Car Painting Tips: How To Shine On Your Car Paint Job And Avoiding Damage To The Car Paint Job When Washing A Car

The reasons for painting your car afresh are not difficult to guess. May be that the old paint is beginning to get peeled off or you could simply be tired of the color of your car. Some may like their car to stand out from the rest of the crowd and by giving it an exclusive chrome paint.

Whatever be the reason for giving your car a new paint, let it be known that it’s a very expensive affair, and at times it may make a better sense to go for a used car instead. That could prompt you to repaint the car on your own, using a spraying machine. Yes, you can do so, but you may go wrong somewhere in the process and further spoil the looks of your car. You’ll need to procure all the right materials and carry out necessary preparatory work to avoid giving your car the looks of having been ill-treated by an inexperienced mechanic.


How much are we talking?
Even if you decided to spray the car yourself, in all likelihood you would be spending about $1500. And, in case you like the car to have a first class metallic paint and give an expensive look be prepare to spend more than $4000! Somebody claimed having repainted his Corvair using paint rollers rather than spray gun for as small an amount as $35. However, he did complain that dead leaves and pests were stuck in the roller. So, the end result was far from being even satisfactory, leave aside perfect. Spray-painting the car at home would help getting rid of scratches or peeling paint but don’t imagine it to be looking like as if it were done in the shop. The best way of getting it painted is from a professional workshop after having verified its credentials in advance.

Ask the right questions
The finest way to ensure that your job is done the way it should be is to know a little bit of paintwork yourself. An important or the main difference between a DIY spray job and a specialized job is the use of proper tools. Youll not find it worthwhile to spend for the kind of quality spray guns, accessories and the materials that professional car paint shops make use of. If you are unable to assess the quality of a paint shop you intend entrusting your car to, ask them to take you around the place to see how are they doing it. Surely, you won’t like to get your car back with all the scratches in tact. Question the vendor’s knowledge before handing over your car to them. Try getting an idea of what the final result would be, so that you can quote the same if the final outcome is not to expectations.


Fix it with a retouch
If the car has just a couple of not too conspicuous scratches or cuts, perhaps you could avoid having a complete painting and a simple touch up might solve the purpose. If you ever have had a minor accident you would know that even retouching is expensive, but necessary all the same to keep the car looking good and to prevent it from getting rusted. Here again, you could do the job yourself as tubes of paint in different colors are available from local dealers, but then again, the overall results may not be very satisfactory and a closer inspection would tell the story. Before you finalize the repainting job to any workshop, it will be good to check the expense from at least three vendors and compare the same. The price may vary by as much as $100.

Any job involving painting of car necessarily requires that the car be clean and free of wax prior to application of paint and be meticulously waxed at the end so that the new shining paint is visible.

Car Paint Types A Short Review

The paint on your car is not for the purpose of giving it a good-looking shiny exterior. Primary function of paint is to protect your car from damages likely to be caused by weather. It further helps avoiding minor scratches and prevents the surface from getting damaged due dirt and pockmarks of birds. There are different types of paints to be applied on the body of the car and these have different characteristics. Here is a description of different types of paints and their qualities.

Acrylic Lacquer
There are many advantages to this kind of paint. Its application is so easy that even a novice can possibly paint a car reasonably well. Another quality of this paint is that it gives the car a fine glossy look, which most car owners like to have. Nevertheless, this kind of paint has some limitations too. Chemicals and UV rays easily weaken it. That means a car with this kind of paint would need to be painted more frequently, and that adds to its maintenance cost. The worst thing about lacquer paint is that it’s harmful for the environments, as a result of which its use has already been banned by many states.

Acrylic Enamel
Compared to lacquer, acrylic enamel is a lot harder, so it can withstand natural elements better. Manufacturers of cars and professional car painters bake the enamel. Though acrylic enamel is also available in spray cans, its application is very difficult. If ever you try handling this paint yourself, you are sure to be disappointed with a drippy, streaky car at the end. Moreover, many types of enamel necessitate a topcoat, so that becomes too much to do on your own.

Acrylic Urethane
Acrylic urethane brings together the best of both, the acrylic lacquer and acrylic enamel paints. Its application is convenient like lacquer, but remains tough and more durable like enamel. However, its application is a bit problematic. You get it in three different, separate items. First of all is the color, then a reducer to get the color in its right consistency, or viscosity, and at the end another item to make the process of drying faster. If you decide to use the color of your own, mind you it’s very toxic and you would better take all precautionary measures like using gloves and respirator along with a protective gear for your eyes to ensure your personal safety.

Water-Based Paint
As a majority of the paints used for autos are quite toxic, they have introduced a new paint. This is water-based, and not toxic. The best feature of this paint is that it can be applied on existing paint, directly on the primer, and even to the metal of the car itself. As yet, it’s available in a few selected shades, but more are being developed as this form of paint gains popularity. Since long water-based paint has been used to have graphics or designs on a painted car, but now it has been realized that it can really be used for complete painting of car.


With developing paint technology we could expect more options, but for the time being these are the options. Though it’s possible to paint the car yourself, it’s not worth taking the trouble, as the results are most likely to remain unsatisfactory. Let it remain for the professionals. They know the techniques, have the required tools and know the materials to be used for getting the best results. Though it remains important and in your interest to keep it covered for the paint to remain looking shining and good.

Car Bodywork Tips Preserve The Shine On Your Car Paint Job

Having decided the model and brand of the car you would like to buy, the next most important decision pertains to its color. Well, the options are too many! There are people, who would buy only black, but others feel that maintaining car in lack or white color is more difficult that the other colors. Likewise, there are many who prefer to have bold colors and red is favorite of many.

 

Whatever color one may opt to have, the environments make it quite difficult to maintain the original sheen of the car. And, once a vehicle begins to lose its color its value starts coming down, as it wouldn’t ever look like the original. Here are some helpful tips and precautions that help maintaining its original color for long and prevent environmental effects. You’ll also know how to repair some of the damages, which just can’t be avoided at all times.


HOW TO RESIST ENVIROMENTAL DAMAGES:
Vehicles are given different finishes such as acrylic, enamel and matt coating. Irrespective of the kind of finish, paint remains vulnerable to environmental effects. The only way to provide protection and minimize damages is thru taking some precautionary measures.
Ultra violet rays emitted by the sun cause damage to the glossy finish. Moreover, metals are good conductors of heat that could cause lasting stains. That makes the application of coatings and sealants necessary.

The other harmful elements are air pollutants with their content of sulfuric and nitric acid. As acids get deposited on the surface of your car they eat up its paint. Regular washing of the vehicle helps reducing the damages caused by acids as they get diluted and dissolved in water. Washing is important even in winters as dirt and salts cause pitting of the metal and its eventual rusting. That makes it imperative to protect the undercarriage by applying suitable protective coating.

Keeping your car clean prevents building up of moisture in dirty areas and thus retards corrosion. It is highly desirable to wash your car once or twice a month. Once a while it’s good to have a mild power wash that removes dirt which gets accumulated in difficult to reach areas such as beneath the bumpers, at the back of the moldings and the wheel wells.

During or after winters the car should be pressure washed to get rid of dirt and salt that gets deposited on its surface. It helps maintaining its shine and neat looks and reduces the chances of its getting rusted.

A very helpful tip is to periodically get your vehicle waxed. This really helps a lot in preventing fading of color and minimizes the likely harm caused by chemicals while maintaining its shine. It takes less than an hour to wax any vehicle and would last for three to four months.

ALWAYS REPAIR THE CHIPS AND SCRATCHES:
Usually, you can procure the right paint from the manufacturer. By simply using a toothpick you can repair most of the noticeable chips and scratches, while the smaller ones can be tackled using some polishing compound. If you care to follow these tips and spend a bit of your time, the paint on your car will not only last longer, but also maintain its shine.

Washing A Car Avoiding Damage To The Car Paint Job

 Car paints are usually pretty tough, but need certain measures and precautions to be taken to keep their shine intact. It’s not unusual for people to spoil the paint while washing or waxing the car. Here are some tips and precautionary measures that will help maintaining the paint and its shine on your vehicle.

At the outset you have to get the car in the right position and location. The paint will dry quickly in the sun and causes water marks to appear. So, park you car away from the sun. Before spraying any water on the car, check that the paint on your car is cool to your touch.

The car needs to be watered down. Try getting rid of as much of dirt and gunk etc. as is possible. Make sure that the water goes down the seams, especially in the region of upper hood and door jams.

It’s time now to wash your car. But, you shouldn’t be using some old soap lying around the house. Get a quality product like Mothers, Meguiars or Zymol. Another precautionary measure is to use a drying towel or chamois leather and not a sponge. Towels with micro fiber tend to scratch the surface, thus defeating the very purpose of washing and waxing the car.

Next, you thoroughly dry the car to keep away spotting marks. Make sure not to use towels made from micro fibers that could scratch the paint. Instead, use cotton towels or chamois leather to get the best results. Many of the DIY kits contain towels and you could check that at the time of buying your kit.

Though the car now looks cleaner, it’s not perfectly clean. Just go around it and focus on the lower panels, especially behind the wheels. You may find tar and such sticky materials that need special attention. The best way to get rid of it is by using a clay bar that has a solvent for dissolving such sticky materials. As you gently move the bar across the affected area, it sucks up the tar and such materials without causing any scratches on the surface.

Now, you are ready to wax the car. Waxing helps protecting your car paint job. So, it’s important to use wax of good quality. It lasts for long. Don’t try to save money on that account, as only a quality product can withstand the weather elements. And, do follow the instructions of the manufacturer. Once it’s done you’ll feel proud of owning a beautiful car.

References:
How To Spray Paint Your Car - Auto Painting & Bodywork Repair
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