Paint Your Car With Rustoleum

Do you have a fun car that you just KNOW will go faster with a brand new paint job?

This method is based on the idea of using a foam paint roller to put many layers of Rustoleum on your car. Except, I used a professional airgun and only 2 coats. The result? Pretty dang good, for the money.

Why?

So why Rustoleum? Well, on the internet you can find people who rolled it on, and the cars look pretty good. But most of all, you can get a quart for under $5 at any hardware store, whereas automotive paint can be 20-50 times that much.

I have a neighbor who has a paint shop in his garage, so I got to use his spray gun. You will need a spray gun and air compressor, but if you don't you can still try rolling on the paint.

Other thoughts:

Throughout the project I kept telling myself, "self, if this works out...you'll have to do an Instructable on it," and it worked out, so this is my first instructable.

Note: I'm not liable for....anything. If you ruin your car, my condolences but remember, YOU did it. However you probably won't ruin your car unless you try.

Step 1: Preparation

First, you'll need some items:

• A car you're willing to ruin the paint job on
• 2-4 quarts (depending on size of car) of gloss Rustoleum - color of your choice
• 4 or more cans of Rustoleum auto primer spray paint
• 1 quart of acetone
• 1 can of Bondo (optional)
• Sand paper - 120, 400, 800 grit (or the closest you can get)
• Mixing can/bottle/whatever
• Stir stick
• Masking tape and paper
• 4" super-fine foam paint roller (optional)
• Spray gun - bigger nozzle seems to work better
• Air compressor - big enough for the spray gun's requirements
• Dry, well-ventilated area to paint in
• A bunch of misc. tools - these may include screw drivers, ratchet sets, allen wrenches, a can of liquid wrench
• 2 gallons of diligence

You'll do well to make sure the primer is Rustoleum, to ensure compatibility (paint can act stupidly if it doens't like the primer). Also, use dark primer if your car color is dark (blue, green, black, etc) and lighter primer if the paint is lighter. This way you won't have to spray on 20 coats to cover it up.

It's also a good idear to handle any bodywork your car needs. If you don't want to do this, get a professional to do it but see if you can have him skip painting it to save money. However, for small dents Bondo (or any number of superior, more expensive fillers) is really quite easy to use. I had to replace a destroyed fender and bondo a big dent on the hood before painting, but it was a lot easier than you'd think.

Comments

[jr23]

rustoleum is about 10 bucks a quart now 2013
love to see how it held up 6 yrs later

[princ317]

Hey I have a 1999 Chrysler Sebring Convertible JXi and about a year ago I had to get the door replaced. So my car is gold and the one door is white. I am thinking about painting the car myself being that I am in college, I would like to know about how much time was spent on a project like this and about how much money? Also, I don't have access to a paint gun, is it possible to rent something like that or should I stick to the spray cans or rolling?

[xxjhansenxx]

i am on the fence on whether or not i want to spray paint my car or roller paint it. Spray paint requires less sanding and dries faster. Im not completely sure about the benefits and what they are of roller painting verses spray painting besides being more cost effective. However, my real question here is: Is it possible/practical to spray paint the base coat and then roll on the clear coat. I want the base to be black and the clear coat to have specific metal specks in it. Ive decided that i am going to have to roll on the clear coat. With that question aside, i'd also like to know if when applying a clear coat like rustoleum auto body clear coat, would i still want to cut it with mineral spirits to make it easier to apply with the roller? OR would that ruin the clear coat?

[neilslade]

All this work- and using soft enamel that is made not for road and auto use- but to paint furniture. You can use real urethane which is far superior and made for autos-- and roll it on if you like, although it is far easier to just borrow or rent a compressor and spray it on.   A quart of decent single stage real auto paint is all of $35. You don't need to apply coat after coat after coat, etc. Far easier, far better paint.
Neil

[wonkette]

How much coverage would a quart of decent automotive paint be?
Also, would applying multiple basecoats and/or more than one topcoat help prevent fading from sun and salt air (I live near the ocean)?

[xxjhansenxx]

well, i have already primed most of my car with the rustoleum auto primer. I havent bought the paint yet. Can the urethane be put over the rustoleum primer? and where can i get it? i only have advanced, auto zone and carquest around me. I have a napa near me but every time i drive there, they arent open. weird? I am open for any ideas. but i dont want paint peeling. the rustoleum auto paint is a laquer and according to rustoleum, it gets raelly hard so that was my thinking for the process... regular rustoluem with the hard stuff over it. im an amature at this so i will take any good advice.
I dont have access to a spray gun or a compressor and after buying tons of new parts for my car i dont have the extra cash to start spending on things like that... however, im not sure how much things like that would run me so please dont think i am just trying to count those out as options. I just assume they will cost me more than i have

[asanchez6]

its better it use spray gun its nice

[xxjhansenxx]

i dont have access to one or everything it requires to work.

[tinker234]

there is a triger for spray cans you could use that

[xxjhansenxx]

tinker, i dont really know what you mean by that. I had considered getting the clear coat put into spray cans but that is just going to cost a lot and defeats the purpose of not spending so much. ive made my budget a bit higher than 50... more like 250 because of all of the supplies to do it right as far as sanding discs and body filler and primer

[tinker234]

i meant that there is http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=spray+can+handle&hl=en&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=917&bih=497&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=9086268114377819105&sa=X&ei=DGqxT6jLGZPTgQfm06iHCw&ved=0CHsQ8wIwAA

that could help with the spraying

[xxjhansenxx]

spray paint is going to cost so much as you dont get very much out of a can

[tinker234]

yes i thought that might help if you decided to go that that way but rolling it is a better option

[xxjhansenxx]

yea, i appreciate it. thanks! so does anyone have experience with issues with the rollers or pad things? I took off my hood scoops and spoiler and i got those prepped and i did the first coat with the foam brush and it came out decent and then i did the next layer with the high density roller to see which application looked better to me... The roller looked better, application-wise, but there was bits and pieces of small debris in the paint that i had to buff off.. im not sure what caused that im certain that the roller will get the car done quicker but i dont want to have to keep buffing off the particles of crap that rose to the top.

[tinker234]

yea you got to clean really well before you start

[xxjhansenxx]

yea, but i dont want to use spray cans for the paint... how does this work with regular paint from a can

[xxjhansenxx]

does anyone have any experience with something like this?

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=spray+can+handle&hl=en&cid=17186538752054589215&ei=9YvST7uKMcWzmQeL47XiCg&ved=0CAsQrhI

[neilslade]

One important aspect missed by people trying the Rustoleum method- is that Rustoleum is obsolete paint technology- non-catalyzed oil base paint: alkyd enamel- abandoned by all automotive makers pre-1970- It has inferior shine, weather resistance, flexibility, it is dramatically inferior in regards to durability to urethane. No current car manufacturer uses this kind of paint on cars- for good reason. For the same price, and less work, and superior results-- use the right stuff, acrylic urethane. Roll it on if you want, the same as Rustoleum, and end up with something far superior. A quart of urethane is $30, first class real automotive paint, made to put on cars that go bump on the road. Be done with the job in ONE DAY, no sanding. The $50 paint myth refuses to die. No big surprise there. Please read: Further-- it is IMPOSSIBLE to accurately and competently gauge "how good" a paint job looks from a single web photo, much less, several of them. A web photo can be extremely misleading on it's own. Do your homework.

[wonkette]

Thanks for this information, Neil. I am debating whether or not to roll or spray, and, to use Rustoleum or "genuine" automotive paint, and your response helps in that decision. Another question I have is that besides acrylic urethane, there are acrylic enamel and acrylic lacquer -- what is best? Lastly, what about coverage in terms of deciding the amount of paint to purchase?
I doing a small (compact) wagon (but larger than the car used in your vidoes).

[pfred2]

It is like preaching to the short bus crowd.

[jpnagle59]

Hey there, another 'old' guy here with advice, or should I say some info that might help.

@neilslade- polyurethane is the way to go, and I think it would work best if you are considering 'hand' painting with a roller or foam applicator.

I installed Vault Doors for a long time, and some of these Vault Doors for the government (Weapons Vaults) and Commercial Doors ( usually not seen by the public In financial/commercial buildings) were painted. I was the guy they chose to go paint, and touch-up these types of vault doors when the customer was excepting the building for occupancy. Often the doors were scratched and 'dented'- as in as much one could 'dent' a 4,000lb to 8,000lb piece of solid steel- it can be done. I've dented more than just one of them during installation- they are heavy!.

Anyway, the factory would paint these doors in polyurethane, and it held up well. At first when I started to go and paint these damaged doors, I would pick up some paint- Rustoleum, or whatever brand was available to me, and have it matched to the color I needed. The finish would not suit me, and if the door was not really, really clean before painting, problems would occur, and all most always the dreaded 'orange peel' would occur.

Now for those wanting to hand paint their car, I would choose a polyurethane over anything else, because when put on with a 4" roller, very fine, it will dry quicker, and more smooth than an enamel paint. Like mentioned before by others, humidity should be low when doing this, but it is not as critical as with an enamel paint. The surface needs to be really, really clean to avoid 'flaking' after the paint hardens, which occurs fast. If a person were to put 1-3 coats of poly on a car, let the first coat dry, and any more layers put on should be applied as fast as possible to prevent softening of the previous coat. When your feeling a 'tacky feeling' when applying another coat over an already painted coat of poly, your not moving fast enough.

Lacquer paint should be treated the same way- always wear some sort of breathing protection with all these paints- not good for the body and the nose! I went out and did a door when the people were already in the building- the smell gets to them.

When spray painting, apply the 1st coat in one direction, and the second coats in the opposite direction, works better that way.

As far as those little spray can 'trigger' attachments that fit on the top of spray paint cans, @xxjhansenxx, I find I have a more sensitive feel for the painting without them and using my finger on the spray tip of the can of paint.

Just thought I might help a little with this...James

[Mudking]

Hey, i have a 2001 lifted ford ranger i off road with it a little and the paint has been beaten up a little bit i want to repaint it from its original white to a blue but i dont want the paint to wear off when i wash it after the mudhole

[NotNeilSlade]

I did this method and would have not learned to paint otherwise. I am proficient enough at this to post. 8:4:1 ratio - paint, acetone, hardener (Valspar from Tractor Supply, available other places on the web) Will try 5 parts acetone on next job. No primer used, paint looks ok still after a year. I believe I saved over $10,000 doing myself (bus) - Had paint tinted on universal paint machine and just did a second bus and it looks GREAT, 2.5 gallons of Rustoleum used. I will paint my older classic cars in this method as the paint isn't really shiny enough for new types of paint. Will have to try a clear over the top as everything I have been warned about kept me from doing this YEARS ago. No Primer, painted over different collors and bare metal. I think the hardener is key but if you can't get any, try 8:5 and see for yourself, just leave in sun for the rest of the day. It works, and it really is that cheap. Just see for yourself, I used $15 HVLP gun from Harbor Freight - painted a fender a year and a half ago as a test and it still looks good, no protection, no hardener.

[tsbrewers]

" I highly recommend you read the original source of this method (which inspired this entire project) here:
http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html"

Just thought I would correct this, here is the link to the original place this cult got started,and is actual referenced in the above page. martin tibensky on moparts.com

[william1370]

But it was popularized here, so who cares.

[hjenkins3]

What are your thoughts on using a can of rustoleum spray paint--- NOT a professional spray gun--- instead of can of paint and brushes?

[sixsixzero]

Just recently rolled this van.... Its my dirtbike hauler, so no expensive paint job required!

[13blue]

Nicely done. That's a good looking van.

[sixsixzero]

Spray paint will not hold up anywhere near as well as spraying it or rolling it. Ive done both, and they both work fine.
W spray cans you must remember, they use alot of thinner in those so they sray out of a can effectively. You would have to multiply your coats by 10 to get the same coverage, thickness as well as keeping a good blend. It is very hard to overlap, w/o overspraying w a small can like that....just doesn t do the job.

[m2mps]

The problem with using a spray can is that the film build (how thick the paint is) is not very thick and the thicker the paint coating the better the protection, also the primer needs to be good to give good adhesion to the metal try here for a good range of paints www.promain.co.uk

[DrSimons]

It might work for small areas, but doing a whole car would use a LOT of spray paint cans so it would probably be a lot more expensive. Also you should be VERY good with a spray can...it's not very easy to get a good finish, there are always lumps or blotchy areas, especially with glossy paint. Good luck though.

[vespera]

I was considering doing this for my motorcycle. The surface area of the fairings is nothing compared to that of a car, so a can of spray or two could do the job.

I've done light coats of spray before with cans, and even have an air brush but it is no where near the quality required to run rustoleum through it. The fairings on my bike are removable and all made of fiberglass.. going to give it a try, I think :)

[elimasmx]

Oh my, now I want to buy a cheap, old car just to paint it a bright color.

[wirenut1980]

Looks good. I once used spray cans of stone creations to paint my car. It made touch ups easy to match and the best part I even had a few cops take the time to check out the paint job!

[robbs]

I have '91 Buick Skylark, that I plan on rolling by hand. Between coats, you wet sand to eliminate the orange peel effect and you use different sand paper grit each time. What puzzles me, won't you have the orange peel look everytime?! I guess, what I'm asking, how does the smooth surface appear as though you sprayed it? Is it because of the many layers and correct ratio of paint & mineral spirits. Also, if Rustoleum doesn't carry my color, where do I go to march the color? BTW, I'm a female attempting this task. Thanks for the input!!

[m2mps]

Try using Rustoleum Combicolour it can be applied by brush and will self flattern and look like it has been sprayed available at www.promain.co.uk or call them for advise 01462421333

[ryguy425425]

I don't know about other brands but any Benjamin Moore store should be able to scan the color of the actual car and mix a can of paint to match. I would however still do the whole car as the finish will most certainly be different.

[LtFransky]

You can't really "match" the colour with Rustoleum (or Tremclad for Canadians) The idea is to paint the whole car a new colour. When you wet sand you final coat, you use 1500 - 2000 grit wet/dry paper and then you need to buff the paint by hand or with a mechanical buffer using a polishing compound. Once that is done (it's a LOT of work) you apply a hand glaze ( http://www.amazon.com/3M-Imperial-Hand-Glaze-39007/dp/B0002NUNIO ) and polish that layer.  Then you apply a quality wax to give you that wet-look shine. 
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/body/hrdp_0707_1962_ford_falcon_budget_paint_job/viewall.html
This is what Hot Rod magazine did.

And BTW, being a female makes no difference to your abilities.  Don't let anyone tell you differently. 

[kidharris]

This is in response to a number of comments scattered throughout these pages. Although I am not a professional painter, do not work in a paint store, and have never painted a car with Rustoleum, I have painted a few cars in my 60 years and have developed a few opinions on the subject.

It's been my experience that fisheye's are caused by not completely removing all the wax off the old paint job, particularly if there was any silicone-based wax on the old paint. The wax must be removed with a solvent/cleaner/wax remover, sanding will just spread it around. If you know that you are going to be painting the car sometime in the future, stop waxing it and allow the old wax to wear off as much as possible and then there will be less to clean off.

In addition orange peel is caused by too much humidity in the air, or water in the paint, and can be alleviated to some extent by controlling the drying time using more thinner and/or painting on low humidity days or in a humidity controlled environment. I once (when I was young) painted a van under a awning while it is was pouring rain, you should have seen the finish on that.

I am not a big fan of clear coats. Most professional auto painters love clear coats because they do not have to be buffed and polished which saves them a lot of time and therefore they make more money. Paint stores love clearcoat because they get to sell more product. It is crucial in using clear coats that you use one that is designed for the paint. Even then most of the really crappy looking paint jobs that you see on the highway where the paint looks all wore out and patchy/chalky/faded on the top of the hood and roof is caused by the clear coat wearing away and the paint underneath not having any wax on it. Sometimes too thick of a clearcoat causes it to act like a magnifying glass and damages the paint underneath and can cause the clearcoat to peel off, especially over dark colors. This, of course, also gives the professional auto painter more work. In addition, clearcoat makes small paint repairs a real pain to do.

Although clearcoat definitely has its place (some paints will not shine well without it, and it can add depth to special effects) I'm a little tired of people hollering clearcoat, clearcoat, clearcoat like it is the ultimate cure for all painting problems and will make your paint job last forever. It simply is not true.


Hope this helps some of you who are contemplating painting is your car with what ever paint you use.

[johnlvs2run]

Yes, that is helpful. Thanks