What comes first when painting a car?

ok heres the deal .. im going to spray paint my car flat black using spray cans.. im going to sand the car down but now im confused cuz i dont know what steps comes first.. is it sand, spray then prime? or sand, prime then spray? and what kind of primer should i get if im using flat black?? .. just doing this now for lil bit till next summer comes then sand it all over again and get it professional done. What comes first when painting a car?
You obviously don't own a Lamborghini!





If what is on the car now is in fair shape (meaning not peeling, rusty etc.) your easiest option would be to use Comet and a green nylon scrub pad. Rinse well after that and shoot the black! The scrubbing will clean, as well as scuff your existing finish so the flat black will adhere.





The actual steps would really be more like;


Wash,


Sand (possibly strip),


Seal,


Prime,


Sand,


Body repair,


Prime,


Block sand,


Prime,


Finish sand (wet or dry),





Then top coat!








What comes first when painting a car?
don't do it ..it will only cause more trouble and Higher cost when you so get it done at a auto body shop... spray paint don't have a hardener and it don't sand good .. so it will take longer to strip . you can't put automotive paint over spray paint. save you money and get it done by a pro to start with. I have been a automotive painter for 10 years...
If you are going to get it done by a pro next year don't do anything to it just wait till next year and let them take care of it.But if you must





1 wash


2 sand


3 prime


4 paint
ok if you have paint on the car already all you got to do is just lightly sand it and then spray away you don't need primer unless you have bare metal showing