im thinking of painting my jeep i have a compresser and sprayer so im gonna spray it, but ive never painted a vehical before. not quite sure what to do but this is my plan so far.
1 sand and buff paint

2 prime? (would i spray that on, do i need to add paintthinner)

3 paint (do i need to add paint thinner? if so how much?)

4??? is there anything else like a clear coat or somthin?

any advice and everything you know would be great
thanx ahead of time

 

When you spray anything you always thin slightly to get it to flow through the gun properly so it doesn't spatter when it leaves the nozzle.

Atmospherics: temp/humidity etc all dictate the viscosity of the paint (naturally thicker in cold and thin when hot.)

Clear coat is a protective sealer that sits on top of the paint and either makes it shiny (gloss) or dull (matte).

Are you going for a glossy or matte finish?

If you want glossy after you apply your coats of sealer you will want to wet sand, it gives that 'pop' you want.

There are a few magazines that deal specifically with paint and body work.
Check them out they always have how to's on all the important stuff; body work, prep/primer, paint and top coat.

 

what is wet sanding? and yes i do want that glossy finish

 

Wet sanding is a process in which you polish the clear coat surface to produce a deep shine. It uses progressively finer grit sanding paper usually starting at 1200 and increasing.
You use water as a lubricant to prevent burn through. Wet sanding will produce a uniform finish on the surface which gives it a shiny look.

It is an advanced technique but like I said before, there are tons of car detailing/bodywork mags and websites to check out for how to's and advice.

Read through their material a few times before you dive into your paint project. I would also practice on scrap pieces to build your technique before you blow paint on your rig.

 

I have used the paint shop quarts of paint that is made by duplicolor. It is available at Advanced Auto Parts for sure and just about everywhere else. It is premixed, easy to spray, comes in many colors. Clear Coat is also available for it. After painting you wet sand it with 1500, then use a 3M polish. I am not a painter, and just barely know what I am doing and I have had 3 paint jobs turn out decent with this system. A quart costs $25, 4 quarts will give you a ton of paint, and 4 quarts of clear, will give you a nice thick coat of paint for $200.