs to full-on, door-jambs-and-everything paint jobs, Ganahl covers everything you need to know to get a great looking coat of paint on your car and save lots of money in the process. This book covers painting equipment, the ins and outs of prep, masking, painting and sanding products and techniques, and real-world advice on how to budget wisely when painting your own car. It is the most practical automotive painting book ever written!

If your car needs new paint, or even just a touch-up, the cost involved in getting a professional job can be more than you bargained for. Fortunately, there are less expensive alternatives, you can even paint your own car at home! Buy this book "How to Paint Your Car on a Budget (Cartech)"and give it a shot. You'll be surprised at the results."

How to Paint a Car - Step by Step

According to ehow.com, here's how you can do it:

Step One

Wash your car with soap and water before you start painting. This will remove all the dirt on the car’s body. Remember that washing the car well in important to ensure proper finish of paint.

Step Two

Use a wax/grease remover to clean the dirt that is not soluble in water. You can even use liquid charcoal starter or mineral spirits for this purpose.

Step Three

Rub the rough areas on the car with sandpaper.

Step Four

Discharge all the static charge from the body of your car to ensure that it doesn't attract any dust. You can do so by joining the chassis frame under your car with any grounded object using a wire.

Step Five

Ensure that the body of the car is totally dry before you begin painting.

Step Six

Tape those parts of the car’s body that you don’t want to be painted using masking tape. This step really adds to the finish if done properly.

Step Seven

Use a good quality body putty to even-out any patches on the car’s body.

Step Eight

Apply the primer on the entire surface to be painted. Make sure that you apply it as evenly as possible.

Step Nine

Scrub the primer carefully with sandpaper till you even-out the entire surface.

Step Ten

Select a urethane-based paint for color. Apply the base coat using a spray gun. Let the paint dry for ten to fifteen minutes.

Step Eleven

Apply the final coat and let it dry for thirty to ninety minutes.

Step Twelve

Apply three clear coats after the color has dried. Let each clear coat dry for fifteen minutes before you apply the next one.

How to Paint a Car - Watch the Video

If this is something you want to attempt to do by yourself, this little video can give you a bird's eye view.



Here's how you do it:

PRACTICE makes perfect. First get a strip of metal about 2x3 feet, something that you can practice on. Using your scrap metal sheet, you need to scuff off any rust, uneven or rough spots with the sandpaper and rinse it clean with water and dry with cotton towel. Feel the metal and see if it is still rough or show sign of rough. Sand it until it is smooth.

Next, using the masking tape, tape up a section of the metal to practice masking areas that should not be painted. Use the masking paper and tape to form a circle. Once you have a section masked off use one of your rattle cans and with a sweeping motion side to side releasing the spray button. Before the end of the sweep, start to paint the metal. Once you have completed the circle, let it dry.

Check your work. It will surely take time but you have to make sure you are doing a quality job especially when you are actually doing it in your car.

How to Paint a Car - What Materials I Will be Needing?

Oftentimes when a car needs to be painted or repainted, the car owners initial decision is to bring it to an auto repair shop and asked for a quote and let them do the job.

Have you think of trying to do it on your own? There were people who believes that they get the best results only if they are the one doing it. Are you one of these believers? Then...you must learn how to paint your car.

Do you want a specific color for your automobile and doesn't wish to splurge a lot of cash? Then here's your chance to do it yourself and save a hundred dollars plus a reward for yourself in learning something new. Who knows what this developed skill can lead you to.

Before doing the very first step in painting your car, you have to determine the necessary materials so you can work on smoothly.

What are these materials?

WAX/GREASE REMOVER
Safe cleaner for removing wax, grease, oil and other contaminates.

SANDPAPER
Determine the type of paint you are using. 320 grit sandpaper is minimum and with the fastest and decent looking finish but 400 is better.

PRIMER
Decide on the finish you want whether it is enamel, laquer, or epoxy then use the proper primer. Car painting requires special etching primer and intermediate primer before applying the topcoat. Remember to take ALL the rust down to bare clean metal before using the primers.

URETHANE BASED PAINT
Why urethane-based? Simply because they provide greater flexibility and exterior durability although they are more costly.

CLEAR COAT PAINT
To make paint to appear more glossy.

OTHER TOOLS AND MATERIALS
1. Air Compressor
2. Spray Gun
3. Paint Booths
4. Laquer Thinner
5. Masking Paper
6. Masking Tape
7. Cotton Towels
8. Dust Masks

By preparing the materials first it is now much easier for you to start painting your car