Car Paint Job

[levish]

changing the color "the right way" on a car is a 2500+ job so just look for another car

[Azalee]

I was lucky when I got my car because my mom knows a guy who buys cars and sells them at wholesale value... I ended up getting a 2007 Corolla with 3k miles on it for 16.8k with tax and license, and normally they start out around 19-20k. You just have to be patient and wait for the right car to show up. =)

[Shuemue]

If the deal is that good, why not buy the car, sell it on for a profit and then buy a car in a colour you like?

[Kajii]

this painted on your hood = pussy magnet
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...der_art_11.jpg

[Brien]

Good god is that an 8 ball with goat ears? NVM street signs but still...

[GeneJackit]

Did you mean primer? lol. Clear coat goes last with the exception of needing to get certain effects.

Maaco basically just washes your car and paints right on the existing paint. It should be taken down like Gene said though. Plus a notorious problem with Maaco is that when you open your doors...the original paint can be seen.

yeah, my bad....primer

Maaco is still terrible...all that money and they wont strip the original paint, so when it begins to peel its gonna look terrible.

I think in this case a dealership would be good, but if you go to any large body shop they will have qualified paint techs...some of the chains (which are reputable) are Collision Centers of America and Carstar....not exactly sure if they do JUST paint jobs, but worth to ask.

[Azkarin2]

I've decided to wait. To get it done correctly puts the car out of my budget and I have the ability to wait a few more weeks. Hopefully something will show up by then.

[Kohan]

If you decide to take some car to Maaco ultimately nonetheless, keep this hint in mind:

The first thing you should do purchase a good wax and grease remover. Use this before sanding. A common mistake made by non professionals is to just start sanding. Sanding before proper surface prep will imbed surface waxes and grease into the paint left on the vehicle. This causes poor paint adhesion when refinishing.
Use a good primer/sealer/surfacer.

Good luck with your project!

40968. I want to sand and prime my car properly. How do I do that?

It's really the very least you could do to ensure your car's new paint job lasts longer.

[Elesirdur]

Having done some paint work on my own past cars I can tell you that paint and body work is as much an art as it is a skill. It's completely different than doing mechanical or electrical work and experience, or the lack thereof, makes a big difference.

If you are tempted to do any work, go ask around at body shops and find out where they buy their supplies - paints, primers, sanding paper etc. There will likely be a paint and body specialty shop in your area that carries stuff that your local AutoZone/Canadian Tire won't.