Although we’d like to think it, no car is truly perfect. Even if you buy your car brand new and drive it off the forecourt, by the time you get home it’s bound to have at least one small scratch somewhere. If your car has been scratched, bumped or grazed, and you’re sick of your eyes being drawn towards those imperfections, it’s time to start looking at how you can fix the problem.
If the imperfection looks like it’s only on the surface level, you can fix it quite simply by giving the area a new finish. Here’s a practical guide to spray-painting any annoying imperfections off your car.
1 – Find a space, Gather the Tools and Isolate the Problem
This first step is a little bit of a general one, but it’s essential that for spray-painting your car, you’re going to need a practical space in which to do it, and the tools with which to complete the job.
For the first part, spray paint is toxic, and it’s therefore essential to be outside for this job. That is, of course, unless you have a large, indoor garage with plenty of space and ventilation. For the second part, you’re obviously going to need to buy the necessary air tools, as well as the right paint to match your car’s original tone.
2 – Sand Down and Mark Up
For the next step, ensure that the weather is dry and that the forecast is looking good, because once you start working on your car, you car needs to remain dry until the paint job is finished.
For this stage, clean down the problem area and take a rough sand paper and rub it down to remove any rough edges. Finish the sanding with smoother sandpaper, and then wipe off any residual dust. Finally, you can take some masking tape and mark up any nearby areas where you don’t want the paint to get, such as your windscreen.
3 – Practice Run and the Final Showdown
Now you’re ready to paint. Before you turn your air canister towards the genuine article, however, it’s important that you complete a practice run on a piece of scrap metal so you get the feel for your air canister.
Finally, once you know how to get a smooth finish, spray paint the car and then give the coat time enough to set. You might need to give it two or three coats, and the entire process might take two or three days, but taking the time to get it right is incredibly important.
