The Poor Mans Paint Job

Sorry! My website that all of the links in this write up point to is down. I will have a new and improved one up soon!

I have developed a new method of applying rustoleum as an automotive paint that is, in my opinion, vastly superior to applying it by roller. A method I have come to term The Poor Mans Paint Job. This method of paint at home application relies very much so on the methods seen in other online auto paint how-to's, but uses a different paint application technique in order to lessen the amount of sanding involved. This method uses a high density foam brush as opposed to those other methods, resulting in a lot less sanding to finish the job.

I have seen plenty of people paint their car at home with a foam roller brush, with good results. BUT, it takes a lot of sanding work to get it right. I have also seen people use a sprayer with Rustoleum providing excellent results as well, but then you get into dealing with the overspray, needing a sprayer and somewhere to do it.
If the Poor Mans Paint Job is performed correctly, it will help to lessen the amount of sanding involved with an at home auto paint job like this. Oh, there will be some sanding involved, but we will try to keep it to a minimum. Of course, if you are not happy with the finish without a final sand and polish, just prepare for that scenario ahead of time. Make sure to lay down enough coats throughout the procedure to be able to sand at the end if you like. However, I am a lazy SOB and would like to not have to sand too much.
You too? Here's how!

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way responsible for the results of this project when tried at home by you. This is what I did, and this is how it came out. Am I happy, yes! However, I can in no way provide any assurance that your attempt at this will turn out as well or be as satisfying. Please also see step 5, "downsides and drawbacks" before making your decision to try this at home.

Obviously, it worked well enough for me. I cannot guarantee that it will work this well for you. Please, try this at your own risk. BUT, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Step 1: Supplies

First, you will need to purchase all of the materials needed to complete this job. Below is a list of everything I needed to get my car painted. You might need more, you might need less depending on the scope of your project. One of the best things about this is that it is very inexpensive. As you can see I spent very little on the project.

Item Quantity Total Cost

Rustoleum high gloss white paint - 3 Quarts = $23.61
Odorless mineral spirits - 3 Quarts = $17.97
Primer spray paint - 1 Can = $4.99
4" High density foam brushes - 7 ea. = $5.67
2" High density foam brushes - 7 ea. = $3.95
Paint trays - 3 ea. = $3.21
Sandpaper - 2 packs = $9.50
Painter's tape - 1 Roll = $5.84
Total: $74.74

I would say that two or three quarts of paint is all that you will need. Two will do a small car, three your average size car. If you are going to tackle an SUV or large truck, you might need four or even more to finish the job. I laid down six coats on the car and seven on my body kit, bumpers and hood with three quarts. Make sure to use high density foam brushes as they will hold the paint very well and help to eliminate residual brush strokes. As with any project, be sure to purchase everything you will need and have it handy once you begin.

Comments

[quesoman]

not a poor man, a thrifty man

[Biohazard1194]

That's a nice Beretta you have there :)

[Styluss]

Why thank you!

[tooday11]

wow it LOOKS great

[Styluss]

Thank you!

[kaptkert]

since this is regular paint and nothing is being used that can eat away plastic parts can power painter be used

[Styluss]

I believe that others that have commented here have used power painters. But remember that you will have to tape up the windows, tires, engine bay and more if you want to spray paint onto the car. Plus, the mix may need to be thinner so it can pump through the unit.

[wonkette]

2 questions:
We have a beater car that we want to improve the look.

1) Were you limited by the choice of colors from Rustoleum?
We were considering buying a professional series of Urethane BaseCoat/ClearCoat system, but was priced at between $240 (TCP Global) - $700 (PPG)

2)  Do you need to topcoat with a clear coat? We live near the ocean and the salt air is causing the clear coat to peel on our current car. I suppose if you paint with a one-stage system, you don't need clear coat at all, so nothing to peel off? But doesn't the clear coat make things last longer?

[cardesnr99]

Clear coat didn't seem to work on your car, so why would you think it would make paint last longer? It's only necessary in a clearcoat/basecoat system.

I'm a pro painter of 40+ years...it's likely that the peeling clear coat on your car was a waterborne formula. They've got these to where they last 5 years and that's it.

Rust-O-Leum is paint I love to hate, but after seeing this Instructable, I've got to give kudos to the author. Tip: stay away from dark colors. Also, there are many high-gloss enamel paints with high pigment content that would also work. Rust-O-Leum is known to be brittle once dried, and stone-chips easily!

[wonkette]

A little research into the history of paint on this car shows that the automaker goofed on their formulation of paint for two model years for certain colors, so all the cars painted with similar colors had their clear coat peeling. Unfortunately, I bought the car second-hand, so I did not qualify for any reimbursement or fix.

The brittleness and proness to stone chipping convinced me to go with a professional formula.

[Styluss]

Thanks for the props! And I am happy to say that there is no more chipping than you would see on any car with standard automotive paint.

[Styluss]

1. Yes. However I have seen people mix Rustoleum colors to get the color they desired. And if you are even considering buying the fancy paints... I dotn think this paint application process if for you. go somewhere and have them do it right. You did say it is a beater car after all...

2. I am not a paint savvy person. All I know is that I have had Rustoleum on my car now for 2 Colorado winters... no issues. I do not have any sort of clear coat on my car. It is simply Rustoleum.

[ursan]

My local ACE hardware sells Rustoleum and they can add pigment to the white paint to make it almost any color.

I bought a gallon and the matched the color for my when I removed the gas door from my car (cleaned it, polished it) All they did was scan it and they add the pigment. For my car is was 4 units of chroma yellow, 1 part blue and 1 part red. My car is an off white cream color and it matched fairly well.

[mmdowd]

Hi Interesting you could match the paint I want to paint a 1939 Buick a cream color which it is now, have ideas of painting the guards (six wheel equipped) deep Maroon. I may have to use an acrylic to get the maroon color
I would love to see your car to see how that cream looks. could you post some photos or email them to me??
Does anyone have any opinions on having two tone" Is it a bit over the top in a sedan? I saw a 37 Oldsmobile done this way but the red was too red in my opinion Any comments or opinions would be greatly appreciated [e-mail]
Also has anybody got any ideas on color schemes, I need to get the plan right

[angiel806]

Where do i get the paint??

[Styluss]

Most any home supply store; Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

[xxjhansenxx]

SOOOOOOOOO this is not the first time i've stumbled across this page when looking up ways to paint a car at home without spending thousands. And i really like this idea. I havent done it yet but i have a 93' 3000GT and with this method plus adding some products to the paint from paintwithpearl.com... i cant see how i could mess this up. I am 23 and i love my car. My plan is to use black paint all over. buff it out real smooth and then find a clear UV protection paint (still researching a good brand, rustoleum carries auto paint, primer and clear coat) and the mix some metal specks into the clear coat and then the top few coats will be plain clear coat .
although you do not indicate that in this particular method on this page that you you used a clear coat... do you have a cheap, effective, UV protection ideas of paint that i can get at a hardware store or something?
Also, with prepping the car, i have a few spots that definitely need some bondo topped with primer but there are spots where the paint has CLEARLY cracked pretty deep. how would you suggest buffing the cracks out so they dont show through? and do you only sand down to get the factory clear coat off or do you want to sand a little deeper but not to metal... Also, is there a method of sanding that doesnt require tons and tons of circular motions that quickly wear your hand out?
i also have a few more questions that i cant seem to find on google because i dont know what the parts are called, however, i will wait to ask before i over load you too much.
i have posted a few pix of my car now and the problems that i hope to fix . With bondo, should anything be applied to the cleaned up area prepped for bondo to help it adhere to the paint, body panels?
the pic of the thing that isnt actally my car is what i my goal is for a paint job. I also have a good feeling that with the metal specks, any minor flaws will blend it much easier and hide imperfections as oppose to one straight color.
Now i just have to wait until i have all the supplies and a few nice days since i dont even have access to a garage. but i can make some makeshift wind guards to keep dirt and bugs off... however, i think they wont be noticable. but my yard is surrounded around trees and this is a good time of the year to start seeing your car covered in pollen... so we'll see.

[Styluss]

Okay, your paint prep questions are easily answered... I have no idea. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to paint prep. All I did with my car was sand down the paint, apply the paint, done. I honestly didn't even give a second thought to how much I was sanding, if I went through the clear coat, none of that.
I figured I am painting a car with Rustoleum... How much work do I really need to put into this?

[xxjhansenxx]

well, i'm on a budget and if i were to come across a decent wad to money, the first thing i would do is get my car done. the amount of work put in determines the result ultimately. So my goal is to have this come out as perfect as possible without spending thousands.

I've done much research on the questions i asked. However i have one more that i cant find anywhere on the internet and maybe you or someone else on here has an answer. Even though you didnt clear coat the car, if i were to clear coat with something like rustoleum auto body clear coat for extra protection for paint fading and scratches... would i want to cut it with mineral spirits as well for this application?

[Styluss]

I have no idea! One would think that yes, you would want to thin it out a bit so that it will level nice and smooth like the paint does when thinned. But I have no experience with the Rustoleum Auto Paint products. Perhaps you can try it on a smaller piece of the car first? Something like your grill.

[xxjhansenxx]

good thinking! i will definitely give that a go!

[gabhanjacisa]

Hi, interesting article. I am planning on buying my daughter's 2000 Cavalier for $1,000.00, it has real low miles but the paint...ugh! The roof is basically void of all paint, down to bare metal. The rest of the car has spots of clear coat chipping away. My question is: her car is black. Do you have knowledge of any drawbacks to black Rustoleum being used?

Thanks!

[Styluss]

You can use any color and achieve the same results. It's all the same paint! However black will not hide imperfections like white does, keep that in mind.

[zell6978]

Awesome job! ( cool points....10'000 )

[mmdowd]

Styluss thanks for the benefit of your experience
Need some advice and clarification
In view of difficulties in Australia of getting Rustolium and a restriction in colors

1 Could the same job be done with some other product an acrylic or an Enamel

2 There seems to some difference in opinion in prep. If existing paint is in fairly good condition would a light sand or cutting compound with electric lambswool cover suffice

[Styluss]

I don't see why you can't do this with other paints. Rustoleum is just what we have used. And as for prep, some people will tell you that you have to spend hours on it, I will tell you that a light wet sanding at a decent grit paper will be just fine.

[MikleJayWox]

Not sure about Rustoleum but here in Australia we have Galmet, which is an oil based enamel, probably of the same nature. You can add enamel hardener to the paint, and extend its life considerably. Having said that one old beast I did was dark green, garden furniture green, and it took three years to get daggy. White should last way longer.

Oh, and here's a tip. Do not paint your car garden furniture green. Everybody, and I mean everybody, recognises it, and everybody, absolutely everybody, even strangers walking past, comments "that looks like somebody painted it with garden furniture paint" and look smug just like they solved the Da Vinchi code.

Absolutely everybody.


Mike

[mmdowd]

I finally found this site and will contact them as soon as they open after new year in Australia.
Interesting to know if Galmet is the same
http://www.rustoleum.com.au/contact.asp

[MikleJayWox]

Hey hey mmdowl, I am about to paint a car with epoxy enamel white and have spent quite some time getting the spray technique just so. If you are in Sydney and want to see the results that can be arranged. MJR

[mmdowd]

hi MikleJayWox
Thankyou I would like to look at your job. You say you have to get your "spray technique just so". The idea of my project is no spray, all with a 4" brush

[MikleJayWox]

Drop me a line at [e-mail] .

Yeah, well, I have chosen this paint because it does a good job as protective paint - rust - and the car I am doing I want around in 20 years time. Its also a car that attracts a lot of attention and is endlessly being vandalised. So this way I can give it new shiney coat every three years or so and repairing replacing a panel is not such a big drama.

Remember you can buy a cheap compressor and spray gun these days for a handful of dollars - and even bad guns will do a better job than a brush. Even a hoover spray gun off a vacuum cleaner does a better job.

Oh! A spray booth? Go buy a 3 metre by 6 metre garden gazebo - and paint the car bit by bit. Use an old vacuum cleaner and a long hose to blow fresh air in your face while you work (still use face filter) - this also introduces clean filtered air into the work area.

[mmdowd]

Hi I have been following your Forum with great interest. This is my first comment
I have a 1939 Buick sedan needs paint It is cream in original colour
I am wondering about paint descriptions or terminology. I am in Australia and have been advised to use an Acrylic paint
Would much appreciate any advice or comment

[Styluss]

I believe that you can get "Tremclad" paint in Australia and that is the same thing as Rustoleum.

[mmdowd]

Thanks for your prompt reply. Google search Australia brings up zero results for tremclad . I have found a Rust-Oleum supplier in Australia http://www.rustoleum.com.au/contact.asp
Cant contact them till after new year

[Bad Hair Day]

December 22nd is a bad time of year to decide to paint a car, but that's what I'm going to do.

I don't have the time to paint on one coat of black (the car is already black) and then wait a day for it to dry before applying the next coat. What happens if I put on 3 coats in one day, spaced about 4 or 6 hours apart?

The one skill I do bring to the job is I am a good sander. So I hope to get 3 coats on the car, rub it out, and then 3 more coats and sand it using 600 grit, and then the 3 different polishes I have (3 different grits) using the orbital buffer.

I'm hoping that by putting on a bunch of coats maybe a little too quickly, I can make up for it with good sanding/buffing/polishing.

The car is a "beater" (1997 2 door Civic EX with 180,000 miles) but I'd like to keep this car for 2 years. Also, if I do a decent job with the black, then I'd like to have some fun with it and put a stripe or two on it, as well as some flames coming off the front wheel wells.

Love the site. Thanks for your procedure.

BHD

[ScienceWiz]

Thank you so much for your writeup!!
I just bought my first car (I'm 17, got a '98 Mustang) and it could use a paint job.
I have been looking at methods of painting for some time and was going to just give in and buy an airbrush, until I saw this. It seems like exactly what I want!

I do have some questions, however, hopefully you (or someone here) can help:
Firstly, there is some minor body damage on the driver door, I'm going to fix it with bondo, but I was wondering if there was any special steps I needed to do for the bondo. Do I need to primer it like I would bare metal, or treat it like the rest of the car?

Second, I am planning on applying a custom vinyl graphic to the side of the car, it's self adhering and all that good stuff, but I was wondering if this paint would, maybe, not be able to hold the weight of the graphic. I know this is sort of a stupid question, but I just wanted to get your opinion about applying a graphic to this paint job.
Hope to have pics up as soon as I can complete this project! Thank you so much!

[Styluss]

The graphic will go on just fine. This paint will hold stickers just like any other paint.
As for painting on bondo, I honestly have no idea.

[wstarvingteacher]

I did this with an old trailer made from a pickup bed. It worked great but I had a lot of drips and sags. I did not use mineral spirits to thin the paint. Your job was better.

I have an old car that needs a paint job and will try again and steal a page from your book. btw rustoleum looks good and holds up for a long time.

Thanks

[rattlecan]

Good job. I've always loved brushed car paint jobs.

[ScienceWiz]

Sorry for spam, but one other question I forgot:

Is it possible to paint the bumpers with this method too? My bumpers are plastic soft bumpers but they need new paint as well. Can I use the same method as stated in your writeup? Sand the paint off, then paint as normal?

[sixsixzero]

This is the first one I painted.....

[pmartinez]

Great job!

[Styluss]

HUGE project!

[sixsixzero]

This is the 2nd vehicle ive painted this way....You also have to account for the fact you are painting your vehicle white, wich takes more coats and work reguardless.

The 1st vehicle I did I painted white.... took me 3 days.
This one took a day and a half, and Im way more impressed, because white doesnt show much as far as dents, ect.

Roller, brush, sprayer.... It all yeilds the same results.... It all comes down to your prep work.

Awesome "able" for the masses who want to try it on the cheap!! Good job

[Styluss]

Thanks for the comments!

[baba87]

OY! I suck at writing today. I meant red

[baba87]

If we end up keeping the car we have (needs a paint job bad) I will talk to my fiancee about do this. Very cheap and we wouldnt mind the imperfection since it is an old car. It would just be nice if it was the same color read all over and shiny again. Good job

Thanks!

[sweetsurrender2me]

I am about to start this project! Having success using the SAME product and METHOD (high density foam) for my bathtub, which came out beautiful!! (still looks like new a year later) I now have the confidence to tackle this project! I have been told by nearly everyone, that this is something that cannot be done at home. I was starting to believe them, That is until today! I found your post and having used this process before (also on a project I was told"must be done by a profesional") bathtub repainting. Well they are wrong! It cqn be done, using your method! thanks to you for sharing!! 

[ncichocki]

hey this is a great tutorial but i was wondering if u used like the high density rollers or brushes because im not sure which one will be better

[Styluss]

DEFINATLY the high density foam brush. As I said in the write up, the roller laid down much more paint than I liked at a time.

[mrstrong_57]

dude i got a dumb question but can you get most of these suplies from places like walmart? Meaning the high dense brushes? And mineral spirit do i get that at painter supply store??? "like my nearest automotive paint store"???

[Styluss]

Honestly, I don't know. I bought all of my supplies at Home Depot. So I'm sure that Lowes or any other large home improvement store will have it all. Hell, Walmart may have it all!

[kmoses2]

Hi, I have a 2001 Camaro and I want to paint the back end where is reads CAMARO, can I paint on paint?

[71RT]

No you can't just paint over paint, some type of prep has to be done, either a solvent or scuffing otherwise the paint will not stick or last very long.

[Styluss]

I would hope that didn't need said.
Yes, you can paint on paint... But yes, you need to do some prep work first.

[Styluss]

Um, yes. That is what I did...

[kmoses2]

So could you tell me how should i go about doing it myself ?? my car is blue and I LOVE the color PINK, so I want to paint pink in the " C A M A R O "
please let me know if you can give me advise on this,


Thank you!
Kmoses2

[sixsixzero]

I reccomend decals for this as well.... Its just as cheap, looks better and can be removed!
Not everyone wants pink... ya know

Depending on where u are from, I could help you with this, as I work at a sign/wrap company....

[71RT]

They actually sell a sticker kit (high quality) for about $20 which comes in many colors...no painting required.

[Styluss]

Indeed. I would simply suggest getting a sticker for it.
But if you are asking how to best paint where it already says "Camaro" in raised letters I would suggest buying a Sharpie paint pen. Although I don't think that they come in pink. Google "Pink Paint Pen" and see what you get! Using a paint pen is just as easy as it sounds. It literally applies like a pen, but it is paint. I have used white ones and black ones all over my car for small touch ups.

[71RT]

The the sharpie pen would work great if it didn't fade and good luck coloring in the recessed Camaro indentation on the back of the car. The vinyl graphic letters have lasted 5 yrs on my Camaro and look great.

[smalone3]

On mine I simply took off the berger panel. Quite easy to do. Remove the tail lights and then the panel bolts (I believe 10mm). I sanded with 1000 grit and then 1500, 2000. Then sprayed with rustoleum rattle can. It came out great. As for "Camaro" most people just use inserts. I left mine all one color, looks great. I say go on eBay and find someone selling said inserts, then message the seller and ask for your color of choice. GL

[Styluss]

I'm not sure what you're exactly asking here. In order to paint the area you would like pink, just follow the Instructable!

If you're asking for help with how to paint in that area without getting paint on the Camaro emblem, that's another story...

[acdc760]

Would this work with dealer paint?...I plan on only doing my front bumper because it is currently got a large chunck out of it, and i plan on buying a used whole one.

[Styluss]

I honestly have no idea. Try it and tell me how it worked!

BUT, you're trying at your own risk!

[tigerphoenix86]

For a $75 paint job this looks fantastic. Im glad that there is someone who can show poor folks like me how to paint their car. Being a single mom, with 3 kids, and an original paint job on my 86 mazda 626 thats very faded? you bet im gonna try this method! I'll post pics once I get a chance to try it. Thanx for posting :)

[the torpedo]

Hey, thanks for your tutorial it was great. I have a few questions... how do you NOT get brush strokes on your car? Is that what the sanding takes away? If not, would you recommend using a foam paint roller? Our truck I want to paint has some rust spots and little rust dots on the body, are those okay to paint over or will it still keep rusting? And the rust on the wheel wells WILL just keep rusting if you paint over them...Correct?

Thanks

[the torpedo]

STYLUSS I need some help please!!!!

[Styluss]

Damn man, give me ore than one day to respond...

[Newtopaint]

Hey man i need some help i put some bondo on bare metal will tht somehow mess up down the road like the paint??? and if my car is white can i just sand down the glossy part(not all the way to primer or metal) and just paint over it?? and is Rustoleum high gloss white paint the only paint i can use?? bc it is hard to find i could only find rustoleum semi white?? im a begginer n im paintin my girls car plz HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dont wanna mess it up!!!!!!

[Styluss]

You can use any shade of rustoleum you like.
And yes, you can simply wet sand the car down and paint right on your original paint, that is what I did!

[Newtopaint]

And there is some rusted paint in some spots i cannot sand or remove the parts above the door..wat do i do?? i cnt reach with the foam roller?? could i just get a small foam hand brush to paint over and would it be okay to paint over the rust??

[Styluss]

You can paint over the rust all day long but it will simply continue to keep rusting.

[tbradley morgan]

My daughter has a '92 Honda Accord that has less than 100,000 miles on it but we paid next to nothing for so this was the perfect idea solution to her black weather faded car. There were some spots on the hood that were dented and we were unable to locate a hood replacement. I tool care of those areas with bondo and then primer. There were also some areas on the roof that bare metal showed and those got some primer. The problem is that the areas that had primer put on are dull and the rest of the vehicle is shiny. I have only done one coat so perhaps this will remedy itself? Everything else looks amazing....no orange peel, etc. I just wish I could figure out what to do with the primer area. Any suggestions from anyone??

[Styluss]

With only one coat on the car I'm sure the whole thing looks poor. Once you lay down a few more coats the shine will begin to develop on the primer areas.

[tbradley morgan]

That's what I am hoping! I am a perfectionist so I am trying hard not to expect too much from myself on this! I already wish I had done a little better on the bondo on the hood, but really it needed a new hood. Heck, it already looks better than it did so I should just be happy.

[mlochala]

Wow! Great job!

I have done some professional style paint jobs in the past using urethanese, base coat/clear coat, single stage urethanes, etc. All of these had great finished results. However, I have a couple of older vehicles now that I really don't want to invest that kind of money into.

I do have a question for you. Perhaps I missed it, but I am assuming that you are using the Rustoleum on the plastic parts too, right? Like the front valance, bumper, etc.

If so, was there any special prep required for those areas and how has the paint held up there?

Thanks!

[Styluss]

Yup, I painted the bumpers and all that with the same paint. People suggested putting a flex agent in the paint for those areas but I didn't. ALTHOUGH, I think that it may help if you did. I have some spider cracks in the bumpers from where I have nudged things. However, the paint did not chip or flake up. It has a good hold on the bumper.

[mlochala]

Thanks for the reply!

I'm not so sure the flex agent is compatible with that type of paint. I have used it with single stage urethane before, but that's a whole different animal from oil based enamel.

Can't wait to do this on my old Toyota. Massy Ferguson red!

[mlochala]

Urethane.....don't know where urethanese came from?

[klane2]

Styluss thank you SO much for this tutorial! This is a SIMPLE way to paint your car, without all the BULKY EQUIPMENT associated with spraying. The paint job looks GREAT! I'm going to use it on my Cabrio and can't wait to see the results! Thanks again!!!!

[vcsekhar]

For those who are hesitant on removing all the no-paint parts, I guess 1) sticking a self-adhesive Vinyl sheet(similar to those they sell in dollar shops) 2) cutting off unwanted danglings from the stickered sheet would be a lot easier because after the paint , we can just peel off the vinyl sheet and more over the adhesive wouldn't stick to the bumper etc..we just need to clean it again to remove any little adhesive traces. any comments?

[bo'dell]

You know, Saran Wrap works nicely for smaller areas and with your method of covering, there might not be any need to remove much of anything.

[atsuruta]

Is it safe to use chemicals on it? say you got some tree sap or tar is it safe to use solvents on it?

[LinkTGF]

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 6 coats of the color, or would I need less because of the primer (or because of the spray gun)?

BTW, I love the tutorial - I've read it several times in the past when I had the idea to do my old Chevy Blazer in Biohazard Yellow =)

[Styluss]

Honestly, I am not the best person to ask these questions as I have no experience with painting bare metal. But I can only assume that if you are primering it that it will take less coats. Really, you only need as many coats as the car needs to be completely covered solid, to the best of my knowledge.
I do know that there is a very knowledgable person on this site named PFred that may interject his thoughts on your question...

[mhermandez]

Its a Mustang ?! Paint it with a gun its easy don't be intimidated

[jkiser2]

i just saw this comment, so idk if you have already sandblasted your car. I was just gonna say, to be careful not to have the pressure too high or to even use a softer media cuz sandblasting could cause your metal panels to stretch once you get down to bare metal and could possibly make it wavy.......im not sayin this will happen for sure, but ive done alot of sandblasting and it will easily stretch thinner metal

[camper99]

Hello just saw your massage if you use zyole thinner you get a shiner finish
been use rustolem for years it work get on all my trucks and trailer up here in the salt and snow
good luck with your car

[Styluss]

I cannot speak for how many coats you will need as I did not paint from bare metal. However, I can tell you that you should apply as many coats as it takes to have a nice, even finish that covers the car completely. I would think that it will be around 6 coats.

Thanks for the props on the write up. One of these days I'll update it...

[pfred2]

If you can at all avoid it try not to strip automobile paint down to the bare metal. Doing so exposes the metal to the atmosphere and that can lead to all sorts of problems down the road. If you do a metal conditioner is made that you should apply to the sheet metal before you prime it, then paint it in order to drive the contamination out of the panel.

The stuff smells a bit like rubbing alcohol to me but it actually stains the metal blue after it has been applied.

When I spray paint a car I am done in 2 to 3 base coats. If I clear coat it another 1 or 2 coats of that. The famous come back to hearing 17 coats of hand rubbed lacquer is, what were the first 16 practice? 6 coats isn't quite as funny, but almost!

[jsmith47]

Just wanted to let you know that I painted my '98 Subaru hunter green using your method and I am very happy with the results. I did 3 coats over the original white color. It's not perfect but it is well worth the $67 I spent on materials. Thanks!

[Styluss]

Always good to hear that this method works for people! It may not be the best or most permanent answer, but it sure adds a little visual value to a car rather quickly!

[jsmith47]

I read that you recommend making all your brush strokes on one direction. Does that mean that each stroke should be from left to right? So you shouldn't brush back and forth?

[Styluss]

Back and forth yes! But all in one direction as in north to south. Do not cross your strokes or it will simply look very poor.

[jsmith47]

I'm sorry but I'm still a little confused. Should I brush downward and then lift up the brush and bring it back to the top and then proceed to brush down again? Sorry if I sound stupid.

[Styluss]

Yes, you want to make all of the strokes in the same east to west or north to south direction, never crossing the two. Think of it like this, you will always want to brush front to back on the car. There are only a few small spots where you may want to brush left to right.

[jsmith47]

Hi, I am planning on following your method for my '98 Subaru Impreza. Which Rustoleum paint did you use? Is it the "stop rust" one?

[Styluss]

Honestly it's been so long I'm not positive. I believe it was simply Rustoleum. I am in need of touching up a few spots and I need to update the Instructable with new photos. Look forward to it!

[jsmith47]

Okay I think I got it. Do you think the foam brushes would work better than a roller? I have read about other people using rollers with rustoleum. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Styluss]

I'm sorry but my entire write up is based on using brushes as opposed to rollers. The brushes allow you to control the amount of paint being laid down better hence avoiding a whole lot of sanding. The rollers lay it down thick and then you need to sand in between coats or a whooooole bunch at the end to really smooth it out.

[KoffeeKommando]

Nice.

I always use Krylon Rust Tough in spray cans. It has a fan spray nozzle.
Use a "can gun" trigger handle and you are rockin.

Prep the hell out of the car first. That's always the most important part of the paint job. On a car with factory paint still intact I use red scrub pads and a spray cleaner.

Scrub with cleaner till you dull the hell out of the paint. Then rinse, dry well with compressed air. Shoot the Krylon on nice nice.

Krylon Rust Tough also comes in gallon cans for use with regular spray equipment. It's ready to shoot out of the can. The satin black is my all time favorite. It gets you the semi-flat old hot rod look easily.

My VW went through two winters in northern NY. Salt, abrasion, mud. Paint never failed. I sold the car with that paint job.

[pfred2]

Have you ever used a real spray gun? Imagine holding about 7 rattle cans at once and spraying with them all at the same time and that still doesn't even come close! A top coat gun can use 11 cubic feet of air a minute or more let alone the paint it is throwing out too. A quart liquid cup goes pretty quickly. The entire surface of the car can be wet at once with an air paint gun so your overspray can melt in. Either that or you get what I call "chicken skin".

[mhj555]

Great job! I plan to do something like this to my old ride. I think colors like white, yellow, silver and gold do a great job of hiding imperfections and would be ideal for this technique. Gloss black is probably the worst. On another topic, I had a car painted professionally once and they recommended not waxing it for a whole month after the paint job. I guess the paint continues to off-gas for a while.

[pfred2]

The metallic colors, silver and gold are the hardest paints to apply and get right. It took me 3 tries to get silver right and I'll take their word on gold. Pearls are pretty tough as well. I've only done stripe accenting with pearl paints so far. I guess what makes pearls so hard is you have to get it right 3 times. There is a base coat, a candy on top of that, then a clear over it all. It takes automotive paint a while to get hard enough not to haze which is why they told you to wait. A month is about what everyone says.

[jsilvera]

Just to let you know, the website seems to be down. :)

[runner406]

im going to try to put this paint on my farm tractor very soon and see how it looks !!

[runner406]

i dont care about what anyone says about how it should be done i think this guy did a great job on the car looks great

[shortw]

I painted a van with Rustoleum blue paint a long time ago , but first off the paint stayed sticky for a long time and second after a while it developed a white dull hace. Is there a way to avoid this? I used a small roller to put it on and it worked really good.

[pfred2]

Don't paint cars with Rustoleum.

[Styluss]

Did you not thin out the paint first? That would make it stay sticky for quite a while as it dries. The dull haze I cant speak for. I have had this paint on my car for almost three years now and it is still shiny.

[shortw]

No , I did not thin out the paint. Like I said that was years ago, besides the hace the paint was good for many years until I sold the van. Thank you so much for the info and for your quick reply. I don't have a car or anything else to paint right now, but if that happen I will try again and I will use your directions and your instructables. You done a very good job.

[Deus]

I think I read this instructable correctly, but I didn't find anything about having to sand down your old paint before applying the new rustoleum paint?

[pfred2]

Actually if you sand down to bare metal you open yourself up to issues of metal contamination. Not you, but your car's metal with moisture and oxygen in the atmosphere. There are surface preparation products to deal with this but you're better off avoiding it all together if at all possible. Paint is what makes cars possible. A car wouldn't last 6 months without a coat of paint on it! So leave what paint you have on as much as you can.

[Styluss]

Then you didn't read it well enough!

All I did was wetsand the car real good prior to applying the Rustoleum mix. This was to get a nice, new surface for thre paint to adhere to.

[pfred2]

There is a professional product made for this called Ting that you apply much like a wax and it dulls a paint and adds tooth to the surface that allows another coat to adhere. And it gets into places wet sandpaper has a harder time getting to. So it works faster and does a more through job. Though you do have to know about the stuff ...

[neilslade]

Congratulations on anyone trying to paint their own car HOWEVER- HOWEVER- The big problem here is that Rustoleum is a relatively poor quality of paint, and not durable especially for automotive application.

Certainly, it will look okay (and just okay) immediately after application- but for any length of time- its just not designed for the kind of punishment a car gets. This non-catalyzed brush on oil paint is made for lawn furniture, stair hand rails, etc.

For the same cost, under $75, you can get a GALLON of superior quality single stage automotive acyrlic urethane- with hardener and reducer-a far superior paint, and actually designed and used for cars and trucks. If so inclined, you can roll it on, the same as Rustoleum.

But be assured, high density foam brushes are no secret to experienced painters. I've used them, everybody knows what they are capable of. However, borrow a compressor from a friend, and with far less effort, you can spray on real automotive paint in less than an hour- period- and you don't need a paint booth to do it either.

And you can spray an entire car with a single quart of paint. that would come to $55. $30 for the paint, and $25 for the hardener and reducer. Buy a gallon (lots of sources online) and its enough for 3 or 4 cars.
I buy my paint from my local retailer and I pay zero shipping.

Roll on six coats of Rustoleum? Gosh. Not something I would do when one could spend the exact same amount of money getting better paint, and spending far less effort for a better real automotive finish.

But people will do anything when they don't have the full story. Please don't rely on a single site before you start investing your time and money, not mine, not anyone's. The biggest myth is the spending a little money at the beginning will ultimately result in the best use of your $$ time and efforts. You can spend LESS and do more.
Neil www.easypaintyourcar.com

[pfred2]

I smell a spam scam.

If anyone isn't telling the whole story its you. I've gunned the very smallest of cars with 2 quarts and wished I'd used more, a full paint job can use up to 2 gallons of just paint.

There are tricks to getting a great paint job without a down draft spray booth but they take a lot of time and a lot of work!

[neilslade]

So sorry to hear you are having trouble with your olfactory nerves.

Anyone who is consuming paint at the degree you are hinting at should get some good experienced advice about how to adjust and use a gun. 2 Gallons of paint? OMG. You could paint a troup of elephants with that.

The amount of paint that belongs on a car is a minimum that lays down enough pigment to color it uniformly. Period. More layers do not function to protect or enhance the vehicle like a quarter inch thick layer of polyurethane that you pour from a can over a wood bar counter. In fact, thicker layers of paint than you need cause far more problems than anything.

Of course, if one has been drinking reducer or sniffing stabilizer heavily before the job, this could explain apparent user error in such a painting circus arena.

These days, water based acyrlic urethane is so efficient and well covering that two coats will do the job, normally 3 thin coats of solvent based color. On top of that, 3 clear coats is sufficient. That's a quart of each. If you use single stage, eliminate half of that.

If  one is inexperienced with a gun, practice a little bit first on something other than your car.

It's not my job, nor my concern teaching people how to paint on Instructables.com and fatten the wallets of the dot com advertising executives who thought up this advertising platform scheme. 

Instructables seems to be a great ource for learning how to make your own bicycle pants clips, or how to make a neato miniature paper airplane. Beyond that, anybody who wants to throw the dice on a project that's going to take them hours, days, or weeks of their time, not to mention a nice bit of pocket change- gee whiz--

Maybe rolling on Rustoleum on your 1982 Datsun wagon isn't a bad idea--  beyond that?  Hey, go ahead, use 4 gallons and spray to your hearts content! Fatten the wallets of those paint suppliers! They'll be REALLY glad you did.

[pfred2]

A real professional automotive paint job includes the interior, the engine compartment, the undersides of all deck lids, etc. Painting all of that takes paint too. And yes you have to gut the interior and pull the engine to do it too Mr. one hour paint job!

[ndrummond]

pfred2,
Where do you get that "ting" product you mentioned? I tried to do a search on google to find it, but couldn't come up with anything.


And in general, I'm painting a beater that I intentionally want to look brushed/hand painted on with a fairly dull finish. Besides using a brush, does anyone know whether thinning the rustoleum down help, or just make things tacky and more difficult?

[pfred2]

You don't need Ting for the job you plan on doing. Just wet sand the whole car and wash it good with a detergent, and rinse and dry it and you'll be fine.

I was able to find some references to Ting using the search phrase "Ting auto prep". I got mine at a professional auto body supply house.

It says right on the paint can label what the maximum allowable thinning is. Although I'm sure some here think they know better than the manufacturer just how to use the product.

http://www.rustoleum.com/cbgimages/documents/SR_Protective%20Enamel%20Brush.pdf

The old file they used to have online was more legible. I'm pretty sure from reading the can enough times that it says 10%. If you want your job to dry faster use acetone instead of mineral spirits.

[neilslade]

Incidentally, people who love to use the word SPAM to describe open and free discussion of specific points for and against argument of various methods--

Let me suggest this wonderful YouTube video, in part originally created an intelligent and genuine genius (T.J.) whom I've had the pleasure to talk with and who's gift to me sits on the very desk from which I write this comment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

[pfred2]

Spam is a term used to describe unsolicited commercial offerings. I visited the URL in your comment and it is not only spam but also a scam. In that it distorts reality in order to manipulate potential customers. You have confused spam with troll. There is a difference.

[po90260]

yesssss, historic SPAM!
"SURFING" the web - another WWW language abomination

[neilslade]

(removed by author or community request)

[pfred2]

I think it is for people trapped on Cuba or something man. But spraying a car can be tricky if you don't know what you're doing and who does the first time around? Spray pattern, pressure, viscosity, lap and panel sequence. HVLP guns must get a lot better coverage because I've done cars with 2 quarts never got away with a single quart though. In my opinion HVLPs at LP don't actually achieve an "automotive" finish. They're basically BS to get the EPA off painter's backs. If I want a car to come out good I just buy a gallon. Usually use 3 quarts of it too.

Well OK if I want a car to come out good I don't use a single stage paint. Chroma system. It is actually cheaper. If brushing cars was that much cheaper auto manufacturers would be all over it. But they don't even brush on pinstripes anymore!

People would probably be smart to buy your DVD if they think this brushing jazz is in any way a viable option.

[Styluss]

I have said it many a time... This method of automotive paint is not for everyone!

I never once said that this method is superior to spraying on paint. In fact, I pointed out many of the faults with using this method. Some of which I have yet to post as I am in terrible need of an update!

Your comment about having the full story... Is it my responsibility to provide the whole story? I can assure you that I am hiding none of the chapters, all be it that I may not have posted them. I cannot be expected to lay out the entire story here. I have provided my take on a project that I did in my own time. Anyone that reads this and thinks that it is the end all solution to their automotive painting needs is a fool. People need to do their homework and truly decide if they want to do this before they just start slapping paint on their car.

As for paint durability... My paint job is now over two years old and has help up beautifully. Save for the errors in the intitial work that I have posted some notes on within the write up. It is not my goal to mislead anyone here. One of these days I will post an update and some new photos of the car. The paint still looks good to me!

[neilslade]

I believe in free speech- everywhere.

And most people who seek advice on Instructables are smart enough to know that it is basically a platform for people who write web sites to sell paid advertising. Fair enough. Any place real discussion takes place is healthy, bearing this perspective in mind.

The accuracy and integrity of the information here, which like much of the Internet, is open to anything by anybody- both people who may know what they're talking about- and those who are limited, if that. And I think that's fine, I believe in free speech.

Mine included.

Thus, on this particular portion of the board- when myself or other people who actually make a living from painting cars make comments correcting obvious mistakes and filling in some of the blanks that would cause anyone to fail in their efforts- when we attempt to tell more of the whole story- it should be welcomed, rather than scorned- especially when it comes to a project that someone may spend dozens of hours preparing- only to wreck midway or in the last stages, or by using totally inappropriate materials- such as a $5 can of paint instead a can of paint that will last two years at most- then you pawn off the car to somebody else.

A car has special needs, it is abused on the street by sand, gravel, rain, snow, ice and more, and at speeds from 25MPH to 75MPH. Rustoleum, or for that matter any non-catalyzed oil paint is made for stuff like lawn chairs sitting stationary in your back yard.

The difference in a cost from using the right stuff- not to mention knowing how to apply it with some intelligence for the long haul- is about $25 difference.

But that's just the start. Factor in your hours of labor, and the fact that the lifetime of oil can paint is a couple of years versus twenty or more years for proper urethane. In the end, using the right stuff is both better for the environment, and the car, not to mention your wallet.

If this information pisses off somebody- including the original author of this post- it makes no difference to me. Post on an open forum and take your lumps like an adult.

I just like to know that people who are interested in doing things with an informed sense appreciate knowing the big picture, and can make an intelligent informed decision- not just one based on a deceptively cheap method for putting color on a car. No one's hand is being forced around here from what I can tell. People can do what they like. No one has to read anything I write, or give me any of their money. I've put dozens of detailed free pages of info on my site- and there's more elsewhere.

I say, do your homework before you do your mistakes.

Neil http://www.eayspaintyourcar.com

[johnlvs2run]

neilslade, I've seen many of your posts on the rustoleum pages, and am interested enough to have checked out your method and respond. To me and perhaps many others, the credibility of your method is not very high because (1) you don't have your own instructable, (2) quite a few of your comments are inane, and (3) most of all, I have found no postings of anyone doing what you have suggested. Also I have seen your youtube video, and honestly, the car you have painted does not look very good.

I'm getting ready to paint my green honda white, and would use the acrylic urethane if more people had commented about it, or if you had your own instructable and people commented there. But there is not much about applying automotive paint in this manner. If there was, I would use it. If you're really sold on that method then it would help if you would post more about it, on your own page, the same for pfred. Best regards

[rmullen]

But what you're missing-- is that these are old beaters we are trying to restore (for the most part). With more than 100,000-150,000 miles and we dont expect them to last 10-20 years so a true paint job is unnecessary. $50 will work well

[neilslade]

I'm not missing anything. So use a $30 can of automotive acrylic urethane. And learn the easiest way to put it on. Don't take my word for it. Get off this site and read for a hour, and don't even go to my page. Or maybe THAT idea would offend somebody here. Golly.

[Styluss]

Exactly! And when people comment that you can spray it on for just as much and quicker... well, go ahead! There is something to be said about laying down your own car's paint by hand. I found it to be a great experience.

[pfred2]

When I painted my 1966 P1800S I used the DuPont Chroma system which is a flat base coat, then a clear coat over that. Well I laid down the base and it looked OK, but when hit it with the clear I swear to God I walked around that car for an hour with my mouth open just marveling at the sheer perfection!

Quite a memorable experience indeed! And in case you do not know when you spray you are laying the paint down by hand as well. You really should try it someday. Only the pros make it look easy. It took me over 20 years to get as bad as I am today at it.

[neilslade]

I've done both, brushed on tractor paint with a brush on an old beater, and done an HVLP automotive spray on a 30 year old Honda. The biggest difference was brushing didn't require the level of masking the areas I didn't want paint on. But application- much faster to spray on, saving huge amounts of time, and no sanding.

I just think people should be well informed as to the advantages and limitations of all. Maybe you just can't get y our hands on a compressor and gun. In some cases I will be the first to admit, just brush on some paint and forget about it. I don't believe in obsessing over cars- unless one decides that's their love. I did that with my Lotus. I didn't do it on my Datsun and Honda.

In the case of multiple coats of rustoleum, with lots of sanding, over a pretty good chunk of time- If I were to roll on paint- I'd just use single stage catalyzed urethane, and accomplish the same thing, and avoid most of the multiple coats, and the paint would be not only good for two or three years, but probably for as long as one kept a car. Urethane is made to last up decades- its for cars on roads.

Again, I appreciate this DIY page as well and your additional comments above which I think greatly add to the overall perspective of this option, which might be right for a particular reader.

Thanks for your input- Neil

[no_fear]

I can't see any brush marks at all. It looks really good. I gotta try this on my car sometime soon. I have all kinds of crappy faded paint on the hood and the roof. By the way, that's an amazing house. I wanna live somewhere like that....

[Styluss]

First of all... not my house! That is the Manor House here in Littleton, Colorado. An old, historical home that is now an event center for weddings and such.
As for the paint compliments, thank you! Painting your roof and hood will be the easiest parts to do!

[bFusion]

I have a feeling that house is from an advertisement of the same car for comparison with his paint job in pic 5 :) I'd like to live in that house too though heh

[Styluss]

That is the Manor House, an old historical building near where I live. It is not my house I assure you!

[bFusion]

If you took the picture then, it's very well done, looks like it could be in an ad :)

[mr_toomanywhips]

I've been reading reviews on this for about a year now and now I have a car which I dont mind testing it out. an 1981 toyota celica gt. Its red with clear coat peeling. how would it look if i change the color to yellow? how many coats? i just have to removed the clear coat right(sanding right?), or do I have to put the entire car in primer? any help will be greatly appreciated!

also, how do you remove rust spots?

[neilslade]

I've written a page on treating rust- - -
http://www.easypaintyourcar.com/CarPainting/norust.html

Rustoleum is not a cure all for rust, despite the claim.
Per the comment of painting an old beater- I had exactly that, an old Datsun wagon, and I used a brush and a can of tractor paint from Ace Hardware.
What I have tried to make clear to people, is that you can roll on real car paint- acrylic urethane, and its far better, and no more expensive. READ:
http://www.easypaintyourcar.com/CarPainting/fiftydollarmyth.html
A little correct information goes a long way. "Short cuts make long delays"- Tolkien

[Styluss]

If you change the color to yellow... well, it will look yellow! Color change is covered briefly in my Instructable. I had to apply 3 more coats in order to cover up the prior color on my car. The paint will turn out fine, but I can't tell you exactly how many coats it will take for a color change.
I would think that you can just sand off the clear coat and apply the new paint no problem. I dont see a reason to primer the car, but... it will never hurt and you may end up with a longer lasting and better looking job.
As for rust repair? I have no idea...

[pfred2]

That is why they make a product called a primer surfacer sealer. I like PPG.

[Resendiz86]

this was just what i was looking for! I have a 1986 F140 and ive recently put so much into her "mechanically" and got her running like new. I don't want to spend a lot painting the truck so this is perfect. I will need to find a good day to do this and then post pictures here. This will be a fun project! Thanks!!!!!!!!!

[getagrip7]

I'm going to try using your technique, but because I have a unique situation, I wanted to ask some questions. In my situation, I purchased a van with carpeting on the OUTSIDE (see photo), which has been glued on, so I have to strip the carpet off, then sand the excess glue off - I'd say there is about a dime's thickness of dried glue on this thing.

So, my first question is whether or not I will need to spray primer on the van after I have everything sanded down, or can I just apply the paint directly to the van?

Secondly, I live in Nebraska, so its going to be about 30 to 40 degrees when I do this. I was planning to use a friend's garage to paint the van in - will the paint be able to dry in this kind of weather, and if so, how long will it take to dry?

Finally, how many coats of paint do you recommend, and how long after you apply the first coat can you apply the second coat? Is it a matter of waiting a few hours, or do I have to apply the additional coats on different days?

Thanks!

[Styluss]

I would think that if you sand away all of the glue, you would be able to paint right onto the car. Of course it cant hurt to apply primer first. Primer will give you a little better, longer lasting product. But you should be fine just painting it on.
Yeah, the paint will dry it will just take a little longer. Remember you have thinned it out at around 50% so you have already cut the drying time drastically. I bet if you get up early enough and slap a coat on, you may be able to apply another coat that night if it dries fast enough.
As for how many coats I recommend, this really depends on a lot of factors. Biggest one being are you going to make a color change? This will take at least 7 coats if not 8 or 9. If you are staying the same color, you can have it done in about 5 or 6 coats.

[lianeber]

u said that the darker the color, the more noticeable the paint, i was planning on painting my car black, but im not so sure anymore. how did those dark paintjobs end up? and can you even notice a difference on the white paint from professional paint jobs? it looks perfect on the picture..

[hackmattr]

The darker the color, the more flaws that will show up. White can show up with flaws too if you do it yourself. I put a protective coat of paint on the car I'm restoring due to the weather and it's white. Everything looks fine except for the roof because you can see the spray lines due to it not being color sanded. Attached is a picture with the primer I sprayed and the white that I did for protection. Hopefully I'll paint it yellow (final color) when I get a new compressor.

If a professional does the same work, they will try to color sand the painted car to blend the paint as much as possible. It won't be perfect unless you want to spend $5000 or more for the best possible job. The one day or 48 hour places will skip corners and you'll end up with orange peel or other flaw.

[Styluss]

I have never seen a dark paint job of this sort in person. And photos hide the brush strokes real well too. I am planning on buying a second car and will have no hesitation paiting it black with this method. Can you notice a difference bewtween this and pro jobs?? YES, oh hell yes. A pro job is well, just that... a pro job. This is definatly not the answer for you if you want perfect paint. However, I have had my car painted this way for the last 2 years now and I love it.

[whoopsidaisy]

Hi, What can I say, This made my day, After years of having a 97' chevy lumina with peeling paint and not enough money to get it proffessionaly done , I did it, I bought all the required materials and got busy. Yes I am a 47 year old female who doesnt have allot of talent when it comes to fixing things, but this was right up my alley to attempt, my thoughts "how much more damage can i do" lol. With the attached pictures you can see I did pretty well. No paint streaks nothing. It looks almost as good as a proffessional haha. Might I add I had no garage only several days of nice hot weather. I wish I would have found out about this allot sooner I would have saved myself allot of embarassment from driving down the road and have the old paint flaking off and being laughed at and fingers pointed at me. No longer!!! I can hold my head up high! Thanks for posting this and challenging me to better my auto, I can say I love my 'LuLu" again.

[Styluss]

Your car looks great! I'm happy to hear that women are successfully taking on this project as well. It really is as easy as it seems huh? Feel free to send some beofre and after pics to: [e-mail] Once I get my website back up, I would love to display your photos!

[dudenitx]

my dear frnd,,,
this is a really good piece of work.....

and women are efficiently good at artwork... god bless u.. all...

[howpilgrim]

Wonderful Idea! And you can't beat the price. This could be a local cottage business for yourself.

[scmalik]

my question is how to fix a patch after spraying paint?

[scmalik]

some body in shopping mall scrached toomuch on my car door i patched the door with patch compound sanded well than spay painted on the door but i see patches such as some places it shines and other location is dull i tried to budd with toweal but it still not gone help me how to fix?
A electric budder will work or some thing else.
thanks

[Styluss]

I can't really speak for this as I am not one for body work or real paint work. I just know how to slap some paint on with a foam brush! To the best of my knowledge, you will need to blend the paint to match.

[Styluss]

You will need to expand a bit more on this question before I can answer... I'm not really sure what you're asking. This write up is not about spraying paint.

[Not_a_Clue]

Is there anyway you can paint a small truck with rustoleum paint and not have to primer it and it still look good and last for say 3 years and if i did primer it could i skip spots and still get the result im lookin for?

[Styluss]

I can't truly give you a yes answer to this question as I dont really know. BUT, I can tell you that I didn't primer the car in this write up and you can see how it turned out...

[samuelkowal906]

Great write up! I am going to try this on my camry... goin from gold to white. One question, did you do any of the "hidden" metal on your car, i.e. door frames trunk frames, hinges etc.

[Styluss]

The first time I painted the car, I didn't do the door jams, insode the trunk lid or any of that stuff. The second time I painted the car, I hit those areas up and man! What a difference it made. Remeber, my car was white and I painted it white. If your car is gold and you paint it white, you will see the gold every time you open the hood, open the door or open the trunk if you dont paint those areas white. That would bug the hell out of me, and it's not that much more work to do the door jams, but under the hood and trunk is another story...

[taraheidi]

I have a question. Does it HAVE to be white? Like can i replace the word white with, oh idk, green? Or some pretty color I decide to like?

[Styluss]

No sir! You can use any color you want to! However, the darker the color, the more the flaws will show such as brush strokes and orange peel. But, so what! if you are even thinking of doing the to your car... your should not care abou the minor flaws.

[neilslade]

I see this site is still going strong. Okay, I applaud any effort in the DIY realm. But please before you do this, do a little homework- all is not what it seems and I've reviewed this method and the alternatives, which cost the same or LESS- i.e., you can get enough AUTOMOTIVE paint to do a car for about $55, and roll it on if you like-  in one coat. Rustoleum is just not good paint for a car, and this is truly a poor man's choice- besides being relatively uniformed, and more work. 
Whatever you do- good luck.
http://www.easypaintyourcar.com/CarPainting/fiftydollarmyth.html

[Styluss]

I too would suggest that anyone who wants to try this does their homework as it is indeed not the end all solve all problem for everyone's automotive painting needs.

[ladyprinqz]

how lonq does it take 2 dry?

[Styluss]

Depending on a few factors like tempurature, paint mix and more, it will take anywhere from 3 to 8 hours. On average, I would say your dry time will be more like 4 to 6 hours.

[chriskarlo]

Great tip! Can this paint be used on fibreglass bodywork? I have a peely Renault Espace (a godawful thing, worst car I have ever owned - click this http://image.nettiauto.com/extra/carimg/2771401_2771500/renault-espace-2771485_b_313e9264e7ae1066.jpg) and this has an almost entirely fibreglass body. Many thanks.

[Styluss]

You know, I am not sure if it can be used on fiberglass or not. Honestly, I dont see why not. But you may want to seek out someone with a pocitive answer before you commit to the project.

[rapidprototyping]

I painted my van three times it's alot to do with sanding and prep work to prevent paint no adhiering to the primer coat. if your car is white great as the door jams will be white and usually in good shape. with one color over the other red primer for darker colors and grey primer for lighter colors. I used the spray method wagner power painter brand new if possible sand and go over with tack cloth if painting out door and i recomend painting out doors myself. next light coats like he said dilute that pain. do it on a calm day when its like seventy degrees and cool breeze. this brush method could be used over primered surface thats been wet sanded between coats. and be creative add murald fade colors light to dard . get wild just dont get lazy or sloppy everyone has to look at it. by the by great instructable some one ought do irriodesent paint it changes color according to how the light shines on it can look blue in day black at night. remember to wear proper respitor protection and let it dry two complete days before showing it to the town

[rider98]

very nice job, for the painting the side of the body it was horizontal strokes? has anyone tried painting black or another dark color?

[Styluss]

They were indeed horizontal strokes. As for using darker colors, I have received Emails from a few people across the world and a few of them have used blue. I'm not sure anyone has ever used black. Everyone tells me that black will show the flaws much more...

[deckard1]

Has anyone tried using their pump style Gilmoure garden sprayer, can't be any crazier than using a foam brush?

[ph1lt3ch]

It'd have a horrid spray pattern, equal coverage would be basically impossible. At least that's what I think, all the garden sprayers I've seen are like that. Plus, paint is a much higher viscosity than water so it most likely would just clog. Hope I helped haha

[Marble of Doom]

That's a nice clean job.

[raydiv]

that's pretty great...thanks for the detailed write-up! I'm looking into restoring a car - not a 100 point show car but a nice re-do. I think I could use your method for door jams, etc. and have the outside sprayed. Might be a medium-budget option. I see Duplicolor has some inexpensive auto paint in half-gallons and maybe pints so I might try a test on some old panels. I wonder if it would be workable with automotive paint (non-metallic). I might test that too. If so, I think the fading issues (if any) would be negated. Interesting how little paint you need when it's not all going into the atmosphere!

[Styluss]

Well, I think I used maybe 2 pints, tops. That was 6 coats on the car, 8 coats on the hood and two trunk lids with two different spoilers.

[speedy226]

I want to paint my car from a green to a zilver color. Will your techique work for that too? If so, do you have any advice about doing it?

[qwertyboy]

I've never heard of zilver. Where can you get that? JK!

[Styluss]

No advice, just read the write up! And changing color is no big deal. It will just take a few more coats.

[yocornflake]

I saw this instructable and decided i would do it, it was a on the fly decision and have been progressing relatively well.  I have a few concerns however,  right now i am finishing up my wet sanding and have noticed that the sanding isnt very uniform, it appears that all areas have been sanded but some areas are sanded more than others.  My question is how can you tell if the area is sanded enough to allow the area to hold the paint well?

Also i am painting the vehicle yellow but want to add a few black stripes to it, can i just paint these right over the yellow rustoleum/mineral spirits paint without sanding or other prep work?

[dablakh0l]

It's best if you paint your stripes first, and then mask them off and do the paint over them.

[carltonzone]

I would recommend painting the stripes right over the base coat. If you paint your stripes on within 18 to 24 hours of the basecoat application, it will create a chemical bond. If not, you could rough the surface with a 3M scuff pad to allow for a mechanical bond. I do high-end custom paint jobs, and this is how I shoot graphics. It would be really difficult to paint on stripes and mask around them for the basecoat.

Anyhow, have fun and don't be afraid to be creative. I started out with Rustoleum and tried to shoot it with a paint gun (not smart). This brush-on method is a great idea. I started with a home-made shed and eventually built a custom body shop. I closed it 2 years ago, but hoping to start another one. Wanna see how extreme this can get? Check out my custom 1992 Lumina. I bought this car for $800. Look how overboard I went ---> http://carltonzone.com/blog/my-1992-lumina-project/

(yes, I am a Chip Foose Wannabe!)

Write back if you have any questions, I'd be glad to advise.

Carlton

[Styluss]

As for your sanding... Really, as long as the surface has been roughed up a bit, you should be fine. There really is no need to go crazy with the sanding. I think I had my entire car sanded in well under a day's time. you just want to make sure to take off the top layer of old paint and settled in dirt that digs in over time. You'll be surprised at how the paint looks even after simply sanding it.

As for the stripes... well, I have never done that so..... one would think you can paint them right over the yellow with no issue. If anything, just use some painters tape to mark off your lines and then paint'em up!

[jamesebaileyiii]

if i wanted to paint the car another color would i replace the rustoleum white with another color????

[Styluss]

Yup, you can do this in any color they offer.

[yocornflake]

and another question!  should i be concerned that the current temperature is almost constantly below 30 degrees? will this effect the drying of the paint? or will any other negative effects come about because of the temp?

[Styluss]

Concerned, no. Aware? Yes. The cold will indeed make it take longer for your paint to dry so you will need to add time between coats. The only other thing I could think of is the paint freezing andthen drying awkwardly. I painted my car for the first time in November here in colorado It was cold... but not too cold. Plus, I did many of the coats in my garage.

[hotrodsurplus]

Here are a few tips to improve your finish quality. 1) back your sandpaper. Without a pad or backer you risk transferring your hand's profile to the sanded surface. It's particularly important when prepping with very coarse grits and when color sanding with very fine ones. Otherwise your finish can acquire a 'rippled' surface. Paint suppliers sell neoprene pads for this very purpose but i know very high-end restorers who make their own and even use paint sticks for fine work. 2) Rake the block or stick across the panels diagonally and not lengthwise. Sanding lengthwise will transfer the backer's shape to the panel. No bueno. 

[bigdesertrat]

Hey Styluss,

I am, in a few years, going to get a licence and, well, get a car.  I plan to get a Civic and I want it, like you said, "first car for 500".  I want you to post an update on your website for the current condition of the paint job. If you did then i would be eternally grateful and will be able to afford it and know it isnt a, well, REALLY poor man's paint job

[Styluss]

I would be happy to post an update. I have been meaning to for months now!

[hyenad]

Exactly what kind of rustoleum paint did you use? Did you buy the outdoor kind or the automotive?

[Styluss]

I used the outdoorsy stuff. I didn't even know they made an automotvie paint.

[28.martine]

My dad has a paintgun i'm going to go for than because i want to use the exact paint that is already on my car. I have some question though... How about dust or insects when your paint is still wet? I have to paint outside but going to use a party tent. Also would the result be better if you sand between every layer?

[pfred2]

I can't teach you how to paint a car over the Internet, probably not even if I was with you showing you how, but I can tell you this, if you gun it right you should be able to top coat it off in 2 or 3 coats with no sanding between any of them. Just so long as you do it right. Another tip I can give you that you'll probably ignore is this, take the hood, trunk lid, and doors off your car and paint them separately. It'll make dealing with over spray a lot easier on the whole car. Oh, and spraying in a tent you will need to exhaust fan after you spray to evacuate the paint cloud before it rains on your car. Last tip adjust the gun pattern loaded with thinner spraying into a cardboard box or onto a large piece of cardboard. Don't adjust the gun with paint in it spraying at the car! You'll probably ignore all of this and end up with the job you deserve, or not, your choice. Hey want a paint job that'll drop jaws? Do everything I say and use a 2 part base coat, clear coat system. That way you can concentrate on each aspect of a paint job separately, even tone, and then gloss. It'll give you the job that everyone craves! You'll know you really did it right if you start out in the morning, and by the afternoon it is done, except for reassembly. Just flat out painting a car shouldn't take days and days to do right.

[28.martine]

Hi, thanks for your commend. But don't expect that everyone is the same. If you say everytime that i'll ignore your tips i may even do that because it irritates the hell out of me! I was planing to take all the parts of. I even got a spare hood to practice on! yeah i know that is jaw dropping! I was planing to topcoat it with a clearcoat with a little bling in it. I know not sufisticatet but the car is pistache color! It asks for it. I still have a lot of sanding to do before i can start painting that is why i'm going to do it in my holliday.

[pfred2]

If you are going to clear coat it do the base coat clear coat package don't clear coat over a gloss enamel if you can help it. Use something like DuPont Chromabase. When you get done applying it your car looks like a classic junkyard rig, completely flat in appearance. But when you clear over it look out! Results are the best I have ever gotten when I've used that system. Well, three part candies are pretty neat too, but that is another story ... For the very best paint jobs primer, surfacer, sealer coats can be pretty important too. Depends what color you are going over, and to etc. But I have seen dramatic difference in finish with and without. Tough call whether it is needed or not, but it can be the difference between a good and a great job sometimes. Primer usually is a lot cheaper than paint, so if it is going to take another coat of paint to even up a job it'd have been cheaper to have primed it all first. I like to paint vertical surfaces more than horizontal ones so I suggest you hang that hood up to paint it. Just makes it easier with stuff like hose drag, and over spray fall etc. Last tips; When gunning it all isn't in the wrist! Move from the hips, waist, or shoulder. The only thing your wrist should be doing is to keep the gun tip flat to the work at all times. Smooth and even motion. Edge panels with vertical lines, then fill in with your horizontal overlaps. I hope your gun is 2 stage, as you follow through on a horizontal stroke just back off on the paint stage, finish your follow through, then stop the air. When spraying you'll know you've arrived when you can spray the metallic (metal flake) metallics (metallic paints are silver and gold). They can be the most challenging. Don't take it too personally but one thing I have observed about a lot of people is when I tell them one thing, they usually end up doing everything but.

[28.martine]

I am going to use a base coat and finish with a clearcoat with silver flakes. I was planning to hang them so I can also paint the insides. For me there is an other option with painting. first paint the spots I repaired, sand, and then base coat all over. or multiple layers all over. the car is not going to change color and the paint is in good shape where there is no rust. here is a picture to give an idea what I'm dealing with

[pfred2]

Sometimes metallic flakes in clear can be troublesome. Things like puddling, shadowing, striping, and other flake alignment issues can arise. You can put the metallics down in the base coat you know? It is far easier to get even flake dispersion then. If you are repairing rust and are going to have spot repairs on the car then I think you'd be better off putting an even primer, surfacer, sealer over the whole car before you paint it. I like PPG's products for that myself. It'd eliminate a lot of bleed through issues for you. I'd hazard a bet that it'd actually save you time and money in the long run to prime it all first over not. Equal top quality jobs compared. Which is to say that it'd take a lot more coats of paint over an uneven base to even it up than you would have to use over an even primer base to start out with. That, and the PPG primer is a dream to work with. Another product I like is called Glazing and Spot putty, also known as Red Lead. Helps get you to that ultimate job. A little car like that you should be able to knock out pretty quickly if you do it right!

[bob wong]

My late husband was an autobody man and he liked to use just a tiny bit of "pearl" in the clearcoat, not metalic flake.  He said it made the paint look wet.  One of those tricks of the trade.

However, my main reason for commenting on this wasn't to pass along that little trick, it was to urge you to make sure you use the appropriate respirator/filters if you're going to be painting with automotive paints.  Those paints & primers are really very toxic.  My husband used a supplied-air respirator, which covers the whole face and has a seperator compressor pumping fresh air to the mask.  He originally had a half-face mask until he found out that the chemicals could be absorbed very easily through the eyes, then he bought a full-face.

Autobody work exposes you to a wide array of toxic chemicals.  My husband was careful about his exposure, but nonetheless, by his mid-forties he had become disabled with dilated cardiomyopathy -- essentially heart failure.  He died a few months before his 50th birthday.  I can't prove cause & effect that it was the chemicals he worked with that did it, but all his doctors cringed when they found out what he did for a living.  'Nuff said.

[28.martine]

To bad I live in Holland and I don't know those brands. Very near my village there is a car repair painting shop. I think I'm going to ask them to provide the products. Then I know for sure I'm dealing with quality stuff. On the car shows you always see the remoddiling stuff. Is that the same as the putty? I had a ditch I can't get out nicely. Maybe modeling it is the way to go. I can take my car to the carshop and let them do it but where is the fun? Maybe in a couple of years when the car is still running.

[pfred2]

I always thought that DuPont and PPG were sort of international conglomerates. Anyway when I buy automotive finish products I buy them from commercial paint stores. The same place body shops buy their chemicals from. You could buy the materials from online retailers. Real automotive paint is a bit pricey, but well worth the cost. Rust-Oleum is not an automotive finish.

[Styluss]

Do you have Tremclad in holland?? It is the same thing as Rustoleum, just under a different name.

[Styluss]

Well, I painted most of my car in the garage, but the door was open. I did paint a few coats outside though and did not have major issues with bugs or dirt/leaves. I did have a bug or two land on the fresh paint... I simply took a tack and picked the bug off the paint right away. As for sanding between every coat? Of course this will make it look better, MUCH better! But, it is a lot more work.

[28.martine]

Sanding between every coat is much work but you don't have to sand long. Just a slight sand would do I think. I don't have to finish in a weekend. getting the sticky paper to clean would be a challenge. I'm planning to take my 3 weeks holiday to finish my car.

[fretted]

Just as an aside you can use farm impliment paint by the gallon for about the same price and they have a wide aray of Colors to choose from From John Deer green to deep woods purple and the stuff is twice as durable as other stuff including rustoleum

[whiskeywaters]

Thanks - I remember seeing the $50 version of this - I have a beat up 90's explorer I'm going to town on as an Art Car...this will be how I pull together a base coat.

[runtlost]

if i wanted to spray with gun? mix the same and can i clearcoat it?

[Styluss]

I have seen a few comments from people that decided to spray their car with this method and it seems to have worked for them. I recall them saying that they thinned the paint a bit more, 60/40 or more, in order to get it to flow through the paint gun better.
I dont see why you cant clear coat it when finished...

[blazen27]

Tryin to get my blazer painted gloss black for cheap... any help?
 

[Styluss]

Uh... yeah. Read my write up!

[jimchr11]

 if you have a little extra cash, pick up the "electric" HVLP  control spray -fine finish double duty sprayer made by wagner at home depot. NOT the House sprayer but the HVLP fine finish one.i got one on sale for under $60 and it sprays really nice with thinned out paint. perfect for rustoleum. i even sprayed some old acrylic urethane with hardener and reducer i had layin around and it came out pretty nice. great alternative to a large compressor and spray gun. its a $50 gun which i think suits the $50 paintjob nicely if youre on a tight budget. you will need to practice with it to get good. get some old body panels and prep them as normal and practice laying coats .  currently i'm painting a 1991 corvette coupe with black rustoleum but i'm still working on it. so far i have rolled on 5 coats of gloss black on the top and the hood and color sanded up to 2000 grit and polished it out with meguiars ultimate compound using a wool pad and then a foam pad with the same product. the top and the hood are smooth as glass with a wet look mirror shine but have a few spots that sanded through so i'm gonna apply 3 more coats here in the next week or 2. i'm thinking i will use the wagner HVLP sprayer to do the rest of the car and the extra coats on the hood and top since it lays down nice and flat. if you use the roller your going to be laying down "A LOT" of coats of this stuff since its so thinned out at a 50/50 mix ratio. i'll keep experimenting till i find the best mix ratio for spraying this stuff. i'll try to borrow a friends video camera and upload some videos of the car when its done on you tube. yes i know its a corvette but shes old and this paint is coming out like a mirror after sanding and polishing. my neighbor laughed at me hysterically when i started this but now that hes seen the end result hes in shock lol. 

[sk8fux]

should try to paint a dark brown, then a tan over it made to look like wood grain....would be a good two tone made to look like the old beach buggers :)

[wonkette]

 Do you need to prime the whole car before putting on the final coats of color?
Another Instructable on Rustoleum car painting says to prime everything.

[Styluss]

Well... this all depends on how much time you want to spend on the project and just how good you want the final product to look. Take a look at my pictures... I did not primer anything really... only a few spots on my trunk lid that were down to bare metal. Other than that, the car has no primer on it at all... and it looks great!
Sure, if you want to primer your car first, it will make the final product look a little better and be s a bit more durable. But again, that is more work.

[ineedastudentgetup]

Its been a little over a year since I painted the 1970 vw with rustoleum.
At the same time my F I L painted his F150 at Maco for $1000.
My paint job is holding up better he has a huge rust bubble on the cab of the truck.  I have two spots about the size of a dime on my car that can be fixed in about an hour with sand paper and some rustoleum.
Over all I am pretty happy with my choice to roll on the rustoleum
Tina

[ch0wmeins]

I started this on my civic yesterday, laying down two coats on the hood and the roof. I'm using a foam brush from home depot, but i can see very visible streak marks going up and down my car from the brush. what would be the cause of these streak marks? SHould i use a higher density foam brush? or will these streak marks go away with multiple coats and wet sanding. I feel like if i used more mineral spirits to dilute the paint, this could lessen the streak marks as well. But I'm just hypothesizing.

[Styluss]

You need to be using a high density foam brush. If you're not, well that's your problem.

[zeron-79]

not to completly shoot you down but as an experienced painter, i have seen stuff like this done before and yes it is cheap and looks a hell of a lot better, put some more pictures on in like 6 months or so...the pain will pretty much be gone. auto paint has UV protection from the sun...most spray paint doesnt hold up to well. but more power to ya!

[Styluss]

Click the link on the last page of my write up (maybe second to last) that goes to my web page. There you will find pictures of the 6 month and 12 month updates on the condition of the paint. I also recently did some touch up work I need to update the write up with...

[zeron-79]

well yes i suppose it looks pretty damn good, take it as an opportunity to change your color all the time.

[jake09]

I have 1982 bmw ihad to take all the way to bare metal on hood,trunk,roof because it had pits all over them should I still mix mineral spirit to the priemer

[Styluss]

You should not mix mineral spirits with the primer, ever. That is no where in this write up. Unless you are using a rustoleum primer I guess. I would still thin the paint of course.

[aquablue]

hi i have a 93 sundance duster - it is a very light blue - where & what kind of paint would some what match it ? plz & ty

[aquablue]

is there a certain way to sand the car, like in little circles or in 1 direction or does it matter ? i have a some light rust on my doors (its is a crysler sundance)- thanks

[aquablue]

ps your car looks nice - i wish you were near where i lived i would pay you to just paint mine the way you did yours and get it over with ! i hate painting things- anyways thanks for posting this - sheela

[aquablue]

ok ty very much

[Styluss]

Well, I would stick to the Rustoelum since I dont have any experience with anything else. I know that htye make a dark blue... not sure about a light blue. You can also buy two different colors and try to mix one to match your current color. I know some people have done that with great success.

[piratehope]

Step 9...if completely changing the color of your car file a title ammendment, or the cops will have a spree day...

[thebon58]

This is so funny because I am doing my 88 beretta and you have a beretta ha!

[Yerboogieman]

Can you use this method for touch ups on one side of the car for example. And from a distance that doesn't really look like an old Beretta.

[Styluss]

I dont know why this wouldn't work for touch ups. I was planning on buying a very small brush, like for model painting or the like, and using it to do touch up work. I was wondering if they sell a small bottle of some kind that could hold some of the paint permanently as a touch up paint can.

[Mak_CVG]

Great tutorial, thanks. Would this workwith all colors ?

[Styluss]

Yup, this will work with any color Rustoleum. I have done it with White, Black and Red now.

[pirillo2323]

I am looking to paint my 96 Eclipse. I dont have a gun and dont want one. I have read about the foam brushes and other techniques. I was wondering what the cheapest/easiest way to ge tthe best look in the end. Also what kind of weather is best for painting? I live in Texas and it is 95+ everyday and i hafta paint outside.

[Styluss]

Well, in my opinion the write up I have provided is the best way to get your car looking good for cheap. When it comes to painting conditions... You will want to make sure to lay your paint on the car when it is cool. Applying the paint to hot metal will cause it to dry to quickly and will then leave paint lines from the use of the brush.

[roflcast]

great tutorial, really thorough and easy to follow. I want to try this on my old 'Rust'ang soon

[marksatterfield]

Hi, how can the dry time/recoat time for Rustoleum Professional be reduced? The gallon & quart size identify 24 hour minimum recoat time. Are activators available for Rustoleum?

Thanks!
--Mark

http://www.marksatterfield.com

[Styluss]

Well, you have to remember that you have thinned the Rustoleum down to 50/50 paint and Mineral spirits. This cuts the dry time drastically. I was able to put 2 coats of paint on the car in one day because of this. If you start early enough in the day you will ahve time for the first coat to dry.

[marksatterfield]

Hey, thanks much, Styluss. 50/50? Wow. That is more aggressive than I tried today. I read the side of the can, it said "1.5-2 pints per gallon" making it top out at 2 ounces with 8 ounces of paint = 20% (2/10). For every advantage, I expect there is a drawback -- what are the drawbacks to heavy thinning?

So the layer I put on today (20% acetone) is orange peeled. I'm about to research this, but I'm expecting it has something to do with thinning. Maybe the 50/50 will help.

On the orange peel, what happens if I paint tomorrow (24 hours) without sanding? Does the orange peel remain (which is what I expect), or will the peel level off?

Thanks for the advice on the 50/50. I might try that tomorrow.

--Mark

http://www.marksatterfield.com

[Styluss]

Are you using Mineral Spirits or something else. I think the key is to use only mineral spirits to thin the paint. And yeah, I would think the nearly 50/50 mix would help as well. Really, you want a product thicker than water, but not much thicker than milk. If you paint over the peel... the peel will carry over for sure. Make sure you are not putting down too much paint at once either.

[marksatterfield]

I'm using acetone, 4 ounces for 2 cups of paint (half quart, 16 ounces). Makes 20 ounces (4 parts paint, 1 part acetone, or 20% acetone).

The reason acetone was selected is that the evaporation rate is around 60x that of mineral spirits. The consideration was that since the solvent evaporates more quickly than mineral spirits, the final material would be dry faster. I'm not sure the more speedy drying is entirely true considering the other solvents in the Rustoleum.

So about the peel, from all I've read, it has something to do with atomization. Either:

1) The air pressure is too low or fluid flow too high(using a Harbor Freight $10 gun, requires 50-70psi, set at 50psi. Will try 70psi tomorrow, and will reduce material flow.)
2) The material is too thick (at 4:1, certainly much thicker than 50/50 you suggested, this may be the case, will investigate).
3) The gun too far away from the surface, allowing the paint drops to "dry" on their way to the surface (this is my first time, I was likely too far from the surface -- around 12-18").
4) Paint on too thick (ahm, very possible... and will try to do this better tomorrow)

On the mineral spirits, why do you think mineral spirits would be best? That is, instead of acetone? Rustoleum suggested either would be fine.

Considering it took two of us a few hours to mask the car, I think what we are going to do is lightly sand, clear with mineral spirits, then shoot another coat tomorrow. From what I understand, the orange peel will not get "worse" just by shooting over existing orange peel, it just won't get any better.

Likely will shoot the final coat after sanding flat, but that is still a few coats away.

One thing, the coat dried to the touch in three hours (not leaving fingerprints!) That was great, much better than the 10 hours Rustoleum expected.

Thanks again for your help,

--Mark

http://www.marksatterfield.com

[marksatterfield]

Okay, kind of fixed the orange peel with the following:

1. Increased pressure from 50 psi to 65 psi.
2. Reduced fluid flow through gun.
3. Thinned paint more (was: 8 oz paint + 2 oz acetone; now: 8 oz paint + 3 oz acetone).

Orange peel effect seems to have been reduced!

Three coats Rustoleum put on, one coat per day for three days. Did not sand between coats; only wiped down with mineral spirits.

On one area, applied a heavy coat. It self leveled wonderfully! BUT it is still not cured three days later. However, it is smooth as glass, just like others have experienced! Back to the other, though, it may never dry.

Suggestion to everyone: Thin properly, practice with the gun, and DON'T apply too thick!

--Mark

http://www.marksatterfield.com

[pfred2]

I love to gun, hate to prep. Orange peel is mainly caused by paint not reduced enough. Lots of new cars come with it today because of EPA regulations about solvents. When I gun jobs I start out with a heavier mix which I call a grip coat, and lean it out with more reducer for more gloss in later coats.

[pfred2]

I've painted lots of cars at home with show quality results. I never tried with anything other than a spray gun though. Once I even painted over a hand brushed car, but only his blind friend liked that job. Now I've used some enamels painting cars (Rust-Oleum not being one of them I'm afraid) and they develop their shine chemically during curing. I never had to sand any of them out to get that car finish if you know what I mean. Pretty much if they don't shine then you did something wrong. I mean that is what enamels are all about after all. If I wanted to polish my brains out I'd pick a lacquer to use. But then again I know how to paint.

[bmlbytes]

I did the foam roller method a few months ago, I was wondering, did you notice any chipping of paint on any of the plastic parts? Yours is white so it may be difficult to see, but I painted mine blue, and the white primer I put down first is showing a little. The chips are only a few millimeters big but I dont like it. The good thing about rustolem is I can go buy a can of spray or regular and touch up those parts. Now that I think of it, maybe it was chipping because of the long trip I went on.... I did have to go on a few dirt roads.

[Styluss]

I have no cracks in my paint. Just some chips from rocks and the like. Could it be that you put the paint down to thick since you were using a roller? That is one of the reasons I used a brush...

[Re-design]

When you paint the plastic parts such as the plastic bumpers, you have to use a plasticizer to make the paint flexable, otherwise it will chip/peal off.

[bmlbytes]

I dont have any cracks in my paint, but I did notice that it chipped on the plastic parts. Also, I made the paint SUPER thin. The first few coats looked bad because you could easily see the roller strokes since the paint was so thin.

[luvit]

at the chop shop we were looking affordable ways to change the color of cars. -- thanks.

[idogis1]

Why do you use a roller instead of a power sprayer?

[Styluss]

Because I dont have a sprayer and I did not want to make a spray booth in my garage as well as deal with taping everything up to protect it from overspray.

[dalton72]

Sweet paint job. You've inspired me to give it a try on my '93 Corolla!

[mg0930mg]

I don't see a difference in color...

[Styluss]

I'm not sure what this statement is referring to...

[mg0930mg]

In the car were you changing colors, or just fixing scratches?

[Styluss]

Well, I changed the color of the hood. It was black and I mentioned that I put an extra two coats of paint on it to help with the color change prior to painting the entire car. As for the reason Ipainted the car? It was more than simply fixing scratches... The car needed a paint job. And when I saw "The $50 Paint Job" write up, it inspired me to try it on my car and then I made my own write up of how I did it with a foam brush as opposed to using a roller.

[Daiison]

i have to say that the paint job really does look amazing, especially considering the price. ive painted my car before using spray cans which did a horrible job. it took forever also because of masking everything due to all the overspray from spray cans. it also left a very dull finish. i used the high gloss ones of two different brands, duplicolor and somethin else i forget where you can get anywhere like autozone or advance auto. it basically looked like it was just primered. im thinking of repainting my car now after reading this and the other articles. i got a 71 datsun 240z that needs a lot of work. was thinking of painting it this month or in january but temps get down to 30 at night and 50 during the day where i live. will the cold weather affect the paint job in terms of quality? im not so worried about time for drying. also, what is better, foam brushes or foam rollers? i dont have access to a a professional sprayer and dont really wanna buy one.

[Styluss]

I found that the roller lays down too much paint at once. And unless you want to sand the paint flat between each coat, I would use the high density foam brush.

[Lftndbt]

When using "high gloss" spray can's and a dull unacceptable non "high gloss" finish is achieved... It is a classic indication that you held the can to far back trying to conserve paint.... This does not apply enough medium to achieve the high gloss it was designed to.... I work in a paint shop and had a similar problem... Doesn't pay to scimp on the amount of paint you use... especially if you want it's "high gloss" properties.. ;)

[Bran]

What is the recommended distance for spraying, anyway? I always heard it was about a foot or so.

[Lftndbt]

It on the back of every can.... In the application section... LoL.... I personally can't remember the last time I read the app section on something... Generally your correct.. A foot would normally be the effective range... Not many products will have more than a foot, as the pressure behind it will disperse the medium etc to an un-acceptable level... :)

[28.martine]

try it before you attac your car! I spraypainted a coutch of riet? (the material grows next to lakes) with a high gloss brown. No runners! I deffenetly going to paint mij 73 fiat.

[Daiison]

you might be right but im not sure. i held the can as far as what it said on the can. i still ended up going through maybe 20-30 cans of spray paint to paint a pretty small car (size of a miata)

[Styluss]

Well, read my write up and you can see I tried it with a foam roller and it just laid down to much paint at a time which led to some horrible orange peel. I used the foam brushes and it really helped to keep the overal finish smooth. And yes, the cold weather will affect the paint job I'm sure. I would think it might not let it set properly and you might end up with brush lines pretty bad.

[pmet]

If that isn't a good paint job, then I don't know what is. I wish I could pull off a job like that. Great job. -pmet

[marksatterfield]

(removed by author or community request)

[Styluss]

Indeed my friend. I do not believe that there was any need to post all of this information in my Instructable.

[marksatterfield]

No worries, it is gone.

--Mark

http://www.marksatterfield.com

[Styluss]

I want you to know I appreciate your information and enthusiasm, but take all of that info and post up your own Instructable! Or put it up on your website.... The more this information is presented online the better of people are who want to use it.

[RMER1956]

You've got to be kidding,that looks great.

[ineedastudentgetup]

I am working on a 70 bug that was in need of a paint job. 3 coats done. It is a lot of work I think I have lost 10 lbs. I am happy with how it looks so far.
I still see primer but I am using safety yellow.
<a href="http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q98/ineedastudentgetup/?action=view&current=DSCF5673.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q98/ineedastudentgetup/DSCF5673.jpg" border="0" alt="3 coats of paint rustolium"></a>
<a href="http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q98/ineedastudentgetup/?action=view&current=DSCF5675.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q98/ineedastudentgetup/DSCF5675.jpg" border="0" alt="Trying the rustolium"></a>

[multiplecats]

This is a great Instructable! I seriously can't afford one of the 24 hr. shops, and I'm sure they'd charge me extra because I have a 68 Bug. Speaking of which, my Bug needs some paintwork done. The guys that painted it before I owned it, did a shoddy job. It's bubbling, has cracks, and drip marks. At first I thought I might just go ahead and carefully sand out the bad spots and fix them back up. But with this Instructable I'm hoping I can actually maybe just do the whole car this summer ('09). I'm curious how your bug turned out. It's been almost 9 months... is the paint job still holding? Mine's a daily driver, not a show car, so I just need something to make it look well-kept and keep a good rain seal to stop rust. Yours looked pretty nice in the pics. Plus, been thinking maybe I'd change the color... it's currently zenith blue but I've always loved the way the old black Bugs look.

[ineedastudentgetup]

I also made my own door panels my mom had some gray vinyl I wanted black but you take what you can get. I went to the auto parts store and bought vinyl paint BLACK and painted that too. That doesn't hold up as well. I used the spray adhesive stuff but that doesn't hold up well in the FL heat every time it got hot it popped loose. That is what a staple gun is for. It stays put now. It's not a show car its my car. I love playing with it.

[ineedastudentgetup]

Its holding up fine so far no peeling or chiping and people are still amazed when I tell them. If your standing right on top of my car you can tell. it was hand painted. From 3 feet away you don't know. Even my friends that said YOU DID WHAT are impressed. I don't regret it for one moment it looks a lot better now than it did with primer and bondo spots all over it. I did fix all the nasty rust spots. in the usual places the bottom of the door etc. Make sure you leave holes down there for the water to leak out. I also sprayed the inside of the door with the stuff you use under the car leaving nails in the holes to keep them open. My bug is a daily driver too. I use it for everything shopping work visiting my mom. I would much rather put my money in to things that keep her running and stopping. Gas lines tran mounts fuel pump. It took so long to do the paint job that my painters tape stuck to the rubber. I think if I did it again I would just use Vaseline on the rubber. I pulled the door rubber off and replaced it after the paint with new stuff, I had to do that because of the rust under the rubber around the window needed to be attended too. If your worried about it go to the junk yard pick up an old door or hood and try it on that first. It doesn't have to be a VW part just any car part. That way you can see what your car will look like in the end with out putting paint on your car. Have fun, this takes a LONG TIME. I would do it again. Tina

[Styluss]

Thank you everyone for your continued interest in this painting process!!! I will be updating the write up soon with some pictures of the car after a year has gone by with the paint applied.

[ll.13]

What make is the car? well done anyway!

[bleachworthy]

saturn, *pukes*. good job though.

[Exocet]

That's not a Saturn. It's a Beretta.

[bleachworthy]

really? my bad. it looks EXACTLY like a saturn.

[Styluss]

It is in fact a Beretta. It is a 1989 Chevrolet Beretta Euro GTU. It is the most complete Euro conversion outside of the European states. Just what Saturn do you think this looks like anyway...?

[bleachworthy]

this one, the front ends look alot alike

[Styluss]

Both of those Saturns have 4 doors silly!!!

[bleachworthy]

yes they do, but I see tons of them that are 2 door style.

[DigitalMayhem]

LoL

[osgeld]

its basically the same car (if both were base models) gm does that a lot, "were going to retire the y car" next year "say hello to the new saturn (ect) we added 2 doors and killed the hp for 1mpg i would be happy to own a Beretta from that era, you couldnt pay me to touch gm now, and thats a shame when i bought my (out of all things) kia in 07 i looked at chevys offerings, it was a plastic body, 10mpg less, 30 hp less, lower crash test, less airbags (stupid kia has like 12 or 13) AND cost nearly 6 grand more ....

[mdmoose29]

painting a saturn would cost more... u would need paint that bonds with plastic.. haha

[bleachworthy]

lol, true, true. I fricken hate saturns. if you simply bump a mailbox with the bumper, the damn thing shatters.

[Gridnack572]

better yet !! catch a tree with the saturn logo @ 45mph (engine broke in half !!)

[mdmoose29]

i toured a Saturn plant a few years back... the guy took a plastic side panel off the line and jumped up and down on it to point out that it didn't scratch and didn't dent. i mentioned to the group that he wasn't made of metal.... wasn't traveling 45 mph... and didn't way 2000 lbs... he lost some credibility for the rest of the tour

[Falconfire]

not true at all though it doesnt much matter now, they dont make the plastic bumper cars anymore. But I owned 2 of them and they took a royal beating without a dent.

[osgeld]

i think it looks pretty darn good

[ML713ML]

Car Painting: Recently, in the middle of September, I tried the paint method described in several articles which used a “rust paint” and “mineral spirits” 50/50 combination. I appreciated the articles and wanted to provide my own feedback (and pictures) for those considering this option. The car is older and one used by my kids – mechanically in great shape but just didn’t look very good. In the end I applied 8 coats of paint and 2 coats of wax. The process was completed over a 4 day period – without any sanding to the new coats of paint. Each coat took 1 hour to apply and only a few hours to dry. Mixing 16 oz of paint to 16 oz of Varsol provided enough to apply 2 coats of paint to the car. I had quite a bit of paint and varsol left over when I finished. I purchased the following from Canadian Tire: - Armor Coat Rust Paint – Hi-Gloss (large can/4 litres/gallon) - Premium Varsol (which is higher in mineral spirits and low odor) (4 litre container) - Several quality foam brushes (3”, 4”, 5”) - Light sand paper - Painters masking tape To start I cleaned the car to ensure there was no dirt/debris; then lightly sanded the car to “rough up” the existing paint and smooth out any current imperfections. I left a small panel untouched as I wanted to see if the sanding had any better results instead of simply painting over the existing coat. During the painting process I felt I had sanded the car a bit much as it took over 2 coats to cover up the sand marks I created. In the future I would likely use steel wool for the sanding process as it wouldn’t have created the sand marks. The small panel I didn’t sand looked exactly the same as the rest of the car (which I did sand) when I finished the paint job. I taped the around the lights, windshield, and back window; rather than removing any pieces. The original paint was a burgundy color which had severe fade marks on the hood, roof and trunk. I painted the car black, including the bumpers, hood grill, and side mirror cases. I didn’t sand between the coats of paint or after the final coat as I had no intention of putting that kind of time into it. The paint (when dry) had almost a “sticky” feeling to it until I applied the wax; which then resulted in a completely smooth look and feel. In the end I used liquid Turtle Wax as I found the paste wax extremely hard to buff off. Had I sanded (although I would have used “0000” steel wool) between the coats of paint I’m sure you wouldn’t have seen any brush strokes or small imperfections, however I was quite pleased with the results and for the time I spent it was quite worth it. Interior Roof Replacement: The interior roof fabric of this car had several holes and tears – with numerous areas hanging as the glue had let go. While painting the car I took out the interior roof, which wasn’t very difficult at all. Taking off the visors, center light and unsnapping the molding only took about 30 minutes. I tore the original fabric off the molded roof (it’s like a hard cardboard) and then sanded off the glue and residue that was left behind. To replace the fabric I used a soft “blanket type” material that was slightly thicker, which gave the roof a look and feeling of padding. The spray adhesive glue was applied to the roof (cardboard) at about 8 or 9 inches at a time. Pressing the fabric on and waiting about 5 minutes before continuing. Don’t use a craft spray adhesive glue or those you provide to your children for their projects. I used this type of adhesive on half the roof, and then ran out. I purchased another can of spray adhesive to finish the job. In the morning, the first half of the roof fabric had completely let glue and was hanging from the roof. I reapplied the new spray adhesive to the fallen roof and it was perfect (and still is). The glue I purchased (which works) is “Permatex Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive” from Canadian Tire (automotive department). Below is a before picture of the car (after I lightly sanded it) and a few after I finished painting/waxing the car. I also included a picture of the interior roof. I hope this helps anyone who is considering this. MKR.

[ML713ML]

Car Painting: Recently, in the middle of September, I tried the paint method described in several articles which used a “rust paint” and “mineral spirits” 50/50 combination. I appreciated the articles and wanted to provide my own feedback (and pictures) for those considering this option. The car is older and one used by my kids – mechanically in great shape but just didn’t look very good. In the end I applied 8 coats of paint and 2 coats of wax. The process was completed over a 4 day period – without any sanding to the new coats of paint. Each coat took 1 hour to apply and only a few hours to dry. Mixing 16 oz of paint to 16 oz of Varsol provided enough to apply 2 coats of paint to the car. I had quite a bit of paint and varsol left over when I finished. I purchased the following from Canadian Tire: - Armor Coat Rust Paint – Hi-Gloss (large can/4 litres/gallon) - Premium Varsol (which is higher in mineral spirits and low odor) (4 litre container) - Several quality foam brushes (3”, 4”, 5”) - Light sand paper - Painters masking tape To start I cleaned the car to ensure there was no dirt/debris; then lightly sanded the car to “rough up” the existing paint and smooth out any current imperfections. I left a small panel untouched as I wanted to see if the sanding had any better results instead of simply painting over the existing coat. During the painting process I felt I had sanded the car a bit much as it took over 2 coats to cover up the sand marks I created. In the future I would likely use steel wool for the sanding process as it wouldn’t have created the sand marks. The small panel I didn’t sand looked exactly the same as the rest of the car (which I did sand) when I finished the paint job. I taped the around the lights, windshield, and back window; rather than removing any pieces. The original paint was a burgundy color which had severe fade marks on the hood, roof and trunk. I painted the car black, including the bumpers, hood grill, and side mirror cases. I didn’t sand between the coats of paint or after the final coat as I had no intention of putting that kind of time into it. The paint (when dry) had almost a “sticky” feeling to it until I applied the wax; which then resulted in a completely smooth look and feel. In the end I used liquid Turtle Wax as I found the paste wax extremely hard to buff off. Had I sanded (although I would have used “0000” steel wool) between the coats of paint I’m sure you wouldn’t have seen any brush strokes or small imperfections, however I was quite pleased with the results and for the time I spent it was quite worth it. Interior Roof Replacement: The interior roof fabric of this car had several holes and tears – with numerous areas hanging as the glue had let go. While painting the car I took out the interior roof, which wasn’t very difficult at all. Taking off the visors, center light and unsnapping the molding only took about 30 minutes. I tore the original fabric off the molded roof (it’s like a hard cardboard) and then sanded off the glue and residue that was left behind. To replace the fabric I used a soft “blanket type” material that was slightly thicker, which gave the roof a look and feeling of padding. The spray adhesive glue was applied to the roof (cardboard) at about 8 or 9 inches at a time. Pressing the fabric on and waiting about 5 minutes before continuing. Don’t use a craft spray adhesive glue or those you provide to your children for their projects. I used this type of adhesive on half the roof, and then ran out. I purchased another can of spray adhesive to finish the job. In the morning, the first half of the roof fabric had completely let glue and was hanging from the roof. I reapplied the new spray adhesive to the fallen roof and it was perfect (and still is). The glue I purchased (which works) is “Permatex Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive” from Canadian Tire (automotive department). Below is a before picture of the car (after I lightly sanded it) and a few after I finished painting/waxing the car. I also included a picture of the interior roof. I hope this helps anyone who is considering this. MKR.

[autopaint4u]

It seems to look good,but with all the hours it took it is far from a $75 paint job.A car can be sanded,primed,painted,polished & delivered in less than 24 hours at a shop.Compare the cost? I much rather send it to the shop so i can spend all those hours doing something else.

[neilslade]

I think this is a valid point. For many people, it's worth it to spend the $500 or more to let someone else do the work. However, Some of us don't mind the superior results one can achieve by DIY, and relatively little time spent (a few hours). It's a decision made by each individual and I don't think there is a one size fits all. The best thing anyone can do is to really inform themselves about the pros and cons of each method. I think most of us can relate to "Shortcuts make long delays". If something is too good to be true, it usually is. I've done both the "paint by hand" method shown here, and taken the more professional course of painting which in the end, is far less work, essentially, the same cost, uses better materials, and provides a more durable finish. Hey, though, its a free country.

[Styluss]

Indeed! To each his own. ;)

[Styluss]

Yes, do compare the costs.

Maaco = $300 for their cheapest paint job. Which includes NO prep work, they simply spray the paint onto your car. Plus, that comes with no gaurantee. pay a little more, say $600-ish and you'll get a one year warranty and I gaurantee you will be back in the shop within that year having peeling paint fixed.

[neilslade]

I applaud anyone who does any kind of DIY job-- however, there are far easier ways to paint a car than this, and the cost is roughly about the same.
First class single stage urethane paint- and you can apply any way you wish, would cost you under $50 for a typical car, a tiny bit more if you use two stage- color with clear. And urethane is the best paint you can put on a car.

The biggest downside to this Rustoleum method- if one takes the time to simply examine the reality of it-- is the AMOUNT OF TIME one spends-- needlessly. TEN HOURS??? OW!!

Spray urethane on your car, you are looking at 3 coats-- 10 minutes per coat- add it up. Either Rustoleum or Urethane, your prep time will be exactly the same.

I do a very thorough examination of the pro and cons of this very popular web site "poor man's car painting"on my own pages at

http://www.easypaintyourcar.com/CarPainting/fiftydollarmyth.html

So, THINK before you try this-- good luck!

[Styluss]

So, it's only $50 for the paint, and then another $20 to buy your DVD to show me how to use it?? That's $70 and you're already $15 over my method's costs... and we haven't even included the paint sprayer we need to buy or rent. Thanx for the other options, but simply seems like a ploy to sell more of your DVD's to me. Every piece of information to complete the Poor Man's Paint Job is included, for free, in the write up I have listed here on Instructables. This is to include the time involved, the materials needed and even alternatives to my method. My method may take more time than using a sprayer, but it sure is rewarding when you are finished! Plus, FYI... I spent no more than 2 hours sanding, and only had to sand twice. Part of the beauty of the Poor Man's Paint Job is that you can really put as much time into it as you want.

[neilslade]

The online download, complete is $10 2) You can learn anything for free on the internet if you are willing to spend the time researching it. I provide examples, documentation, and dozens of free web pages about painting far in excess of any Rustoleum method online. 3) You can apply any paint simply as this: a) Get good paint- why not use top rated quality professional automotive urethane instead of lawn furniture paint? b) Apply primer to promote adhesion and hide old color. c) Roll on with high density foam roller d) Sand as needed-- and sand and sand Rewarding? Hmmmm.... I think best use of one's time, and using proper materials is ultimately the most rewarding thing in life. Surely, most people can find one friend with a compressor and gun. If you can't- decide how you want to spend your time, and what that is worth, not to forget the end results and quality of materials. Thanks for your tips.

[thirstbuster]

For those in Canada; Canadian tire sells the paint for $30 a quart. Combine with a $20 spray gun... and your done!

[kfainf]

Stylus, Great Job! The Beretta looks awesome for the materials and method used. I am just beginning to experiment on my 1988 Jeep Cherokee and so far I am leaning to your foam brush method versus the foam roller. By the way, what was your source for the Euro GTU ground effects panels and rear spoiler?

[ineedastudentgetup]

I tried to post photo's but I guess I did it wrong.
One more try.
IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q98/ineedastudentgetup/DSCF5675.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q98/ineedastudentgetup/DSCF5673.jpg[/IMG]

[irarb]

I' ve used rustoleulm and modified epoxy paint through a paint gun to paint truck bodes and dump trailers with a lot luck.

[jmdowdy]

Nice job. I'm really impressed. I've seen brushed paint jobs before and they look like total crap. Yours, however, looks very good. Kudos to you!

[kat01]

Hey, now this may come across pretty dumb, as I know absolutely zip about cars. I recently washed my brand new (1yr old) car only to find that a bit spot on my bonnet (say about an inch in diameter) was peeling paint to the point of the undercoat. We put polish over it in an attempt to buy time, when we noticed that my bonnet also has sun damage! Already! I'm going to contact the manufacturer, but in case, is it possible that your method would work on small spots? thanks

[Kayjay]

i was just wondering what type of beretta that is lol, im kinda a beretta fan lol i was gunna guess its a gtz, but thats only a guess lol, nice instructable, the paint and the car look awesome

[Styluss]

Hey KayJay... hit me up at: [e-mail] I would love to tell you all about my Chevy Beretta Euro GTU.

[wmphipps]

I want to paint my 82 z28 Camaro using this method. I have a fiberglass hood and flexible bumper covers that are probably TPO (thermo plastic olefin). I am wondering how to prepare and paint these areas. Does anyone have any experience or tips?

[Barrymaxx]

Very nice writeup! I have personaly used your method on my spoiler, and it is very well written. Its only been on for a few weeks, but it seems to be holding up great. Nice work!

[Who Needs Brakes]

looks nice mate for what you used absolutely awesome job, but as a Spraypainter if I seen someone doing this I'd have to shake my head, the only way to get a professional finish is to use a proper spraygun & compressor, just a warning to you all & bad paint job can de-value the car buy thousands & cost even more to get it redone properly, personally I don't recommend taking it on unless you thouroghly do your homework ask the professionals for advice & use the proper materials, also DO NOT try this technique with metalics or pearls as it will end up streaky, you'd be surprised what a good buff & polish would do, MATE FOR THE PRICE YOU DONE AN ABSOLUTLY AWSOM JOB WELL DONE yes I'm bloody impressed with it

[HAL 9000]

So how about regular coats of wax to protect your paint job from sun and weathering? Good car wax doesn't cost too much and goes a long way. I would imagine that if you waxed your car monthly it would do a great job of protecting the paint. Nice instructable, im giving serious thought to doing this on my 1991 Honda CRX, The paint has chipped in a few places. My car is rapidly becoming my perpetual DIY project, so this would be a perfect project this summer when it dries up a bit around here.

[chalky]

EXCELLENT WORK!

[Shwats]

i have been thinking of doing this to my car but i have a paint gun to do it. ironically i also own a beretta

[Styluss]

Ha! Do it up! I would love to see it. So would the boys over at www.BStuff.com - A site just for Berettas. Check it out!

[Lftndbt]

(removed by author or community request)

[Styluss]

Honestly, I was never intending to claim that I came up with this all myself. I have seen with my own eyes that numerous other people have done this themselves at home as well. Hell, there is even an Instructable on here already called "Paint Your Car With Rustoleum". The link should be at the bottom of this page! But he used a sprayer. And in the guy's write up I followed to help me do my car he used a foam roller. I have not seen a write up online yet for how to do it with a foam brush... THIS, is what I consider to be mark on this whole genre of do it yourself auto paint. Perhaps the wording in my write up is a bit cocky... I will be changing it now to reflect your comments. Thank you.

[Lftndbt]

I didn't want you to go that far!! Just for the sake of the other rustoleum ible... Change your first line back, just for along the line's of "I have developed a NEW and improved method of applicating rustoleum that is vastly superior to applying it by roller." You have some fame to claim on the foam applicator's, just not on the entire process... I like the new wording.... But like I said you DO have some fame to claim... It's just It just took me a while to get to the part about why it is your method... Put the application method near your claim... because it sounds like your doing a bodge job on sanding it back... not that you have improved it's application method.... By the way I was not curtious enough in my last post to say.... Nice Instructable!! Well set out.... I'm about to paint a V8 308 Holden VK... And with your practicle guide I now feel confident enough to attempt it.... (Even though I have to sell it for people to paint cars, I have always doubted how it will turn out..) Thanks...

[virgored]

(removed by author or community request)

[Lftndbt]

(removed by author or community request)

[virgored]

(removed by author or community request)

[Lftndbt]

(removed by author or community request)

[virgored]

(removed by author or community request)

[Lftndbt]

(removed by author or community request)

[virgored]

(removed by author or community request)

[Styluss]

HEY!!! DROP IT! This is not an argument forum, I dont care about your grammar, spelling or your native country! all of your comments have been flagged for review. Let's please keep the discussion around this instructable, you guys can have at each other somewhere else, NOT here.

[Styluss]

Hey, thanx!!! I used your wording as I found it to be much more suitable.

[Madrigorne]

He didn't say he invented the wheel - he just put up some damn fine instructions how to paint your car - using things you can actually get, for under a hundred dollars. This is an awesome instructable. It is his own method i.e. a systematic plan followed in presenting material for instruction - and I have learned something. Bravo Styluss.

[cheap]

yes you can but rustoleum is non catalyzed and must cure for months. rustoleum is a synthetic enamel which will will chalk up in a few years of sun light with out the clear coat.prep the car with 800 grit or finer or scotch brite pad and cleanser (comet ajax) cheapskate sand paper is what the cleaner is.in the trade we do this for blend panels.works on compleats for a quickie call it a mop and glow.

[buhdieboy]

ive cosidered useing the epoxy white spray paint(use white) but youl need warm weather its slow drying but its realy tougher then enamel stuff i have heard of people who have had spark plugs hollowed out and coper lines atached then an air hose and therby connecting a spray gun to the hose therby useing the engines running compresion gas fumes and all to paint with turning ther engine into a sizeable compressor i would think to do that you would have to have a tank and maybe shut it off dureing spraying so you didnt get a pulse but with non metalic paint some would dare try this !

[Styluss]

I'm sure you can... but I did not. Rustoleum does not make a clear coat. And I was simply too lazy to go out and find one that would work with this application.

[Chavez]

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[Styluss]

Of course you can spray paint a car, but it a tough to do and really has nothing in common with this method. A "spray bomb" paint job will require a lot of sanding to look anywhere decent, plus runs are very common.

[orbitup]

I've been a professional auto painter in the past. I'm not going to give anyone a hard time about painting your car with a brush. If that's what your looking for, go for it. One thing I would add though is keep from waxing it for some time. The paint may seem fully cured after 1 day, but it will still be releasing solvents. If you cover the paint with wax the solvents will build up and cause the paint to peel later.

[philjonz]

I'll be using this method to some extent on painting an old 1954 Ferguson tractor when warm weather comes again. Thanks!

[Chavez]

(removed by author or community request)

[Styluss]

Sure thing! I'll add more now...

[maluka]

great job for the price!

[rimar2000]

Wonderful. The car, the job, the instructable. Congratulations.

[GorillazMiko]

wow, real nice job on your car

[haugenjp]

Great job for under $100.