Painting your own car...who's done it?

[coolchange]

I've done a bunch of these in my garage................................
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That’s badass. How do you get the graphics?

 

[Gramps]

That’s badass. How do you get the graphics?

I'd like to say free hand but that's way to small...............stencils and the "ghost" is a stencil coat of clear with pearl mixed into it.

 

[coolchange]

Are you cutting them on a plotter? I’ve looked at some finger nail art stuff too.

 

[Gramps]

Are you cutting them on a plotter? I’ve looked at some finger nail art stuff too.

I bought a shit pile of them years ago, most were peel off thin vinyl. I also used thick hand held vinyl templates for free hand stuff... this is a bit of free hand with the rigid stencil

I also used a LOT of tequila and no respirator in a fume filled garage full of paint fumes............

 

[TPC]

Everyone I've even known over my lifetime that painted their own vehicle was wildly successful. 100% turned out great.
Prep is real important.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

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Yup like I said... AZ has the best booths. Loving the purple... my fav color by far.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

This was the first car I painted. Take your time, listen to the folks at the paint supply store. I've shot both single and base/clear paints. They both work good. The good thing is you can use the primer coats as practice to get used to your gun and shooting techniques. And when it's all done you wet sand it and buff to get rid of any imperfections! This was done in a 1 car garage! FYI that's house of kolor silver ultra mini glitter flake mixed into some clear.

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Badass color scheme... car don't suck either @Shlbyntro you paying attention.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

I bought a shit pile of them years ago, most were peel off thin vinyl. I also used thick hand held vinyl templates for free hand stuff... this is a bit of free hand with the rigid stencil

I also used a LOT of tequila and no respirator in a fume filled garage full of paint fumes............

And lets not forget you paint guys love them Camel non filters while they work that art.... or the minute they come out of booths... its like sex for the guys I knew.

 

[lbhsbz]

I painted my T-bucket in my garage with spray cans from Duplicolor when I was 21..."burnished silver". Took about 8 cans IIRC, then another 8 cans of clear, then I color sanded the shit out of it and got after it with compound/polish/etc and it had a mirror finish. One trick I learned from a fellow dumbass is to water down the ground in the area...keeps the dust down. I did a boat with Western Hi-Glow single stage and it turned out like shit...a 20 foot paint job. I've also done my VW GTI race car with the cheapest battleship grey rattle can I could find, again...lotsa coats and lotsa color sanding and polishing....looked great. It's all in the prep. You can make cheap paint look like expensive paint, but you can't make it last like expensive paint.

My neighbor had a 67 mustang he had done with DuPont Imron....said he'd waxed it once in 15 years and the thing felt smoother than a sheet of glass and looked amazing.

 

[Shlbyntro]

Badass color scheme... car don't suck either @Shlbyntro you paying attention.

I'm getting there.... half way through my 2nd round of filler. I'll be switching to a super fine filler after this round

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

I'm getting there.... half way through my 2nd round of filler. I'll be switching to a super fine filler after this round

 

[johnnyC]

i painted my jeep in the driveway, sanded down the original paint,masked it up and at 6 am when the air was still i would wipe it down and spray one panel at a time with single stage, (fast solvent) took about a week to get it done came out really well, when i sold it abt a year ago the paint was still holding up for being parked out side for 10 years, i think the secret is a good tooth to the surface of whats going to be painted and QUALITY PAINT.... its surprising how things can come out for half assing it

 

[coolchange]

I painted my T-bucket in my garage with spray cans from Duplicolor when I was 21..."burnished silver". Took about 8 cans IIRC, then another 8 cans of clear, then I color sanded the shit out of it and got after it with compound/polish/etc and it had a mirror finish. One trick I learned from a fellow dumbass is to water down the ground in the area...keeps the dust down. I did a boat with Western Hi-Glow single stage and it turned out like shit...a 20 foot paint job. I've also done my VW GTI race car with the cheapest battleship grey rattle can I could find, again...lotsa coats and lotsa color sanding and polishing....looked great. It's all in the prep. You can make cheap paint look like expensive paint, but you can't make it last like expensive paint.

My neighbor had a 67 mustang he had done with DuPont Imron....said he'd waxed it once in 15 years and the thing felt smoother than a sheet of glass and looked amazing.

I painted a couple boats and trailer with Deltron ( same as imron). That stuff could make a hero out of anyone. Laid out like lacquer. But you better be color sanding first thing next day or you’re in for a job. I’d use it again if I could, but the pros say that’s old tech, the new stuff is so much better.
I had a boat in my drive I was doing sitting nose down. Brand new candy swirly paint. I came back and the tanks puked the bow full of gas. I shit myself washed it did all I could and it was unaffected. Sikkens clear. Incredible product.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

I painted a couple boats and trailer with Deltron ( same as imron). That stuff could make a hero out of anyone. Laid out like lacquer. But you better be color sanding first thing next day or you’re in for a job. I’d use it again if I could, but the pros say that’s old tech, the new stuff is so much better.
I had a boat in my drive I was doing sitting nose down. Brand new candy swirly paint. I came back and the tanks puked the bow full of gas. I shit myself washed it did all I could and it was unaffected. Sikkens clear. Incredible product.

Thattaboy.... and we thank you for your business.

 

[coolchange]

Thattaboy.... and we thank you for your business.

Umm Kay ?

 

[TPC]

Had a neighbor long ago before clearcoat that swore after the paint dries you run it through the full service car wash a few times for the brushes to "sweeten it up."

 

[hman442]

Lot's of good tips here. I'll add that the prep, and the color sanding & buffing are more important than the actual painting. Make sure it's straight, prime and block sand with a guide coat twice, after you're sure it's perfect, paint....a single stage since it's not metallic, then talk to painters/watch videos about cutting & buffing...a guy can make an awfully spray job look beautiful.

 

[traquer]

Yup good comments above. Painting is fun! The prep work and sanding is too IMO (if you're only doing it once every few years lol)

What's not fun is painting a boat trailer... The payoff you get is "it doesn't look like shit anymore" instead of OMG that's a beauty. I did my last boat trailer with a wire wheel for prep and light sanding, roller on the paint and some polishing. Good enough but it took way more time than I thought. Should have just had my local Mexican bodyshop guy do it and tell him to give it the "racecar paint job" man I miss that guy now that I don't have him nearby, he did all my cars. If I paid him more and told him to use the best german paint the job was great like on my Bimmer, or he could do the racecar 20 foot paint job. He didn't care he'd do whichever version you wanted

 

[havasujeeper]

I once painted a jeep hardtop with a roller using a quart of Rustoleum "Hammered Black" paint. Turned out way better than the rattle can variety.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Over the years we have done quite a few garage jobs. In the last 6 or 7 years I did my Spectra and a buddies Opel. I will be painting my 65' Camino when the time comes as well. its all about process and making sure you take your time and keep everything as clean as possible.

 

[beaverretriever]

Sorry, I have never personally painted a car myself but my father was 100% self taught and learned everything from reading books. He never had much money so he had to do it himself to save money.

Painted and did the body work on every Mustang, Cobra, Falcon and vintage Ford he ever had right in the home garage. He even learned to lead fill, shrink metal, use an English wheel and more. He fabricated his own fender flairs from sheet metal/aluminum all the way to tig welding them on. He was quite an amazing craftsman.

Prep not only of the vehicle but his work area was so important. He would wet down the floors, hang sheets of plastic etc for the cleanest environment he could manage in a dusy old garage. Even the stripes are painted by him. He was extremely safe and wore full re-breather equipmet tonsavw the ol lungs. Even after purchasing all the painting equipment, it was still cheaper than painting just one car! Plus he got to use his equipment over and over.

They came out better than some of the stuff I have seen at Pebble Beach and the Oakland Roadster show haha!

Give it a shot! Im sure you'll do great. Just take that time to prep well as my father always said. It is the most important

Man, I love my dad. I wish I had 1% of his talent.

 

[dryhoze1]

As stated many times, the prep is 90% pulling the trigger and laying on the paint is in my opinion the easy part.
Most two recent paint jobs in a garage.

Bronco painted with paint left over from the boat. Single stage Glasurit