Before Painting

• Before spraying the paint on the car, the surface must be completely smooth. Otherwise, any dings, dents or bumps on the car will be very noticeable once the new paint has dried. To get the smoothest surface possible, sand the entire car with a dual action sander, or by hand, with 120-grit sandpaper. Spray a thick coat of primer on the car and allow it to dry. Once the primer is dry, use a long sanding block and 120-grit sandpaper to sand the primer. Hold the sanding block flat against the surface of the car and move it back and forth all over the car. This sands the top of the primer, turning the sanded areas light. Any dents or dings show up quickly since the sanding block won't sand in the dented areas. High spots show up because the sanding block removes all primer and sands the high spot down to the bare metal. Repair these areas and cover them with primer again. Sand them with the long sanding block to make sure they are smooth. Once the entire car has been sprayed with primer and block sanded, it is ready to be painted.
  
  

Painting

• Wipe the car down with a wax and grease remover using a microfiber towel to remove any fingerprints or oil spots on the surface. If oil or grease is left on the surface, it will show up through the dried paint as orange peel. Orange peel can be removed if it is present in the paint, but is easy to prevent before painting. Wipe the car down with wax and grease remover several times, being careful not to touch the car afterwards. Right before painting, wipe the car down with a tack rag, which can be found an any automotive supply store. This removes any remaining dust or dirt particles.
  Begin spraying the paint on the top of the car's roof, hood, trunk and then move to the sides, beginning in the front and working towards the rear. Spray thin coats of paint, overlapping each stroke as you work your way down the car. Spray one panel at a time, making sure each panel or section is completed before moving to the next. When spraying the side of the car, make sure the entire fender is done before moving to the door, then complete the first door before moving to the next door.
  Allow each coat of paint thirty minutes to dry before applying the next coat. Most paint jobs have from three to six coats of paint. Once the paint has dried, apply three or four layers of clearcoat using the same spraying pattern and rules as before with the paint.
  
  

Smoothing the Surface

• Once the car has completely dried, inspect it closely for imperfections. A sure way to get out most imperfections that are in the top layers of paint is to wet-sand the entire car. This also makes the car glossy and shinier than the clearcoat alone.
  Use 800-grit sandpaper and a water hose to sand the car. Keep the sandpaper soaking wet the entire time it is against the car. Sand the car by hand until it looks cloudy and dull. Rinse the car and allow it to dry completely. Use a liquid rubbing compound and a dual action orbital polisher to polish the car. Apply the compound to the polishing pad on the polisher. Use circular and back and forth motions to prevent swirls from appearing in the paint. Polish the entire car to get a high gloss shine.