What Makes the Perfect Car Paint Job

Part of owning and taking care of a car is getting a paint job at least twice for the duration of its lifespan, whether it’s for maintenance or restoration after a collision. It may seem like a mundane and simple three-step task, but what makes a perfect car paint job is expertise, an immense amount of time, and a whole lot of prep work. A job well done can affect the aesthetic, health, and resale value of your car, so it’s important to put the project in the hands of professionals who have the time, resources, and knowledge to do it well. If you want to prep yourself for possibly doing the painting yourself, or if you’re just curious about what goes on when you drop your car off at the shop, here’s what the process entails:

The most arduous and time-consuming phase of a perfect car paint job is the preparation phase. There are ten hours’ worth of steps in this process, but the two most important parts of preparation are sanding and cleaning. Sanding is often cited as the key to a quality paint job because it’s the foundation everything coming afterward is built on. This step takes multiple rounds, cleans the exterior of imperfections such as bubbles or scrapes, and flattens the panels of your car to ensure a smooth, flawless finish. Then, after all of the sanding, undercoating and more, cleaning the car is imperative so no dirt, dust, or grease will affect how the paint adheres to the body.

Priming the surface can’t be skimped out on if you want a long-lasting, high-caliber result. First, experts start out with an epoxy primer because it’s the best way to prevent metal corrosion and improve paint adhesion. Filler primer, or primer-surfacer, will be the next step and will be sanded off to show the quality and workmanship of the body itself. It’s also a good way to locate and fix minor imperfections missed by the original round of sanding. Finally, sealer is used as the final milestone before the actual paint. It does exactly what you’d think it does: seals in every layer and primer so they don’t seep into and affect the paint.

And now for the headliner act, which is the actual painting of the car. The best way to guarantee a quality job is to make sure the shop is going to use a perfect paint match. If they use a different formula or even a slightly different color, it may tank your car’s resale value. Post-paint-job, it’s your responsibility to preserve the beauty of the work done. You can talk to the technicians for their specific recommendations, but it’s always a good idea to hold off on waxing for at least 90 days and avoid commercial washes. However, after the 90 days, consistently washing your car is the most simple but effective way to maintain your car’s paint job.

There’s so much detail required for a quality paint job that can’t be left up to chance. When you do the research on how to achieve the best results for your car, the most popular piece of advice is to carefully select the facility you go to. It’s all up to the technicians handling your car to do the job right, so you need to make sure you find a trustworthy shop with expert employees. For example, Wrecktify Collision & Repair in New Glarus, Wisconsin is a premier Midwest location for anything repair or restoration related. For service from mechanics who are passionate about what they do and committed to excellence, get in touch today.