$70 paint job (color change from silver to black)

 by Nelson_Yepez
Featured
One of the coolest projects I have seen here is the $70 dollar paint job.This method uses Rustoleum as a substitute for expensive car paint thats why is so cheap. Who does not want to get a really nice car to be an incredible car just for $70, right? Well also the number one question everybody has in those instructables is…how can I make my car black? Is it hard to change the color of the car? Is it true that paint a black car is harder? And so on. A lot of people imagine how good would their car look with a new paint job and some would love to paint their cars a different color especially black, well I decided to take the risk and try it myself. I thought the worse think it can happened it’s that I have to sand it all down and start all over again.
So I decided to take the project in my own hands and hopefully help anybody that decides to take on the project too.
I have always love my car and even with the paint all faded I always saw the potential it had if I could only save enough money to get it a new paint job. Also I always believed that it would look really good on black (and I was right).

 
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Step 1: Read me first...

DSCF2004.JPG
This job can be performed in different ways:

1. Spray the paint (I decide that I want to spray the paint just because I believe is the easiest way)
Spray it’s the easiest but is the one that requires the most prep work of all.

2. Rolling the paint is great and it gives almost the same results as spraying if you do it right, and its involves normal amount of prep work for this kind of job.

3. Brushing the paint is the original method, I believed that is the hardest and the one that is going to give you the most flaws but it has worked great for the people that have done it with care and patience also it has normal amount of prep work.


 In my instructable I’m going to concentrate in explaining the process in spraying black paint and changing the color of your car.
I am not an expert in spraying paint, its actually my first time doing this, so all inexpert reading this can feel better. If I did it you can do it to.
This is the link for an intructable that used this method by brushing, rolling would follow the same steps but use a high density foam roller instead.

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Poor-Mans-Paint-Job-or...-How-to-paint-your-c/

Disclaimer: I am not in any way responsible for what you chose to do; this is an informative instructable and here I’m explaining my methods and my own way of doing things. If you car looks in any way like my car did there is no way at the end would look worse that before.

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Iam4NUru says: Aug 8, 2012. 9:53 PM
That blackout looks really nice. What car is it that you were painting in the Instructable?
regg_dogg69 says: Jan 13, 2012. 9:40 PM
looks good . and hey that was very helpful info . i was just thinking on how to do this project . i have a 96 sedan . and had been doing a little mods to it . such as shaving the doors and frenchin the antenna . my question is how long would the rusteolum last in this texas heat ? thanks again for tha tips . keep up tha great work . lol
hyperr says: Jan 12, 2012. 7:19 PM
Looks like a Honda.I've seen worse.
Nelson_Yepez (author) in reply to hyperrJan 12, 2012. 8:35 PM
Ok
pddonovan2011 says: Oct 9, 2011. 5:22 PM
Beautiful Job, I LOVE saving money and working on my own stuff! The problem is not changing the car to black. The problem is that if you have any.....um 'boo boo's' on your cars surface, the black color will make them more easily seen. Sort of like a visual amplifier, if you will!
Achan20 says: Jul 25, 2011. 8:10 AM
very nice. im thinking about doing this with my 94 camaro. going from white to yellow. lol. or i may just fix the rough spots in the white paint. who knowes. lol. cool over all. how dark is your window tint by the way?
Styluss says: Jun 29, 2011. 1:30 PM
Thanks for the props! And thank you even more for including a link to my Instructable. It's always good to see that not only are other people giving this a shot, but that they are making their own twists and tweaks to it. Hell, my write up is based off of the $50 dollar paint job; an an article I saw online on how to do it with the roller. I was so impressed I went to do it myself and the rest is history.
bradley scott campbell says: Jun 5, 2011. 6:00 PM
http://www.mtncolors.com/
this is the montana spray can link. take a look around :)
bradley scott campbell says: Jun 5, 2011. 5:56 PM
dudes here is my help. 25 years doing bodywork and painting cars.
the paint prep is the killer.
do not sand/strip to bare metal!! good solid paint is best to paint over !
clearcoat peeling like the above pic? you can 320/400 sand it till it stops peeling.
rattle can with primer and cover the areas where the paint is what we call broken. these have to be primed to look good.
sand any chips the same way,scratches as well.
for scratches you can wipe glaze(like bondo but more runny) into it with a razor blade then once dry sand with 180 grit DRY paper. then 320/400 then prime 2-3-4 coats .medium coats no thin not wet and runny.
any bondo will need glaze(as above) to com[pletely cover the bondo. then use primer to cover that completely as well. cover it good, you will likely sand most of it back off.
for prepping the car?(sanding) use comet and a gray scotchbrite pad.
you only need to sand the primer with block and 320/400 grit. the rest use comet. it take the shine off the paint. cleans teh paint for your new paint. and is dirt cheap.scrub it like a dirty sink.rinse it really good and dry it off.
try this for your color--try the montana brand of graffitti artist paints . they have gold is a series of cool colors and white is another range of colors.
these are spray cans and are lacquer paints. very high quality paints too. and very cool colors.
take your time masking it all off. use good 3m tape. and good paper. mask in the shade and paint in the shade. with montana you are always chasing the dry paint edge on each stroke.each paint stroke overlap about 50 percent each sweep across the panel.have a helper shaking cans as you go. 3-4 cans for average car 6 cans for a big old cop car size vehicle. if you live in AZ CA NV FLA etc dont paint outside in teh mid day heat, it will cause problems. 6 or 7 am is good or just about dusk will do as well.
if any of it blows up let it dry a couple days and then sand smooth the bad parts with 400 to 600 grit wet or dry paper(use it wet) and smooth it out and repaint the bad parts.

best of luck !!
cbray2010 says: Mar 19, 2011. 10:54 AM
NOBODY PAINT WITHOUT A REAL RESPIRATOR!
illdoyourdrugs says: Mar 16, 2011. 9:45 PM
I saw this ible long ago. Nice work!
curtis foreman says: Jan 25, 2011. 11:14 PM
!!!THIS IS FOR ANYONE!!! im 16 and im about to get my first car. its a 1997 cavalier the clear coat is peeling off and the paint is fading so it looks crappy and everyone knows its all about looks these days but i dont wana spend more on a paint job than the car is worth cuz its got 180,000 miles but i do want to redo the paint. do you guys think its worth it? if so i need all tips possible to get me going in the right direction. it's a copperish orange color and im thinking a all black or yellow with black.....ideas?
Thanks
TomassozzomaT says: Dec 21, 2010. 2:45 AM
Hi, I love your instructable. I wish I had time and guts to go any further from just fixing the rusty spots on my Marea.

However, as far as the ned result is concerned - you tried some buffing?

It does not look overly shiny, mayne buffing with a polishing paste would be of help?
Nelson_Yepez (author) in reply to TomassozzomaTDec 21, 2010. 4:03 AM
that is on future plans but i just want to make sure the paint its completely cure before doing so, ill sure be posting some pictures when i do.
bluelantern in reply to Nelson_YepezDec 29, 2010. 8:14 PM
Polishing is meant to remove the outer layer of faded paint,your paint is not faded because it's new so you wont find anything better under the layer.... you need to add,not remove.Great instructable! Yhanks.
pfred2 in reply to bluelanternJan 19, 2011. 2:11 PM
If their top finish is crap they can buff it up to a higher luster. With lacquer that is how you get a shine on it. And when you buff faded paint you don't buff down to a magical interior glossy layer you do remove the oxidized paint but you also make a new shiny surface in the process as well. If their technique is so poor buffing is their only option to achieving the highest gloss they can. When bad choices are the only choices they become the best choices.
bluelantern in reply to pfred2Jan 21, 2011. 11:27 AM
http://paintcarendetailing.com/polishing.html even the first sentence here contradicts you,then again share your wisdom with the fellow that painted his car,not me.
pfred2 in reply to bluelanternJan 21, 2011. 3:46 PM
Indeed any wisdom I may impart would be totally lost on the likes of you. Can you even read? For the benefit of those that cannot even be bothered to check out your inane URLS I will quote the first line of the page you refer to:

"Polishing is often a misunderstood and intimidating step in the detailing process. "

To begin with that entire page has absolutely NOTHING to do with what we are talking about here. Believe it or not polishing is a very general technique utilized in a variety of disparate tasks.

I will say this about that line though they hit the nail right on the head in the first 5 words when it comes to you.

Now you can be intimidated by my polisher:

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/298/buffergw.jpg

That sucker would rip your arm right off while you burned down to bare metal all over your rat ride.
bluelantern in reply to Nelson_YepezDec 29, 2010. 8:09 PM
Holy cow you did a great job! I wouldnt buff it though.At least try on a little spot first.I would think that since you got a spray gun a clear coat would be best,there's nothing shinny inside the paint,I mean under the fine layer that makes the outer paint is all you got,nothing better underneath,only more paint,:) so adding is the best bet.Adding clear coat.I love your honesty about the little mistakes you made,you are one cool dude.Good job on your car! It looks great.Thanks for sharing! Dave. PS: Do the wet sanding again(like you said after the paint is really really dry)with 400 before clear coat and you should have that nice wet look after you are done.
strayturk in reply to Nelson_YepezDec 27, 2010. 4:05 PM
Hey if you do the meguiar buffing, post pictures here. I would like to see the difference...
Great job on the paint!
Nelson_Yepez (author) in reply to strayturkDec 27, 2010. 4:13 PM
yeah for sure ill let you know.. and thanks
aaronjehall in reply to Nelson_YepezDec 29, 2010. 12:23 AM
use rubbing compound.
corkey123 says: Dec 26, 2010. 12:01 PM
Hey, I'd like to see how far you made it inside the engine bay with your paint. I'm going to be doing this to my car (better than $3000..) and have been doing tonnes of research, my car is white so it's going to be a challenge. Great instructable!
pfred2 in reply to corkey123Jan 20, 2011. 4:53 AM
A $3,000 paint job should include gutting the entire interior and pulling the engine possibly taking out the glass as well! For three grand I'd want them to pull all the glass.

Either that or you're getting ripped off.
corkey123 in reply to pfred2Jan 20, 2011. 3:44 PM
$3000 is what I'm being roughly quoted to get the rust fixed, which is the 4 wheel wells/quarter panels (it's a Honda from the 80's...) and a paintjob, which wouldn't involve the engine bay, interior or removing the windows. Just outside. I've done lots of inquiring of what a shop would let me do in terms of grunt prepwork and turns out they wouldn't warranty their work if I had a hand in it, makes sense I guess. I'm halfway through painting the interior right now actually, and sound deadening at the same time, EFFICIENCY!!!1!
pfred2 in reply to corkey123Jan 19, 2011. 2:40 PM
White is the easiest color. Nothing hides more than white does. Heck you could have big drips running down the middle of your door panel and they'd hardly show up in white.
corkey123 in reply to pfred2Jan 19, 2011. 5:20 PM
Hah, I meant to say that I'm painting the car black, and it's white at the moment. That's where the challenge is :P
pfred2 in reply to corkey123Jan 20, 2011. 4:41 AM
You always wanted manly shoulders didn't you? By the time you get done wet sanding you should be well on your way! Two tips, 1 buy 3M wet or dry sanding paper and 2 find out what painters glazing putty is. Both should put you ahead of where you'll be if you don't.

If your car isn't in too bad a shape there is this product called Ting that is a prep surfacer you might want to investigate as well. Ting is like a pro bodyman's secret weapon I shouldn't even be talking about in a forum like this! But it gets into places sandpaper gets ruined going into and keeps your paint from peeling up out of said places too.

Google like this website is just about brain dead on the topic so this is the best I can do:

http://tinyurl.com/4ar5bpe

I have a tub of it the color of the container looks right to me though. But if a car isn't messed up at all you can just Ting it and paint. Even if it is like I said you can Ting areas you can't sand effectively. Stuff like Ting is the difference between a pro job and a backyard hack job.
Nelson_Yepez (author) in reply to corkey123Dec 26, 2010. 1:35 PM
Ohh that sound fun lol,are you changing the color? what color?
like it says on the instructable the best technique that worked for me to paint in difficult parts like the engine bay or the door hinges if you are spraying is to set up the gun like this:
Air pressure:
high ( from 1-10 use 8 or 9)
Air flow:
med ( from 1-10 use 6 or 7)
Paint flow:
low ( from 1-10 use 2-3)
also if you gun has a nob to control the size of the area you are painting the setting in the picture worked the best for me ( check out pictures on step 6)
crfive_0 says: Jan 20, 2011. 8:15 PM
You should take some pictures that aren't under a tree.. It would show off your paintjob better, and it wouldnt look like your hood was so pitted, at least it looks pitted from the leaves subtle reflection
pfred2 says: Jan 20, 2011. 4:50 AM
For Gods sake if you're going to put the amount of labor it takes to paint a car use the right products! They don't cost that much more really. There is absolutely no rational justification not to.

I mean if you're Superman it could still take you 3 days just to wet sand a whole car properly. Why would you want to skip paying maybe $50 more to use the right stuff?

Pro tip: A case of beer and a few friends can go a long way towards cutting down on prep time depending on just how dorky your friends are. As in they have to be dorky enough to take you up on the offer but not so dorky they cannot be trained how to properly sand.
radiobath says: Dec 26, 2010. 2:30 PM
I highly suggest if you have the money, don't get Bondo, get something that has a Kevlar in it. That way, when someone dings your car, it doesn't crack/shatter as easily as Bondo. It's slightly more expensive, but worth it in the end. I've been suggesting it to all who do case modding, armor cosplay, and car repairs. Stuff is legit.
Nelson_Yepez (author) in reply to radiobathDec 26, 2010. 2:34 PM
Thanks for checking out my project and yeah def that stuff sounds legit and i would look into it for other project but if you noticed this project its all about budget so it would not be smart to spend more money in body filler than all the project materials together.
radiobath in reply to Nelson_YepezDec 26, 2010. 3:17 PM
Well of course. And there's always the option of skipping the body filler completely, saving you even more money.

But for DIYers that have the extra cash to go big or go home, they can rent the Mega Sprayer 5000, get a nice clearcoat, and use Kevlar body filler. In the end, it would *still* be cheaper than getting it professionally painted, look just as good, and you get the full bragging rights.

I love your instructable, and I'll definitely be using it once it's summer. I may have a beat-up old crappy car, but a new paint job makes just about any car look sexy.
pfred2 in reply to radiobathJan 19, 2011. 2:42 PM
That is what I did when I did my truck. I said well its a truck so all one color is good enough for me. We call those 50 feeters, as in they look good from about 50 feet or more away.
itzsnitz says: Dec 26, 2010. 11:40 AM
Awesome job, thanks for posting for the community. I've always wanted to tackle making my own paint booth, can you describe the setup of your booth? For example, was your booth completely sealed/closed while prepping and painting? If so, what did you do to provide ventilation?
Nelson_Yepez (author) in reply to itzsnitzDec 26, 2010. 1:11 PM
Thanks, well i used my mom's house patio, there is a 7' fence and i set up the booth on the corner so i only had to worry about making a wall on one side. i used a 12' by 12' tarp for the roof (got it at target on clearance for $3.99) and painters plastic tarp for the sides (home depot 12' by 9' $1.99). For ventilation i picked up 3 of those old square fans at a goodwill store ( $2.99 ea.) and i put 2 fans with air output side towards the outside and one towards the inside. So you have two taking out the contaminated air from the inside and one putting fresh air inside. Now the most important part you need is 3 air conditioned filters that will cover you fan totally on one side, they will filter the air coming in from dirt that can stick to you fresh paint and filter and trap the paint from the fans trowing air out so the paint does not go onto the environment and any other thing outside of the booth. all the filters go on the outside of the fans. i did i quick paint sketch of the booth in step 6 nets to the picture of the booth at the end.
pfred2 in reply to Nelson_YepezJan 19, 2011. 2:37 PM
If you want to go totally pro have a garden hose running water under the car while you paint it. Real down draft paint booths have water troughs to catch the overspray. Me, I just spray the ground right before I paint. That and the ground is still wet from when I washed the car usually. I bet you wish you car came out like this huh?

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/781/tapepick.jpg

Like a mirror! The metal (gold & silver) metallics are the hardest paints to get right maybe pearls. But pearls are hard for a different reason.

20 years later and it still looks good
http://a.imageshack.us/img832/1705/p1010023w.jpg

Now that's a paint job! Did cost me a tad over $70 though ... Maybe slap another zero on the end and it'd be closer to what the paint cost. Another zero for total investment.
LinkTGF says: Jan 16, 2011. 7:05 PM
I have a 1997 Ford Mustang that I am planning on stripping down with a sand blaster I just bought. Once I get it to bare metal, I have Rustoleum Primer (White) and Rustoleum Gloss Regal Red to repaint the car (with a spray gun)

I'm assuming that because I'm stripping it down to bare metal and then primer-ing, it will be much easier to paint.

Any ideas? Would you still recommend 2-6 coats of the color, or do you thing I would need less because of the primer?

BTW, I love the tutorial - it's a great companion to the poor man's paint job =)
pfred2 in reply to LinkTGFJan 19, 2011. 1:27 PM
Hey of you're going to use Rustoleum you might as well take advantage of the paint's inherent rust treatment properties and just let it have it! It is going to come out like crap anyways. You're painting it with Rustoleum after all!
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