car_factory_paint_codes

Factory paint codes are located in different places depending on the Make and Model.

Applying touch up paint to your car is a simple process. The key to doing an effective job is to make sure you pay attention to the finer details. You also want to make sure you don’t take on a job too much for you to handle. Large paint jobs should be reserved for a professional. Before you begin understand that each car and each paint job is different. Using touch up paint on a bumper might be different than using touch up paint on the car. Also keep in mind that in most cases it’s going to be almost impossible to conceal the fact that you had a paint job done. This is because in most vehicles the paint will not be an exact match. Also, if you don’t have a steady hand or if you lack experience, people can tell the difference.

9 Tips:

1 – Select the correct paint color. This is where most do it yourself car owners make a mistake. You need to select the right paint color, especially if you are going to be painting over a big area. Every paint color for a car has a paint code. You can often find the paint code on the firewall of the vehicle.

2 – Clear out all rust before starting the paint job. If you paint over the area without clearing out the rust, it will just continue to corrode under the new paint job and your efforts will be wasted.

3 – Take the time to sand the spot correctly. Sanding down the spot forms the adhesive that is necessary to make sure that the primer stays on properly. Failure to do this will result in a poor paint job.

4 - Perform a full washing of the area. Before you apply the primer you want to make sure that you wash the area completely. This will get rid of any dust or debris so that the primer gets applied effectively.

5 – Apply the primer with a tiny brush. This allows you to make sure you get the primer only on the area that is scratched and damaged. You want to avoid getting the primer on any painted area.

6 – Use the touch up bottle to mix the paint.Unless your car is a newer model there is a good chance that the paint that you are using will not be an exact match.

Badly scraped bumper

Badly scraped bumper.

7 – Before you start the paint job, make sure you mask the area and use even strokes. The bottle should have instructions on how to do it correctly. Take your time and follow the touch up paint instructions that come on the bottle. When applying the paint, make sure you work inward to cover the entire spot completely. Smaller spots should be done with a matchstick instead of a paint brush. Make sure the paint isn’t too thick for the area that you are working with. Otherwise it will peel off.

8 – Give the job enough time to dry completely. You should wait several days to be sure that the paint job has sufficiently dried.

9 – Wax and polish the vehicle after the job is complete. This makes the rest of the vehicle match up well with the completed paint job.