Has Anybody Here Ever Spray Painted a Car?

[Crispy]

I paint my front and rear plastic bumper covers almost every spring. The paint is two stage basecoat clear coat. The paint color match is the hardest part. Once you have a good supplier then you are ready to start. Spraymax makes a 2K spray can, which I have used on my winter rims. The Spraymax nozzle is the best I have used so I save those. The key to a good job is as always the prep. I begin with a thorough sanding with 400 grit. You don't go right down to the bare plastic. Next step is filler primer (I used dark grey as it hides chips better than light colours). After two coats wait 30 minutes before sanding. Sand with 600 - 800 grit until super smooth (if pits are real deep might have to apply more filler primer). I then break from the normal steps and apply an additional coat of filler primer. This gives a good indication of what the basecoat is going to look like as far as smoothness. Continue sanding/primer until surface is up to your personal standards (I have done this first stage over two sessions and get great results). Next step is colourcoat. Wipe with tack cloth (not prep spray) to be sure no dirt on surface. Apply 2 - 3 coats of basecoat wait 10 to 15 minutes between coats. The key is uniform and complete coverage (surface will be dull but don't worry clear coat will fix). Best to wait 30 minutes before clear coat, so use the time to look at the basecoat to check for missed coverage or not smooth sections. I sometimes spot in a few places if needed at this point. Next is the 3-4 coats of clear coat. Apply first coat medium coat and subsequent coats heavy coats. Clear is hard to gauge how much to apply and not have it run, so only practice will help. If you get a run ignore it as you can fix it after the final coats have dried. Wait 24hrs and wet sand with 1200-1500 grit (any runs can be sanded down as low as 600 grit and then 1500). It is common for the finish to be grippy due to the angle the clear is applied (you can tell by dragging a microfiber towel across to see). Compound with heavy cut pad and polish with low cut pad. Wait two weeks for paint to cure before sealing or waxing.

[FishyX]

Years ago I sprayed my fire damaged white 88 GT Mustang with a HVLP sprayer that we used for house painting and it turned out really nice. I think Harbor Freight sells a High Volume Low Pressure sprayer for around 50 bucks that would work much better then rattle cans.

[Calendyr]

I have painted most of my current daily driver last year. Did a lot of body work and then painted using spray cans.

You can go to any automotive paint store and order the specific color for your car (paint color codes are usually on a sticker on the driver side door jamb) or Under the Hood or in the glove box). They can put it in a spray can for you. Here in Canada that cost 25-30$ for one can. In the US it's probably 15-20$.

For a bumper, a single can will be enough. If you have other parts of the car to do, calculate about one can per pannel to do a 2 layer job.

At the same store you can get a 2K clear coat spray can. One thing if you decide to do a 2K clear, make sure to purchase a respirator that is safe for spraying 2K products. That stuff is super nasty for your health, you don't want to breathe that in!

If there is no paint on the bumper you will need to purchase a can of adhesion promoter. And a can of primer. Ask the guy there what primer to buy, there are several types and each has a specific use.

If you want to do a good job, I would remove the bumper cover from the car and paint it on a stand.

There are gazillions of paint videos on Youtube, just Watch a bunch of them and you should know everything you need before doing it.