The quick reply to “Are you able to paint over current auto paint?” is sure, you definitely can. There’s fairly a little bit of preparation work prematurely of the particular portray and you should use fashionable paints to have a very good final result although.

Why Paint Over Present Auto Paint?

There are 4 major causes for portray over your current auto paint: worn paint, you dislike the colour, to guard it, and to extend the resale worth.

If the paint in your trip is worn and pale as a result of it’s a number of years previous, it’s possible you’ll wish to repaint it simply to make it look higher.

Manufacturing unit paints usually look good for about 10 years, however different issues can mess up the looks of your paint job.

If you happen to dwell in an space the place it’s chilly they usually salt the roads within the wintertime, the paint on the underside half of your automotive will are inclined to fade a lot faster. The identical is true should you dwell by the ocean, as a result of salt has a adverse impact on any sort of paint.

If you happen to purchase a automotive as a result of it’s a very good deal and also you’ve all the time wished it, like a dream automotive– assume 1957 Chevy or an vintage automotive, it’s possible you’ll simply not like the colour of it.

On this case, you’ll be able to select the colour that you simply actually love and paint over the present paint for the automotive you’ve all the time dreamed of and possibly in a more moderen colour that wasn’t obtainable when the automotive was manufactured.

A great high quality repainting job on a automobile makes it look higher, but it surely additionally provides further layers of safety for the physique itself.

UV-protected paint will preserve it from fading as quick within the daylight and extra paint layers additionally defend your automobile from flying rocks and different objects that may dent or scratch your automotive.

If you’ll resell a automobile, including a contemporary paint job will enhance the resale worth drastically.

Nowadays, many individuals record automobiles on the market on-line and your sensible new paint job will certainly get seen over the identical automobile with previous and pale paint on it.

Do You Have To Take away The Outdated Auto Paint First?

No, you don’t need to take away the entire previous paint first until there’s injury right down to the steel bodywork that won’t be coated because it ought to.

Most often, you solely have to sand down areas which might be gouges and scratches and repair any dents or dings first as an alternative of eradicating the entire previous paint.

Now, should you resolve you might be altering the colour solely, it’s the greatest concept to take away all of the previous paint. Portray a brand new colour over a a lot completely different previous colour will have an effect on the ultimate colour of your automotive.

In any other case you’ll need a number of coats of paint which might be costly and time-consuming to completely cowl the previous paint colour so that you solely see the brand new colour.

Can You Paint Over A Automotive With out Sanding It?

The method of sanding your automotive earlier than you paint it scuffs up the floor in order that the brand new paint will keep on with it and dry proper as nicely.

If you happen to resolve to skip the step of sanding earlier than repainting, your paint might not adhere nicely and it could trigger extra drips and pooling that may then have to be sanded once more and repainted once more.

It’s positively greatest to sand the unique paint first earlier than repainting it because it doesn’t take that lengthy and it’ll show you how to to provide a professional-grade look.

How Many Coats Of Paint Do You Want On A New Automotive?

You need to ideally apply two coats of primer first, letting it dry fully between every coat. Subsequent, it’s essential apply three to 4 coats of your base paint for the colour you select.

Your final steps in your is to make use of three to 4 coats of clear coat on high for the utmost safety to your new venture automobile.

This will likely seem to be numerous coats of paint, but it surely gives you an expert look, and skipping coats of primer, base paint, and clear coats will prevent some money and time, however on the expense of a substandard trying paint job.

Making ready The Automobile For The Repaint Job

Your first a part of getting ready to color a automobile is to take away any imperfections within the physique.

You need to first pull any dents out with a dent puller after which sand your entire floor of the automotive with an orbital sander utilizing a 500 to 1,200 grit sanding pad.

Use constant stress so the identical quantity of previous paint is eliminated and scuffed up on your entire automotive.

At this level, if you’re altering the bottom colour, it’s best to sand the automotive right down to the steel to take away all of the clear coat, base colour coats, and primer.

Wipe off any sanding mud with a moist store fabric that’s lint-free. Then use a microfiber cleansing fabric to dry your entire floor totally.

Cowl any areas that you simply aren’t going to color with newspaper or painter’s paper and tape.

This would be the windshields, wheels, and tires, plus the bumpers and the aspect view mirrors if they’re metallic, in addition to the door handles if they’re metallic.

You’ll be able to take away the antenna as an alternative of overlaying it.

How To Paint An Outdated Automotive Over Present Paint

Dilute your automotive primer in accordance with the instructions on the can. Stir it totally with a paint stir stick and apply it with a paint sprayer in lengthy sweeping motions to cowl your entire floor.

Enable the primer to dry for the period of time on the bundle, which might be between half-hour and an hour.

Then evenly sand it and take away any sanding mud with a moist tack fabric and a microfiber fabric to dry it.

Apply two extra coats of primer in the identical manner whereas permitting it to dry fully and sanding between coats.

Subsequent, you apply your three to 4 base colour coats of paint in the identical manner because the primer, and eventually your three to 4 high clear coats of paint.

Make certain and let every coat dry totally earlier than sanding them between all coats and don’t sand the final clear coat you apply.

Is Repainting A Automotive As Good As Manufacturing unit Paint?

If you’re an skilled painter with a paint sprayer and also you observe all of the steps crucial, you’ll be able to definitely produce a factory-appearance-looking paint job.

It’s greatest to purchase high quality merchandise and don’t skip any steps within the course of.

You should purchase high quality paints, primers, and clear coats from an automotive dealership as they’ll use the identical objects as OEM because the manufacturing facility once they do bodywork and repaint automobiles.

How To Discover The Paint Shade Codes On A Automotive?

If you wish to repaint your automobile the identical actual colour because it was initially painted, you’ll need to seek out the colour codes after which order your paint with these codes for an actual match.

Try to be conscious that in case your automobile is over 10 years previous or so, the colour codes will show you how to to return it to the unique “new” trying colours, which might be fairly a bit brighter and comprise extra depth than the present colour.

Discover the service elements identification sticker in your automobile. It would often be both within the glove field or on the motive force’s aspect door sticker.

Write down the letters and numbers on the underside line of the sticker to your unique paint codes. The primary is BC, which is your base coat colour. If there’s a TC adopted by a quantity, it’s your high coat.

Some automobiles have each a base coat colour and a high coat colour that obtain the ultimate colour of the automobile.

The CC on the sticker tells you that it has a transparent coat for cover on the automobile. If there’s a U adopted by a quantity, that is the higher physique colour and an L adopted by a quantity is the decrease physique colour.

Some automobiles have a distinct colour on the underside and high or on the roof and hood. An instance is the unique colours of the 1970’s Ford and Chevy vans which might be two-toned.

In case your automobile is sort of a bit older or there isn’t any service elements identification sticker on it, you’ll be able to enter your VIN quantity to seek out the colour codes out of your automobile’s dealership.

Your VIN quantity is on a steel plate mounted on the motive force’s aspect of the dashboard the place it meets the entrance windshield.

Observe that the VIN quantity doesn’t particularly state the colour codes however your native automotive dealership can discover them for you and promote you the standard merchandise you want for a professional-looking paint job.

Remaining Ideas

The above ideas and technique will help you to attain a professional-looking paint job on any automobile, whether or not you might be repainting it to the unique colours or selecting a brand new vibrant colour that you simply love.

It would additionally assist defend your automobile from growing rust in any spots the place the paint is already scratched or eliminated, so that it’s going to look new for much longer.