Taking the Right Steps to Get the Best Finish
When you’re restoring a classic car, you don’t want to go to all the effort of getting to run like a top, only to put a lackluster finish on it. After all, the first thing anyone else will notice is the paint job. As with many things, it’s as much about the preparation as it is the execution. Of course, if you bring your vehicle to City Collision, we’ll carefully prepare your vehicle before we put any coats of paint on it. But there are some things you can do as well:
- Give the car a thorough washing with soap and water — If there’s any dirt or buildup anywhere, it can cause blemishes in a paint job or even prevent the paint from sealing.
- Remove any bolted on parts, such as door handles
- Wipe the car down with grease and wax removers — If there’s any wax or grease residue on the vehicle, the primer and the paint won’t stick.
- Apply four to five coats of automobile primer — This typically comes in a can. You’ll want to spray as evenly as possible and then let the primer dry for a day.
- Sand the car with a very fine grit paper, so that there’s no visible evidence of primer or paint lines
- Spray on another coat of primer and let it dry
- Wipe the car with a soft rag
- Mask those parts of the car that you don’t want painted
Putting the final coats on a classic car can be a complex process, requiring skills honed over many years. You can try to do it yourself, but you don’t want to put all that work into the restoration of the car, only to have the finish look substandard.
Contact City Collision Center
At City Collision Center, the quality of our work is our calling card. To get a free estimate on any repair, contact us online or call us at
817-303-7467.