© John Machaqueiro001-1968-plymou6th-valiant-paintjob
Paint is one of the last steps of any car project. While every part of a restoration is important, the most visible element is paint. It's the first thing you notice when you walk up to a car. The only problem is paint comes toward the end of a project. Of all the tasks done in a restoration, the one place where shortcuts are taken is paint. Knowing how to paint your car at home can save you thousands, but the money you save won't mean a thing if you don't sweat the details, and we're here to help.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Car?
This is when it's time to take a breath and slow down, because knowing how to paint a car can make or break a project. A basic, quality paintjob done in a professional shop will start at $10,000, so doing it yourself can save thousands. The materials for your paint can run from $900 for budget paint to $4,000 or more for professional-quality products. For this project, we needed a pro-quality paint that was easy to use. We had heard good things about Axalta's Cromax line, which offers both waterborne and solvent-based paints. Axalta's products have a reputation for great coverage with minimal coats, and that user-friendly guidance was perfect for an ambitious project like this.
Related Story: Don't Sabotage Your Project! 15 Tips for DIY Paint Prep
© John Machaqueiro Geoff Gates of Driven Garage in Oakland, California, knows exactly what goes into a good paintjob. He grew up in his dad's body shop in Detroit. "You can't cheap out. Good materials and good prep make a job that looks good, but most of all, will last," Geoff told us. As a trained artist and a Mopar specialist, Geoff identified subtle body changes that would work with our Plymouth Valiant. He moved the factory side-marker lights up on the panels and dropped the side trim down to line up with the door handles. Geoff also straightened and smoothed the panels of the Valiant.
The Work Leading Up to Painting a Car
© John Machaqueiro Before showing you how to paint a car, it's important to note that much prep went into this Plymouth Valiant's sheetmetal prior to getting to this stage. A rotted-out passenger-side floorpan was replaced with new AMD sheetmetal (here), the driver-side door striker post was rebuilt (here), the car was carefully disassembled with trim parts being bagged and tagged (here), an overall concept for the final look was drawn up (here), the side-marker lights and trim were relocated for an aesthetic improvement (here), minor dents were removed from the fenders, doors, and quarter-panels (here), the panel gaps and sheetmetal alignment were set (here), and we explained how to use body filler to create crisp body lines (here).
© John Machaqueiro Geoff Gates of Driven Garage welds a trim hole closed on while relocating the body-side molding on the Valiant project.
If you do the research and follow the steps, there's no reason you can't paint your car at home. Start by testing your spray gun and paint on masking paper taped to the wall. Practice moving the gun using a slow, steady motion. Try painting on an unneeded hood or fender. Once you feel comfortable with your results, it's time to paint your car. You want a paint that is easy to use. Research the paint by finding out what other people are saying about it. It's also critical to have the tech sheet for each product being used. These tech sheets will explain how the products should be mixed and applied.
Plan Your Paint Work
© John Machaqueiro If you're truly interested in learning how to paint a car at home, you'll need to set up a portable paint booth with a good compressor, as we did for the 1968 Chevy Nova shown above. This will consist of sealing the doors and covering walls with plastic and maintaining a super clean environment so no dust can settle on wet paint. (Wetting down the floor prior to painting is also helpful.) Painting a car always takes longer than planned, so take that into account. The worst time to start painting is at night after a long day of prepping the car. Plan on getting all the masking and prep work done the day before you paint and make sure your garage "booth" is clean. Use tape and masking materials designed for auto paint. Never use newspapers and house-paint tape.
Related Story: How to Properly Use Body Filler to Sharpen Body Lines
© John Machaqueiro Make sure you have everything needed for the job. Get all the paint products organized and the spray guns ready. Then start painting first thing in the morning. Paint when your head is clear and your mind is sharp. By painting in the daytime, there's less chance of bugs getting in the paint. Lay out your products and tools before you start so you don't have to look for anything after you begin spraying. One trick to ensure everything is mixed correctly is to draw marks on the graduated scale of the mixing cup for each of the components before pouring the product. That way, it's easy to see exactly which measuring marks to pour each product to as you're pouring.
Pre-Paint Prep
© John Machaqueiro We've set up the car in the booth and thoroughly cleaned it with wax and grease remover. Take care to mask everything very neatly before spraying any paint. We also wet the floor to keep down dust. Any dust that has settled on the car is removed by lightly running a tack cloth over the surface.
Axalta Cromax Epoxy Primer
© John Machaqueiro We start with Cromax DTM Epoxy Primer. This will seal up all the bare metal, bodywork, and what's left of the factory paint. Before pouring primer, mix it extremely well. The solids in primers collect on the bottom of the can and need to be mixed back in. Use a graduated-scale mixing cup to measure out the paint.
Epoxy Primer Activator
© John Machaqueiro Refer to the tech sheet and measure out the right amount of activator. Use the proper activator for the temperatures you're spraying in and take the time to mix the products very thoroughly. Driven Garage's Geoff Gates has a secret process: he sings "Happy Birthday" two times in his head while mixing. Next, strain the paint. It removes any chunks that might clog the gun.
Spray Gun Setup
© John Machaqueiro Use a primer spray gun or set up your regular spray gun with a big (1.7 or higher) needle, tip, and cap. You want to get heavy coats with lots of build thickness for block-sanding.
Spray Pattern Tip
© John Machaqueiro Tape masking paper to the wall and check the pattern before spraying the car. Use the setting in the tech sheet as a guide and fine-tune the spray pattern and air pressure for a full, even pattern. If the pattern is uneven, remove the tip, cap, and needle and check them for any debris.
Laying Down Primer
© John Machaqueiro Start by priming the edges and move on to covering the large areas with a smooth motion. By hitting the edges first, you won't interrupt your spray pattern on the large areas.
Overlapping Spray Passes
© John Machaqueiro You're shooting for nice, even coats. Most primers, sealers, and clearcoats are going to need a 50 percent overlap. The tech sheet will tell you how the coat needs to be sprayed. Here, we're spraying one medium wet coat.
Adjusting for Tight Jambs
© John Machaqueiro Get all the surfaces covered, even those hidden in the jambs. You'll have to adjust the spray pattern and the air pressure for some of these smaller areas.
Cromax Premier High-Build Primer
© John Machaqueiro We followed up the epoxy a few hours later with several coats of Cromax LE3404S primer filler, applying two wet coats. This is where the paint goes on heavy, but not heavy enough to run. The primer filler will give us some room to block-sand it all smooth and level.
Overnight Curing
© John Machaqueiro The car has a coat of epoxy primer and two coats of high-build primer filler. This primer will need to dry for at least three hours, but to ensure complete curing of the products in most temperatures, it's better to let it cure overnight before sanding.
Guide Coat Application
© John Machaqueiro Spray a very light, even layer of guide coat on each area before you block-sand. Guide coat is a contrasting color that will show the high and low areas and help keep the body lines straight as you sand.
Tip: Get Sharper Body Lines
© John Machaqueiro We use tape along the body lines to keep everything crisp and straight as we block the primer. Use the biggest block you can fit on the panel and block in several directions at a 45-degree angle. A 180-grit will shave the primer down, leaving the surface nice and flat.
© John Machaqueiro Any imperfections will show up as you block. Next, tape the other side of the lines and repeat the process. Once you pull the tape, you can see the lines and tune up as needed. We liked the Cromax primer filler because it blocked easily and didn't gum up the paper.
Axalta Cromax Premier Sealer
© John Machaqueiro At this point, we've primed and blocked the car with 180-grit, reprimed with the medium build primer, and blocked the car again with 220-grit. The car was sealed with white Cromax LE3410S Premier sealer and wet-sanded with 400-grit. Next, we'll clean all the surfaces, remask the car, and it will be ready for color basecoat and clear.
Axalta Cromax EZ Basecoat
© John Machaqueiro We're using Axalta Cromax EZ basecoat, which keeps us compliant here in California. It's a waterborne basecoat, but it mixes and sprays very much like a solvent-based product. Chrysler Sunfire Yellow is the original color of our car, and Axalta's match with our earlier engine bay paintjob from four years ago was a perfect match. Don't forget to strain the paint when pouring it into the spray cup.
Spraying the Color Basecoat
© John Machaqueiro Test the spray pattern and adjust your gun to an even, wide pattern. (Always refer to the tech sheet for the air-pressure setting.) Spray out a few passes on paper to get an idea of the coverage. Some colors are more transparent than others and will require more overlap. We started on the hood and worked from the center using a 50 percent overlap.
Plan Your Gun Path
© John Machaqueiro Once the hood was shot, we worked back across the fender, spraying a medium coat. Try to keep a wet edge. Plan your "gun path" in advance so once you're painting you know how you'll get around the car. The tech sheet will explain exactly how the product needs to be applied and how long to wait between coats.
© John Machaqueiro Two coats and about an hour later, the car was in basecoat and ready for clearcoat. Refer to the tech sheet for the dry time needed before applying the clearcoat. Water-based products require longer dry times.
Axalta Cromax Premier Clearcoat
© John Machaqueiro Geoff says that the Cromax Premier LE8700 clearcoat is easy to apply. Because it's a catalyzed urethane, it's essential to mix the right ratio of products.
© John Machaqueiro After thoroughly mixing and straining the clearcoat, it's time to spray. Use a slow, even application and a 50 percent overlap. Depending on the activator, some clearcoats will continue to flow out after you're done spraying. Look closely after applying the first two coats. Did the orange peel flow out? If not, increase the overlap or slow your gun speed.
© John Machaqueiro We're applying three coats of clear on the car, waiting between each coat for the flash time indicated in the tech sheet. There's a fine line between just enough and too much clearcoat. The sides of the car are more prone to runs than the top surfaces, so watch closely as you're spraying and adjust your gun speed accordingly.
Final Cut and Buff
© John Machaqueiro The paint is finished, and the Valiant looks great! But no matter how careful you are, there will be areas of orange peel and bits of dust. These must be sanded and buffed. Geoff uses a spray bottle of water with a drop of soap in it. Wet-sand using short strokes with 1,000-grit paper wrapped around a hard foam block.
Tip: Use a Squeegee
© John Machaqueiro Geoff uses a rubber squeegee to dry each area as he works. An even sheen is what you're aiming for. Spray water on the paper and surface constantly while you work.
Wet-Sanding Abrasive Sequence
© John Machaqueiro Use care on sharp edges, as they sand through the quickest. Geoff sands the entire car with 1,000-grit to a flat sheen, washes it, then follows up with 1,200-, 1,500-, 2,000-, then 2,500-grit. Basically, all you're doing after 1,000-grit is removing the scratches from each successive grit.
Compound and Polish
© John Machaqueiro Once the car is fully sanded and washed, it's time for compounding and polishing. You'll need a variable-speed polisher, foam pads, compound, and polish. Spray a little water to lube up the compound pad and lay down a thin bead of compound on the surface. Start the polisher at a slow speed so it picks up the compound.
© John Machaqueiro Work slowly. Don't burn through, and be careful on those edges! We compound the whole car back to a shine, wash it, and repeat the process with the polish. Make sure to use a softer foam pad for the polish. The polish is an even finer grit, and the clearcoat comes back to life, only much smoother.
Final Result
© John Machaqueiro Here's the most rewarding part of the painting process: the result! It's been a long journey watching the aged paint on this car transform into this pristine surface-a high-quality finish that will last a lifetime.
Materials
| Item: | description: | qyt.: | cost: |
| Axalta Cromax DTM V-2940S | gray epoxy primer | 1 gallon | $300.80 |
| Axalta Cromax DTM V-2905S | mid-temp activator | 1 gallon | $91.55 |
| Axalta Cromax Premier | LE3404S primer filler | 2 gallons | $517.20 |
| Axalta Cromax Premier | LE1175S activator | 3 quarts | $381.60 |
| Axalta Cromax Premier | LE3410S sealer white | 1 gallon | $224.10 |
| Axalta Cromax EZBasecoat | Sunfire Yellow | 1 gallon | $724.50 |
| Axalta Cromax EZ240 | thinner | 1 gallon | $175.50 |
| Axalta Cromax Premier LE1275S | reactive reducer | 1 gallon | $105.95 |
| Axalta Cromax Premier LE8700 | clearcoat | 1 gallon | $281.40 |
| Axalta Cromax Premier LE1009S | activator | 1 qt | $125.00 |
| Axalta Cromax Final Klean V-3921S | cleaner | 1 gallon | $75.55 |
| 3M Perfect It Machine | polish compound | 1 quart | $38.00 |
| 3M Perfect It Ultra Fine | polish | 1 quart | $52.99 |
5 Tips for a Better Paintjob
© John Machaqueiro - Choose the right spray gun. Not all spray guns are the same. Try to have two spray guns: one for primer and one for base- and clearcoats. A primer gun has a larger nozzle size to accommodate the thick viscosity of primer.
- Test Your Products and Process. If you're using unfamiliar products, find an old fender or hood and test them. Find out how the paint sprays and know what to expect before you step into the paint booth. Apply the products just like you would on the car. If any problems come up, you can solve them before you waste material and time on the car. This is also the time to test your color. Find out your paint's coverage and plan out how many coats will need to be applied.
© John Machaqueiro Here's a basic list:
- Tack cloths to wipe down the surface before painting
- Graduated mixing cups, strainers, and stir sticks
- Respirator, disposable paint suit, and nitrile gloves
- Wax and grease remover, or precleaner
- Lacquer thinner or acetone for cleaning spray guns
- Automotive paint tape and masking paper
- Spray bottle for water-sanding
- Tack cloth before you spray! Don't forget to lightly run the tack cloth over the surface after precleaning and before spraying any paint. Tacking is also one last chance to examine the surface for problems. It's a big surface and things get overlooked, like a bit of sanding debris that was missed when precleaning or water that splashed on the rocker.
- Account for the weather. When ordering paint, know the temperatures you'll be working in. Many paint products need reducer and/or activator for the specific painting conditions. If it's cold, you'll need faster products. Slower products are needed for warmer painting temps.
![UP NEXT]()
UP NEXT