Hey guys im thinking of prepping my own car for paint before i give it to the painters. So im wondering if someone would tell me the best way to go about sanding my car down ie girt of sand paper technique or any other helpful hints and the best products to use to prime and fill in body work!

Thanx Again!

If I remember right, I used 240 grit on my DA sander. Use a sandable primer, this will fill in any small imperfections, you then give that a light sand to smooth it out before paint.

Preparation is the hard part of painting. Dark colors will show imperfections more. for example:
Sanding out rock chips with fingertips on sand paper will show as small craters .

Wash car good. Use a degreaser/dewaxer to remove same before sanding. Use rubber sanding block where possible. This will help knock off high spots.

Decide what type of paint will be used ( water-bourne, urethane, etc). Use compatible primer. Might need high fill primer if your paint is rough. If car has been repaired before, try to figure what type paint was used. New paint might lift previous repair. Can check small spot with type of reducer that wil be used.

Good Luck!

depends on how far down you are tryin to sand.
to get down to bare metal use a 36grit on a DA sander, if your just wanting to scuff up the original paint use a 240grit on a DA to knock the shine down then prime with a good sandable primer then step up to a 350 on a sanding block to scuff the primer so the base coat will stick. make sure u use a sanding block and not just your hand, your fingertips will leave impressions on the primer and it will show all the way through...also if switching colors i would suggest using a sealer coat before base coating it..some colors tend to bleed right through to the clear and it will leave blotches in your paint...if its had previous work before i would suggest takin the whole car down to bare metal and starting from scratch..it will take longer but the outcome will look alot better and you minimize the risk of your paint lifting...

ive come to realize im one of the few that actually enjoy doing body work and prep..lol..theres something hypnotic about it.. anymore questions just ask as there is alot more involed then just sanding and spraying paint...

just remember PREP WORK IS EVERYTHING!!! take your time and do it right..avoid taking shortcuts as you will pay for it in the end with a horrible looking paintjob

Honestly::: if you have never done any painting before, I would take the car to a experenced painter and let them do it, and watch how they work, the methods they use, and prep procedures.
Paint products are extreamly expensive, it takes alot of different products to get even a decent result ,and the painting process is so varied with all the different types of paint these days,,
Maybe you might be able to find a qualifed painter that would be interested in doing the job in his spare time and let you help him
I,m not trying to discourage you from wanting to paint your own car,,thats how we learn.. but start out on something small untill you feel conifident that you can do a good job.. it will definately save you a lot of money,

Three years old topic closed..