Painting your car for the first time?? Here are tips that will help you cleanly fog a new coat on your 4×4!

Painting your car for the first time can be a fun experience or a complete nightmare! But if you are a Pro, Paint Job could save you thousands of Dollars. Want to become a Pro? Follow our Guide. - Brought to you by PartsAvatar Performance Auto Parts.

If you are restoring a vehicle, a major milestone in the process is when you paint the vehicle. Depending on your skills, you may wish to tackle the paint job yourself.

If you have never painted before, the idea of painting may seem fun. But a slight mistake can turn your hard work into waste. So, before going on DIY Paint job, follow this Paint job guide or tips, so that your car won’t turn into a disaster!

Pick a proper time and place

Strictly avoid painting in wind, rain and snow. Some paints won’t cure properly in overly cold, hot or humid conditions. It is not recommended for you to paint in spring because the air is filled with pollens and bugs.

Anyone would go crazy at the sight of bugs resting on your freshly painted car.

A car should be painted indoors. Painting over a lawn or under a tree will guarantee you will have a lot of insects or leaves embedded in your paint. A two car garage works very well.

A clean workplace or garage is also essential for a successful paint job. Make sure the garage or area where you plan to paint your car is clean and free of dust. It would be wise to mop the floor prior painting a car.

Properly ventilate the area where the DIY is going to be performed. Make sure the workplace is dry. Drying the area is very important otherwise corrosion would take place and your efforts will be in vain.

If you live in deserts, you can paint your car in summer, early in the morning before the sun had a chance to increase the air temperature.

But, avoid painting in direct sunlight. You can create a shaded temporary spray booth with easy up or masking film.

Use recommended thinner

Use the recommended thinner and follow the thinning directions. One quart paint cups make mixing and pouring easier. You can find them at any paint store.

Shake the paint well using car paint shaker.

Use a new paint strainer to pour paint into the car spray gun or solid particles could clog the tip.

Treating Rust

Rust repair isn’t hard but its time consuming. It is essential for the car to have all its rust removed chemically before it is painted because rust causes paint to bubble.

You can also cut the rusted metal and replace the panel entirely. This is because painting the rust surface before removing it will just prolong its life.

You can easily replace  car front bumpers, car doors, auto fenders and hoods at PartsAvatar under economic prices.

Use Lustreless, Satin and Flat paints

The easiest paints to lay down are lustreless, satin and flat paints. These also hide the imperfections in the body and your prep work. Lighter colors hide imperfections better than darker colors if that’s important to you.

Use high quality Body Filler

The smooth the surface of your car and prepare it for painting, use high quality body filler. Low quality body fillers do not last as long as high quality ones.

No one wishes to get car’s paint job done again. They are also difficult to sand, which increases amount of time and effort required to make the body panel smooth. Why not use quality paint products in the first place?

Use quality Primer

Priming is essential step in painting metal surfaces. You will need to prime before applying any top coat or color to the car. Primers seal the surface and create a protective barrier. They also create ideal surface for the color coat paint to adhere to. Always choose high build primers and make sure the area you plan to paint is thoroughly cleaned before you start.

Wear a respirator

When you are spray painting in an enclosed space, you must use a respirator with disposable cartridges. A good respirator will cost you about $50 if you by it any online auto store like Partsavatar.ca.

Don’t forget to take other proper safety precautions when spray painting such as wearing eye protection.

Practice on a price of scrap material

Practice on a piece of scrap material and play with airflow and paint adjustments on the gun to find what works best for you.

Move the gun side to side and keep practicing.

Hit the hard to reach the crevices first

Round spray pattern works best for tight spots. You may want to increase paint flow to get better finish on wheel wells, frames, suspension parts and axles.

Spray the backside of removed body parts

You can first spray the backside of the removed panels or parts to avoid mess. It is always better to hang the panels so that they can be painted at once.

Use a pressure regulator and water and oil separator

It is better to use pressure regulator to ensure paint pressure is not too high or low. Use oil separator to ensure that paint is not contaminated.

Painting

Whether you are giving your car a fresh new paint colour, or matching the existing paint, you will need a correct shade. Use recommended ratios to mix the paint with thinner and primer.

Each coat will take about 10 minutes to apply per panel and between 20 minutes to an hour between recoating for the paint to cure.

Read paint can’s instructions thoroughly and use the drying time accordingly. Apply three to four coats.

Before applying final coat, remove residue with sandpaper and wipe it down with a clean rag. Repeat it until you get a clear coat lacquer.

You may want to wait several days for the paint to fully cure before bolting things back together.

If you follow these tips, you should end up with a fine paint job. But a last tip for the first timers. Let your professional handle the paint job and examine him carefully. And for the second time, the arena is all yours!

Visit Partsavatar.ca to get best deals in aftermarket auto parts and accessories.

Read More

Learn how to clean cloudy Car Headlights with these simple tips suggested by PartsAvatar Auto Parts!!

If your car’s headlights aren’t shining like they used to, here’s how you can do it yourself and save your hard earned cash!!-Brought to you by PartsAvatar Replacement Auto Parts!

If you’ve started to notice that your car’s headlights don’t shine as bright as they used to this could be a sign that they’re in need of sprucing up. It is necessary for the headlights to be kept clean as it keeps you safe on the road! Also if don’t want to earn a penalty ticket!!

Cleaning headlights isn’t a tough job. You don’t need to call a professional or need to replace car headlights if you think they aren’t working fine! Clean them first! You have got two choices: either restore old headlights with a restoration kit or spend $40 on new ones or even more depending on quality!!

If still, nothing changes, then you probably need replacement of car headlights.

Are they cloudy on outside??

Before you start cleaning headlight, make sure the cloudiness is on the outside of the lens. If you see moisture on the inside and some hairline cracks, then the problem is on inside and you will have to spend money on buying a new one.

Why do headlights become hazy or cloudy?

You keep your car shiny but can’t help noticing that your car’s headlights are foggy. So what’s making headlights cloudy even if you clean them? Mostly cars use halogen bulbs plugged in the back of a large plastic reflector. Outer surface of these headlamp modules is moulded polycarbonate plastic.

To combat the porous nature of plastic despite of being strong, they are covered with a protective film. The film over the years is exposed to heat from the bulb, UV rays and harsh chemicals that come up from the road. The film eventually fades and allows the plastic to become oxidized which gives headlights a cloudy look.

How to clean it? Read further!

Wash your car

The very first step, wash your car thoroughly. Washing the car will help in removing any surface dirt left on outside of lamp. Wash the headlights with regular car soap. Just give your car a wash with regular warm water or car wash soap. Wipe them carefully and let them dry. Now, you can examine what the problem is!

Look for hazing, yellowing, peeling and cracks

Now that you have washed the headlight, you can notice what the actual issue is. Haziness will be caused if the hard coat has worn off the headlights and soft polycarbonate is exposed beginning to absorb scratches that create hazing.

If this is the problem, doing a cheap quick clean can be effective.

Yellowing is caused when the entire hard coat begins to thin out and lose adhesion to polycarbonate lens. The UV spectrum creates a new repeating unit in carbonic chain which blue light and ultimately leads to yellowish appearance. Using some polishing compound or rain X you can clean the yellowish coloring.

When the hard coat begins to deteriorate, it will appear to flake off or peel off. They will develop cracks deep into the lens and it will need to be resurfaced by a professional. Cracking is the worst case- you might need to replace them with new ones!

Sanding

Sandpaper is used to scuff away the outer layer of haze. 3M is the best brand for sandpaper. But before beginning the task, make sure to buy some blue, low tack painter’s masking tape. Mask the area that needs to be polished.

This isn’t necessary but to protect your car’s paint job, it won’t hurt you to do so. Before sanding, wipe down the headlights once more for your own satisfaction. You can use a bit of alcohol to rub and use clean paper towel to wipe it down.

This is the most important step, so be precise. Soak a piece of 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper in cold water for at least 10 minutes. You can even use pressure to sand away the yellowing until you get a dull surface.

Use light straight strokes as sanding technique. Cover the entire surface sanding back and forth in one direction. Make sure not to let the surface dry while you work. Repeat the process until the finish changes from dull to satiny.

Don’t rush this part. Sand until pits, scratches are gone.

Now perform the same operation with 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper this time sanding at the right angles to the previous work. Keep the paper wet, repeat the procedure until the abrasive powder is eliminated. Repeat it with 2000, 2500 and 3000 grit wet/dry sandpaper.

Polishing

Once you are done with the sanding, it’s time to polish the headlight. Use some buffing compound which are available are auto parts store. For cheap option use can use toothpaste (plain blue) to clean headlights of car.

Take a clean towel, apply some compound and work n circular motion, polishing repeatedly. As the polish gets ground into the cloth and dries out, it lifts the haziness right off the lens.

Continue rubbing until the headlight looks clear. Apply some elbow grease and soften any remaining clear coat. Next wet sand the lens in the circular pattern with medium pressure, starting with coarsest sandpaper and work your way to the finest grit.

Re wet the lens frequently with clean water. Go until you are satisfied. Clean off the entire polishing compound and make sure the headlight lens is dry before you apply the new clear coat. Now wax the lens thoroughly with a paste car wax. This will keep the headlight safe from acid rain, dirt and road salt.

Now check the car headlights by parking the car a few inches away from the door or the wall and check the beams.

Clean off the polishing compound and make sure the headlight lens is dry before you apply the new clear coat. Wipe on the clear coat and let it dry for at least four to six hours before heading off to road.

Remember, if your car’s headlights are beyond repair, you can be sure to find the right set for your vehicle at PartsAvatar Car Parts! Shop Today!!

Read More