Best Tools

• Before working on the body of your car, have the right tools for the job. For sanding the car, you need several sheets of different grades of sandpaper. You need 80, 120, 300, 800 and 1000-grit sandpaper along with a long block sander and a dual-action orbital sander. For large dents, a dent puller and drill are needed to pull the dent out and level with the surface of the car. A grinder, auto body filler and plastic squeegee are needed to repair dents after using the dent puller.
  
  Automotive primer, spray gun and masking tape are used for preparing the car to be painted. The spray gun requires an air compressor with at least five horsepower and a long air hose that can reach around the entire car. The spray gun can be a regular automotive paint spray gun, but a gravity-fed spray gun works best and flows more smoothly than a regular gun. The tip of the gun needs to have a larger opening for spraying primer and a smaller opening for spraying paint and clear coat paint. For painting the car, automotive paint, clear coat and reducer are needed. Make sure the primer, paint, clear coat and reducer are made by the same company, are the same brand and from the same line of products. Mixing these materials can cause chemical reactions on the surface of the car, even after the paint is sprayed and dried.
  
  

Repair Tips

• Repair the obvious damage first. Begin by drilling multiple holes inside the dents. Insert the tip of the dent puller into one hole at a time and pull the dent out slowly, alternating holes to get the smoothest results. Once the dent has been pulled out and is mostly level with the surface of the car, use a grinder to grind all of the paint and primer off in that area. Grind down to the bare metal in the dented area and around the edges of the dent. Smooth some auto body filler over the entire area using a plastic squeegee. Allow the filler to dry for about an hour before touching it. Use the dual-action sander and 80-grit sandpaper to smooth the filler down to the car's surface. Switch to 120-grit paper and go over the entire area that is going to be painted. You can do these steps by hand, but the sander will work much faster.
  
  Once the area has been sanded, tape over any areas of the car that can't be painted, such as the windows, wheels, trim, lights and grille. Spray two coats of primer on the area and allow it to dry for about 30 minutes. Use a long block sander and 120-grit sandpaper to sand the entire area of primer. Keep the block flat against the surface of the car so that the sandpaper smooths the primer and removes the top layer. This leaves the primer a light color. Any dark areas still on the car mean they are low and need more body filler. Grind these areas down and repeat the body filler, sanding and primer steps. Do this until the entire area is smooth. Spray one final coat of primer and sand it smooth with 300-grit sandpaper.
  
  

Painting Tips

• For spraying paint, start at the top of the car and work your way down. This reduces the amount of overspray that may land on the car. Hold the spray gun about 8 to 12 inches from the surface of the car. Use short, even strokes and overlap each one by a few inches. Spray the paint on thin so no runs occur. Several thin coats are better than one or two thick coats. Paint can be applied in four to six coats. Allow the paint to dry and then spray the clear coat paint using the same process. Allow the paint to dry overnight before driving the car. Wait at least once month before applying wax to the car.