Restore Your Car Back To Its Prime
Did you now NAPA Auto Parts is also a paint store? Tackling the complex process of resurfacing and repainting a body panel, hood, bumper or entire car, truck, van or SUV requires a professional-level approach to ensure an even and durable finish. From minor scratches to collision repair, NAPAonline has all the automotive paint you need.
After using paint chemicals to prep your vehicle by removing stuck-on grime and treating rust spots, it is time to add layers and layers of beauty back on, with auto paint brands like Dupli-Color, Valspar, Evercoat, Martin Senour, Raptor and SEM. Because paint does not stick well to sheet metal or hardened plastic, the first step is priming the car body. NAPA Auto Parts sells paint primer in 11-fluid-ounce aerosol spray paint cans (this self-etching primer requires no additional paint spray equipment), as well as 1-quart and 1-gallon sized buckets of primer typically in a gray color. From surfacers to sealers, find a paint primer product that promises good adhesion, excellent filling capability and fast drying.
The base coat, the layer of paint applied that will bond to the primer, is what gives your car its color and character. Make sure to purchase paint colors that are tested and approved by automotive manufactures, and look for product details that say 'unreduced' and 'sprayable color.' Some car owners will add a paint additive, like a color tint (Flame Red, Navy Blue, Olive Green, Orange, Yellow and more) that will make the base coat color richer and more UV resistant to prevent fading from constant sun. Metallic flakes (also described as precision-cut, resin-coated chips) add shimmer and sparkle to custom paint jobs. Another car paint accessory is color dye concentrates that can be added to create a pearl effect.
Guarantee A Smooth Finish
Next comes the clear coat, which can be applied in multiple layers depending on the desired glossy shine. When applying the clear coat, be careful to float it over the base coat and not blast it off. Any amount of pressure could remove the paint, and you'll have to start over again. A good full-gloss or semi-gloss clear coat should be all-purpose enamel that is chip resistant and quick drying. Consider finishing with a topcoat hardener or a paint accelerator to guarantee an effective drying and cure time. After hardening for a few days, apply a rubbing compound to create a showroom-quality smooth finish.
NAPA Auto Parts also has an extensive list of paint products that spreads outside of the vehicle body, including spray paint for specialty vinyl and simulated leathers to renew or change the color of dashboards, consoles and seat interiors. We also sell spray paint options for covering your engine block and underhood accessories, which dry in 30 minutes to an hour. An engine uses more porous materials, like cast aluminum and cast iron, so no primer is needed if the surfaces are clean. Customize your brake calipers, rotors and drums. Our caliper paints are available in aerosol cans for applying to brake calipers that have been detached, and also come in brush-on kits for when brake calipers are not removed.
Are You Equipped For That Paint Job?
Whether restoring your Buick Lesabre to its original condition or customizing your Lincoln Continental from the hood to the tailpipe, NAPA Auto Parts carries all the automotive paint equipment and car paint accessories you need to finish the job. Start with surface prep work using activators and cleaner solvents to remove grease, wax and tar, then add on plastic filler specially formulated for adhesion and flexibility to repair scratches and scuffs in most bumpers and trim pieces.
Your shopping cart should have measuring, mixing and straining paint supplies, from 8-ounce to 5-quart measure/mix cups and empty paint mixing cans to liners for paint spray guns. Find the paint code on your vehicle's driver-side door label to confirm that the nearest NAPA Auto Parts store has the matching touch-up paint color for your specific vehicle. Rely on us for tiny or giant paint supplies, including metal markers, tubes of touch-up paint with needle tips for precision.
Professional paint guns use compressed air to cover an automobile with a continuous flow of precisely metered paint. From truck bed liner coating and undercoating to paint activator, paint binder and fisheye eliminators, the process of repainting your car can be overwhelming. An auto body shop is the best place to take your vehicle for a full paint restoration, because these specialists are trained to tackle advanced collision repair.
