how hard is it to repaint a car?

ryan8624 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-16-2003, 07:17 PM

as the title says, how hard is it to repaint a car? if i were to buy a spray gun for $100 could i paint a car myself, im not repainting another color, i just need to fix some rust and repaint the area around it, along with some fender flares, how long would it take? how much is paint, and how many coats of paint and clear coat will i need? (im not sure if i matters but i geuss i will mention that this is not a BMW its a '87 CRX Si)

Privatestreet · #2 (**permalink**) 12-16-2003, 07:50 PM

umm, yeah, you are going to need more than a spray gun

unless you just want to put paint on the car, and not make it look good, then yeah, go get some spray paint and have fun.

But if you want something to look good, then you wont be able to do it yourself without the proper tools and knowhow.

ryan8624 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-16-2003, 08:20 PM

well what other tools would i need, i know nothing about this subject so im looking for any help i can get.

doperide36 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-16-2003, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ryan8624
...i know nothing about this subject so im looking for any help i can get.

Thats why you might want to leave it to the pros. Besides, your car is a CRX- save up for something better... like an E30 M3.

MacDubois · #5 (**permalink**) 12-16-2003, 08:53 PM

Bahh, just goto some cheap place like Maaco, it will look 800times better and they have cheapo jobs for under 500. And you won't have to worry about killing yourself on fumes.

Doing it yourself would involve a well ventilated indoor space (so as to not paint the neighbors house), a paint gun, paint, tape to tape off things you don't wanna paint (headlights, trim...) plastic sheeting to cover the windows, and aren't paint guns air powered? I don't know, but if they are that means you need an air compressor too.

Or a can of spray paint, but if you're gonna do that, you might as well just leave it the way it is.

Kompressor · #6 (**permalink**) 12-16-2003, 09:42 PM

Maaco, might as well do it cheap.

Scorp965 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-16-2003, 11:07 PM

with a crx when it starts to look bad (or if something breaks) don't you just throw it away and buy a new one?

X5 Gee · #8 (**permalink**) 12-16-2003, 11:12 PM

buy a new car

mad-ass · #9 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 12:55 AM

right on! go get some 99 accord!

CAP-E-TAN · #10 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 07:03 AM

if you know nothing about painting then don't even attempt to paint.......
go to MACCO.......any which way the paint job will cost more than the car
good luck

clor0x · #11 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 10:55 AM

How about instead of all the mindless posts like "OMG YOU DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PAINTING SO TAKE IT TO A SHOP LET THE PROS DO IT", a post with some insight? Perhaps some people like to take jobs on themselves and not always PAY someone else to do the work. And obviously nobody was born with knowledge so it was all learned somewhere along the line.

Before you take on a project like this, you should pick up a book about painting cars. It will tell you the necessary steps to prep and paint the surface. You can purchase primer, paint, and clear from www.paintscratch.com and they can probably answer any questions you have about what kind of gun to use. You will want to invest in a decent gun to prevent clogging and so that you get an even spray. Painting definately takes some time to get right, so you should start off by painting small things first, and not your car. Good luck!

Polo M3 · #12 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 12:32 PM

Tools needed will be the paint gun, a compressor, the paints, clearcoats, and as Clorox said, get a how-to book... Ive tried it before and you dont want your first try to go on your car, because I GUARANTEE you it will be a disaster. Play around painting some old parts or something like that.. Good luck.

Siang · #13 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 01:24 PM

"yea omg crx sux!!!11 buy a new e30 m3!1" Why didnt you guys just put that as your post instead of all that shit you typed up, its much easier, and just as off topic. Yea I know clorox already said it, just needed reitteration.

Well on-topic. You might want to try and find a backissue of HCI from a few months ago, It had a orange and black nsx on the cover. There was a kind of "how-to" guide for beginners to try and paint there car. Think they were painting a CRX or some civic hatch, so it could help you out.

CAP-E-TAN · #14 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 02:02 PM

if you are going to do it to learn......then time and money aren't an issue
.
but if you have a budget in mind then and you don't have all the time in the world then the 500.00 macco is not that bad
.
but don't think painting the car will save you time or money
.
you learn how to paint and this won't be a problem next time,you be a master

good luck
and if you paint it yourself post pictures

ryan8624 · #15 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by doperide36
Thats why you might want to leave it to the pros. Besides, your car is a CRX- save up for something better... like an E30 M3.

oh thats wisdom for you, i buy a $200 CRX to drive while i save money for a BMW, so buy a E30 M3, are you retarted? if i had the money for a M3 i wouldnt be driving a CRX, anyway im a broke ass, i cant get a difrent car, so im stuck with this one, i want to get it painted for 2 resons, 1) im going to be driving this car for about 4 months while i save for a E30, 2) i want to repaint it so that it will have some resale value when i finly trade it in, if you guys really think a $500 maaco job is the best bet then thats what ill do, unless someone around me that knows what there doing is willing to help paint.