Ok, I own a black 95' sc400. When I got it 2 years ago, the car was in GREAT condition, as it was rarely driven. You give me a car for 2 years and some unimaginable damage will occur. Lesson learned: NEVER park in NYC streets ever again. Those "free" spots are just not worth it, parking garages is my only option now. My rear bumper has been bumped into one too many times (huge amount of the paint has chipped off, revealing the white flesh underneath), the right side of my front bumper has been scrapped against a concrete block, and worst of all, my car has been vandalized -- someone spray-painted a horizontal blue streak across the whole sides of my car in addition to (DEEP) keying on the same sides, including my hood.

This happened atleast 6 months ago and the only thing I did was bring it to some auto mechanic to have them spray-paint over the blue streaks, which in effect gave it a dull finish. They couldn't do anything about the deep scratches left by the vandals without charging me atleast a g, so I didn't bother. Also, there are these little blotchy thick stains that won't seem to come off of my hood, no matter how much I try to scrub. Everytime I wash the car, and I touch the surface, it feels all grainy, like I didn't do a good job. My question is, can I therefore do an equally or near equally good paint job by myself with less costs, or am I basically flat out of luck and I have to bring it to the shop? I hate to be stingy but, I have lots of other plans for this car -- (rims, body kit, springs, lights, brakes) -- and I'm just trying to get the most bang for my buck. Any advice on how I should go about this?

 

A DIY paint job isn't something you can step into without serious considerations of time, space, and the essential tools. Can you get a good result? Well, yes...BUT, take it from another guy that has painted enough cars in my life (as my needs would justify) to say that the first few weren't anything to brag about. There is a learning curve and you have to make mistakes to get there. I can paint to show quality now, but it took me a while to get there. Chances are your 1st won't be so great.

You have to answer yes to all these questions;

Do I have the time? My last whole car paint job took at least one solid week from disassembly of many parts of the car to prep/ masking to spraying to color sanding it a week later.

Do I have the space to paint it, with proper lighting? Without a place that is fairly clean, well lit(a must) you'll be at a disadvantage.

Do I have the proper tools? Spray gun, compressor, air supply (more on that later) etc. The compressor should be able to deliver at least 11-12 cfm of air to support a HVLP gun, or a decent size 5HP+ compressor for a siphon feed gun. You can have excessive air pressure drops when you're spraying a whole car-the compressor has to be able to keep up.

There are many other considerations as well, and technical things you WILL need to know, but those 3 are the items you need to think about initially.

It's an incredibly complex task, which can bite you if you skip something important, or don't sweat the fine details. Your prep is easily as important as the spraying of the paint.

One other thing; You should check and see if you can buy the paint. Some states require an occupational license to obtain automotive paint (VOC laws).

Lastly, the safety factor is of utmost importance. Automotive 2k (2 component) enamels contain truly toxic stuff (isocyanates and diisocyanates) which can KILL you, sometimes by repeated exposure, sometimes after spraying ONCE( I have stories about IMRON). It all depends if you have a reaction to it. You have to have a positive pressure air mask or some other way to bring fresh air into your lungs.

A car, no matter how nice the paint is, isn't as important as your lungs and life.

 

Thanks for the reply, Guitarman .

Now I can see why everyone just brings it to the "shop". I obviously don't know the first thing about painting the car so I'm not going to even attempt it now. Just out of curiousity though, how much would the compressors, spray gun, the paint, etc. cost anyway? Sounds just as pricey as bringing it to the shop. And that paint is starting to sound a little scary now; some states you need a license just to purchase it?! Anywho, I think I'll just have to be a good owner and treat my baby to a good ol' professional paint job. Can any fellow New Yorkers recommend a place that does a good job for an appropiate price? Thanks in advance

 

Well, you're right. To purchase everything you need just to paint 1 car wouldn't make much sense, and I think you'd be better off putting that money towards someone else painting it for you.

Here's a tip; Maybe try to find a guy that works at a paint/ body shop, that does "side" work and would be willing to spray your car for 1/2 to 1/3 what that shop would charge. If you ask around, they are out there. You won't get much of a guarantee there though (usually none), and you also have to pay cash, but it's an option you might consider if money is tight and you just "have to" get that paint job.

I know a guy in a car club I'm in here in Florida that had a guy like that spray his car for $800. Best $800 paint job I EVER saw-comparable to a $2500 job. Now, I've seem the "other side of the coin" as well-bad ,cheap jobs. But then, I've seen them that way from shops too.

Go to car cruise ins, car shows, and ask around to see if you can locate that kind of person, or even a quality paint shop that is fairly reasonable. Just about every show car was painted either by the owner or a top area shop, so you'll have plenty to go on.

That all said...A shop with a good rep is your best bet though, maybe someone up there can let you know of one. Good luck, I think you made a wise decision in not trying to go the DIY route, and I really mean that..

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Guitarman!

I'm gonna go take a look at various places and compare prices or perhaps find a professional that will do it as a "side job". Wish me luck.