Everyone always says you can get a decent deal on a paint job if you do all the prep work first. I was thinking I would sand down my car, block it, and spray the primer. Then have it towed the body shop for them to spray the paint and clear. Considering I have no skills at all when it comes to painting, I was wondering if its easy to spray the primer after everything. I have a small paint gun and compressor already. Im a n00b at this thats just trying to learn so dont flame me too hard.

 

It isn't the tool that makes a craftsman ... it's the craftsman that makes the tool. With that in mind, my experience has been, that you can not beat a craftman at his game. The painting part is a fraction of the final result, (albeit an important part). What makes the paint job is the prep work and post processing. The biggest expense in body work is not the painting, but the time it takes to do the prep work properly. Do the body work as best you can and know how to do, then let a pro finish it up for you and paint it. Course, what do I know ... I practice law for a living.

KarlT

 

Prep is everything when it comes to bodywork and painting. Primer is fairly easy to apply especially since you will not see it hahha. But the reall deal is the surface underneath, how smooth you can get the primed surface. Honestly you could save a bunch of change but if you have rust and etc I would be taking it in for a proper job.