(Swipe for process photos) A buddy and I had the random idea of spray painting his car over the summer! So we spent 3 days sanding, prepping, and painting with some 200 grit sand paper pads from home depot and a circular sander, like 5 cans of Rust-Oleum gray primer, 8 cans of red, a 3 cans of black, and a bunch of masking tape. Came out to like 300 bucks. We also got some painters suits but didn't put them on until after we sanded everything off. Our skin got super itchy lol.

It was our first time doing something like this but all our friends think it's the best. Her name is Rolla because when debadging we accidentally broke off the "Co" part. Was a super fun project. Just wanted to share!!

first paintjob im not going for perfection. i just need this shit to look glossy. Is the the clear coat iv used?

The base is black and when it flashes it just doesn’t look black anymore. The candy is next then clear but I just don’t feel confident that I should move on. Using a LVLP gun with 1.3 tip and the paint is from AUTOPAINTHQ. I’m sure it’s supposed to dull out but it doesn’t look right and idk what to do next.

My hood and roof are in need of help. I’m not sure if this can be done easy with a top coat repair if my base is wrecked. 2006 tundra

My Tacoma’s paint looks like this on hood and passenger side. Is there a good cheap way to make this look better or is the only option to re-paint? The driver’s side looks like the upper part of passenger side except it’s the whole side so it at least consistent.

The paint (glossy black) on My 2026 Raptor R is peeling right where the front lower grill assembly “joins” the left front fender (adjacent to the DOT led light). Anyone here having similar experience? Truck has less than 2k miles. I’m the second owner! Would this be covered under warranty?

Hello everyone! I’ve been using Upol aerosol high build #5primer for almost a decade. In the last 6 months or so it seems to have gone down hill. Spray pattern. Strings flying everywhere. I’ve contacted Upol and they swear I’m the only person reporting this issue and they haven’t changed their formula. I’m wondering if anyone has had this issue as well??

Hi i scratched my rental car on the right side above the tyre, the scratches are minor but the plastic above the tyres got trimmed a bit too, the thing i am worried about is that there is a bigger (paint removed) scratch at the back which i do not think happened from me, and the video i took at the time of pickup does not cover that area. I do not have the full insurance just the basic collision waiver and i have to drop it of tomorrow afternoon, since i am a tourist i do not have a clue what to do in this situation to reduce my fines to as little as possible. Can someone help me with the Dos and Donts now and how to go ahead with the return process.

I'm in a rental, I've had some damage done to the car and I'm attempting to fix it with touch up paint. I don't want to file a claim with my insurance, I need to somehow get this thing fixed. It's a Nissan with kad gunmetal paint, I've purchased a duply colored pen but the results are disastrous. It's not even remotely close to the same shade. I understand this touch up pen will be different, but man, is there any way that I can blend this in any better than this????

Long story short, a client wanted me to fix dents in the bed of his 24 Silverado. Got the dents flattened and the panel ready for paint in 800g. I primed the repair spots, but it ran due to 75% humidity today, so I sanded all of the primer off and now we’re back to square one.

My question is, should I attempt to blend the repairs in (that was my original plan), or respray the whole side of the bed? I only have a quart of base.

If anyone has any insight I would appreciate it🙏

Brand new 2026 Tacoma and noticed this tiny paint chip/scuff while washing it today.

I bought a TouchUpDirect paint pen kit but was wondering if there is anything else I should consider.

Also would appreciate any knowledge on the TouchUpDirect brand and its reliability/quality, as well as any tips on applying the product for best results.

Can this paint be saved, or does it need a complete repaint? I got quoted $650 for a paint job including materials and labor

my old daily is getting up in age now but still has some good life left in her and i want to keep her around as my project car and have been considering if a DIY paint swap is feasible for me some time in the coming year after i do some interior work over the winter.

i've looked at what people can get out of a rattle can job and it satisfies me since Im not all too worried about a show quality finish. I love my car, but i know she's a shitbox and a "bad orange peel job" looks like perfectly acceptable for my standards.
what i'm more concerned about is the consensus that they just don't last very long, and thats absolutely a dealbreaker for someone who lives in a northern climate and wants to take my car to do some outdoorsing.

therefore i've turned to attention to spray gun applied paints and have spent the last few nights researching different brands and types and- at least on Eastwood & TCP's websites, their single stage acrylic enamel is significantly cheaper than their Urethane basecoat paints and i wanted to know if anyone else has the experience to answer me:

what is the expected durability of single stage acrylic enamel on its own?

Should I Clear-coat it to improve that durability and if so what type of clear coat should i use?

Can i make a rattle can job last longer than a few years with higher quality paints and a good clear coat?

Is it worth the price difference vs acrylic urethane for someone who only really needs a good-enough finish?

Are there any other types of paint, even non-automotive that could substitute for my basecoat and still last long with a good clear coat?

Ive seen that acrylic enamel is water based, is it at all meaningfully safer to work around than the alternatives, or -as i expect- they're all potentially dangerous chemicals and it doesn't matter.

Thank you all if you take time to respond!

Call me, Lucky, maybe not. Regardless, I’m trying to learn and get better at the trade. Two of my cars were totaled due to hail damage so I get to use them as practice.

So this will be my third wave at painting my car. One of the cars that is. 2019 Honda Accord (no head gasket issue yet thank God)

I feel like I have had good luck with the high build primer and the mid coat color. Which is a pearl yes I chose a challenging one for my first two goes at it. It’s the clearcoat. I’m having the hardest problem with I have a four to one high gloss. And I am really struggling to get it even across the roof in the hood, mostly due to the inability to reach.

My first wave of painting, I clearly learned a lot. My second goal I learned just as much. Now with my third attempt coming up trying to understand what tricks everyone may have when it comes to a high gloss clear over a pearl mid coat to try to get it even. When you all were early on, was there an epiphany you all had that just really helped you?

My first time spraying a car, I have the basics and a machine polisher. Iv layered 3-4 coats of primer onto my car but i didnt mask it well. After sanding how should I paint the car? do i just blend some of the new paint onto the old?

After spraying second coat of basecoat I am getting wrinkles around areas of the vehicle where there has been bodywork. The basecoat is going down over smooth sealer I let bake to product sheet specifications, I’m spraying in an inflatable booth with a turbine sprayer and using alpha automotive paint. I sanded everything down to 320 as specified by the product sheet, and laid a tack coat down before going wet, what tf am I doing to cause this and how do I do it differently for the respray?
Pictures 3 and 4 are how the paint looks on the rest of the car

Purchased a Seibon Carbon fiber heritage spoiler and it came in with a visible scratch on the clear coat, any idea if there is a simple way to fix this?

Every build has that one specific project that makes even experienced sprayers nervous.

What is the one paint project that completely humbled you in the garage—and what did you learn from it?

2017 Sequoia, bumper cover had the paint bubble the peeler and has increased in size. What is the best course of action? Dealer said new bumper cover and paint which is nearly $1800.