Damage to the paintwork on the car body is quite common. Scratches, chips, minor dents and other damages may sooner or later appear even on the most expensive and well-groomed cars. In car services, these flaws are removed by painting the entire body element. It will not come cheap. But you can try to perform minor car body repairs yourself.
Necessary
- - primer for metal or for paintwork (depending on the depth of damage to the body);
- - putty for a car (if the damage is significant);
- - dye;
- - acetone;
- - respirator (to protect the respiratory tract when painting);
- - skin;
- - water;
- - paper and tape;
- - a clean rag (rag).
Instructions
Step 1
When purchasing material for repairs (primer and putty), give preference to European manufacturers, since the quality of domestic materials is much worse than imported ones. For example, a high-quality primer is needed so that the paint lies flat, does not bubble, adheres well and so that in the future, metal corrosion centers do not appear on the repaired area. Therefore, spare no money.
Step 2
To select the correct paint by color, remove a small part (for example, a gas tank cap) from the painted surface of the body for a sample. In a specialized store, you can contact a sales consultant to help you with this difficult issue. Keep in mind that the new paint will look slightly different after drying than the previous paint (factory paint).
Step 3
Carefully study the instructions for use that is on the can of car paint, and strictly adhere to these recommendations. Before painting, you may need to degrease the paintwork with acetone (or at least gasoline). Do not use thinner for this purpose, as it eats away at the enamel.
Step 4
Choose a suitable painting area. It could be a garage or a hangar. It should have adequate lighting and should be protected from dust and direct sunlight until the paint dries.
Step 5
With a moisture-resistant sandpaper or metal brush, clean the area to be treated to metal. To make the primer and putty fit well, you can clean this area 2 cm wider. In the process of stripping, periodically moisten it with water, and at the end of this work, thoroughly rinse this area with water and degrease with acetone.
Step 6
Apply a thin layer of primer to the treated surface, then level and dry. Make sure that the thickness of the primer does not allow the damaged area to fall through or protrude from the rest of the paintwork. It is possible that the primer will need to be applied several times. In case something went wrong, remove the excess soil with gasoline.
Step 7
Finally, the main and final stage is painting the damage on the car. Protect all surfaces where paint can accidentally come into contact with paper and tape. For example, if you are painting an area on the front door, then you should protect the following parts: door lock, handle, windshield, mirror.
Step 8
Warm up the can to the required temperature indicated in the instructions, and then shake it several times so that the paint becomes completely homogeneous. Spray paint from the distance recommended by the instructions. If you paint with a thin layer several times with intermediate drying, it will turn out to be of better quality. In case of splashes of paint, they can simply be wiped off with a dry, clean cloth.
Step 9
After finishing painting, leave the car to stand for 24 hours. Car body polishing should be done no earlier than after two or three days, so as not to spoil the whole work. So, your car has regained its original appearance. Although you had to tinker with painting, you saved on expensive repairs at the car service.
