I spend some time here trying to help people with mostly mechanical issues, but my specialty is body work.

I figure a lot of people get mixed messages when they are trying to undergo this lengthy and complicated process alone.

The way I was taught to do any refinishing process is usually something around the following.

So you have a car you want to paint... It has some rusty spots, and probably some dents



1. Media blast all rust (sandblaster or something of the sorts) cheap harbor freight kits work fine.

You can always clean the rust the same way I describe below, but it is VERY difficult to not have it come back without blasting it. DONT BE FOOLED by magic rust inhibitors. They last about as long as you can hold your breath.



once rust is taken care of and cleaned....


2. Strip entire car of any paint(some people like using aircraft stripper. I prefer a soft and fine 6 inch wire wheel on my grinder.) Wear a mask. Protect your lungs. Goggles too.

once the car is stripped of paint...



3. Fix any problem areas in the metal (body work stage, now you fix dents)

IMPORTANT: work the metal first, don't just add Bondo. Work the metal in the reverse of how the damage occurred. Play detective. The rule "First in, last out" comes to mind.
So work your way from the least damaged areas to the deepest worst part of the damage. Don't start at the lowest point of the dent first and try to pound or push it out, that will most likely warp the steel, and add to your troubles. (you basically end up with a bunch of shiny dents once painted....no good...)


once the dents are roughed out...



4. Sand entire vehicle with the following progression:


40-60 Grit initially (for Bondo and the first sanding stages of the body work areas. You don't need to sand the whole car with this grit if it isn't damaged)

80-100 Grit (smoothing out your worked area, and taking care of any scratches left by paint removal) Don't skimp this step, anything you can feel with your fingernail will be a MOUNTAIN under paint. Take your time.

150-180 Grit (sand the rest of the car/area to be refinished (Make sure you are using "X" patterns while sanding, as you will continue this process until the end) if you don't know what that is let me know.


Primer does NOT like to stick to anything above this grit really (smoother than 180). The smoothing/straightening stage really happens next....


5. Now you PRIME the vehicle/area to be refinished:there are lots of different primers too. The process usually progresses something like this: Etch Primer (LIGHTLY over bare metal areas) --> Filler or High build primer --> Primer Surfacer --> Primer Sealer

Each of those stages is allowed to fully dry and is sanded (with the exception of the etch primer, spray your first coat of high build primer over this) with the same 180 grit, and eventually, when you are sanding the final layer of primer sealer, you move up to 220 dry (or 320 wet) I prefer wet, as it saves dust.

(Don't forget to continue using "X" pattern sanding techniques, and guide coat, which I can also explain if need be. Its basically just flat black spray paint that you lightly coat the areas to be sanded with; this provides a visual cue as to the straightness of a panel. PM me if you have questions)

So now your car is fully primed, and sanded with 220 dry (or 320 wet)

and hopefully its looking straight at this point.

6. Now you may begin to START thinking about paint.


Now this is a VERY generalized idea of how to refinish an area. There are most definitely fine details I left out, but for the sake of space I will answer them when/if they come up. Not everyone works the same way, nor am I claiming this is the "best way to do so"



This is the way I was taught and trained as a certified Auto Body Technician.


If you have ANY questions, please feel free to comment or contact me. I don't mind one bit helping people with paint/body work questions.

Best of luck!


And remember, there is no better teacher than experience. Body work is a VERY experience oriented skill. One that is learned over time, and allows you to save THOUSANDS of dollars on future repair bills. Don't expect to be Chip Foosin' it up right off the bat.

TL;DR: Media blast --> Body work --> Sand with 40-60 --> Sand with 80-100 --> Sand with 150-180 --> Prime --> Sand with 180-220 --> Paint

This post was edited by OldAndyAndTheSea on Dec 1 2012 11:21am

good thread, what baffles me the most is how people seem to think that sanding and prep work is less important than the paint itself.

Haha yep! Why do you think I left out the whole painting process?

Because that part takes about 20 minutes. The prep takes 100x longer.

This post was edited by OldAndyAndTheSea on Dec 1 2012 12:45pm

perfect timing as i will be re painting my lt1 after im laid off lol

I'm looking to get my car door repainted

The door got broken, some paint got chipped off and now rust is starting to form

just curious if i take this into auto body shop what would be the cost? also can they get the paint to look the same exact colour as the rest of the car? last thing i want is a one door the be a different shade lol

Thanks for your imput.

The door would have to be completely resprayed. All body shops differ. Prices can vary all over the board. I think an acceptable price to expect would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 dollars, or at least that's what I'd charge.

and paint colors are incredibly difficult to match 100%. Since most paints are mixed by humans, there is definitely some percent error involved. Not all toners are exactly the same hue, etc...the list goes on.

That being said, some colors are MUCH more difficult to match than others. I'll just name a couple HARD colors to match correctly: BLUES and WHITES come to mind. But, don't be discouraged, ANY proficient body guy worth his salt will be able to properly blend colors. Just take it to a good reputable shop.

Or buy a completely different door from a salvage yard for 100$, and hope they have one thats the same color as yours?

If I wanted to paint these: http://tinyurl.com/cylfvsh

What arrangement of products would I need? I am looking here http://www.automotivetouchup.com/ and assuming I'd need the paint, clear coat, polishing compound? Anything else?

And a 12 oz aresol can should be enough for this application right?


This post was edited by Mangina on Dec 9 2012 11:53pm

So if I am understanding correctly. You wish you paint the "lancer eyelids" as opposed to buying the kit you listed.

And the purpose for this is to gain a more aggressive appearance?

It's definitely possible to do. But I will say that if you're going for that look, I'd just spend the 40 bucks and buy the pieces. As trying to make this job appear clean and professional will require a lot of work.

In order to paint the headlights you will have to do the following to the plastic, which in my opinion isn't worth the work.



1. Tape off the area to painted (in the shape you want, the eye lid shape) and protect the surrounding areas. MAKE SURE THE TAPE LINES ARE CRISP! Take your time.

2. Sand the taped off area with a fine grit wet sand paper like a (320 or a 400 grit) (you need to remove ANY and ALL sheen from the area to be painted)

3. (optional. but I'd do it) Prime the area (if you go this route don't sand the lights with the higher grits I mentioned above, sand with 180 or 220 wet. So the primer will stick.)

----IF YOU PRIMED, NOW COMPLETE STEP 2

4. Clean the area. Re tape if need be, again making sure the tape lines are crisp and well applied, in the shape you like

5. Now paint with the color of your choice.



I explained a possible way to acheive the appearance you are looking for. But that being said, this is NOT my preferred method for the type work. Like I said, I'd just buy the kit online and be done.

But know that if you want to paint the lenses you will essentially have to ruin the headlight plastic by sanding. Food for thought if you ever wanted to reverse the process.

Not to mention you are essentially PAINTING over your HEADLIGHTS, which will NOT help with night driving, nor will it make ANY positive change to the functionality of the vehicle.

So the decision is yours. Weigh your options and find out what is best for you.





EDIT: At second glance I NOW see what you originally asked.

If you wish to buy that kit and paint the fiberglass pieces you will have to follow the same steps.

Since they come primed

1. Sand with 320 Wet or 220 dry

2. Clean them off

3. shoot the color of your choice (first coat, called a "drop coat" is sprayed extremely light. The sole purpose is to introduce the materials. The following coats progressively get heavier, until the last final coat, and the finish you want is achieved.)



At least I hope you choose this second method.

Also try to pick a decent paint, it will definitely last longer.

This post was edited by OldAndyAndTheSea on Dec 10 2012 12:44pm

I'm going to buy the eyelid pieces, but they only come primed. I need to paint them myself, or take them somewhere.

I'm not talking about painting the headlights directly.

I didn't notice any kits on that site, just individual products. I had picked those 3 products out as the ones I thought I'd need.

I'm assuming 12 oz aerosol is going to be enough. In your opinion, is this paint decent enough?