Painting panels & bars

[Chenaho]

Hey guys,

My car is pretty jacked up (VZ) from the old owners, and someone from my old work keying my left front quater panel.. Oh and from a previous accident from one of the owners, and I wanted to make my car looking better.. So I thought about painting it.

I was thinking of starting with the quarter panels, they're decent size, and can come off. So, if I wanted to paint them what's the best way to go about it? I was thinking about using spray cans, but is it worth just going the extra mile and using a spray gun?

Either way, what's the best way and what tools/things will I need to cut down the panel, and prep it for painting. Since it obviously already has paint, it's going to need to be stripped back to bare metal.

If someone could give me a detailed step for step on how this can be done would be great, and some reasoning behind answers aswell so I've got some knowledge to work with.

Also; I've been watching videos, and some people say minimum 3 layers of paint. What's the most appropriate layering (how many layers of primer, paint and clear coat)?

 

[hi_ryder]

not trying to be a smart ass here but what youre asking is like me asking a mechanic how to rebuild my engine step by step with nothing but an aldi socket set. dear mechanic: how do i deck my heads and bore my block out at home in the garage using some tools from bunnings. i can give you advice on repainting your car but unless youre spending a couple of grand minimum on some basic stuff your going to have a bad time. if youre not using 2k primers and top coats dont even bother. i never touch a car with a materiel that can be moved by a solvent. in other words all primers and clear/direct gloss colors have a hardener mixed with it (apart from an actually metallic basecoat that you clear over). spraying a car properly is carried out in hospital like conditions as to not get contaminates and other foreign materiel in the paint that could cause adhesion problems. if you wanted to attempt anything it should be to prepare the car for paint. repair, prime, and rub the car down for a shop to professionally top coat for you. even then 9 out of 10 shops hate that type of stuff because body work weekend warriors think they know what theyre doing, and when a professional goes to lay the paint on the car its totally fked. theyre putting their shop name on something that looks stuffed, then the owner just blames the bad prep on the guy the pulled the trigger on the paint gun. been there done it.

ok that being said you also have to decide what type of finish youre chasing after the paint goes down. if you think a rattle can paint job looks good, then by all means get out moms kitchen scrubber and scuff the car down then its off to bunnings for some rattle cans.