Hey guys, all of my experience is with motor work, so please bear with me!

My front passenger's side fender was hit, so I figure this is a great opportunity to repaint my sol. This being my 4th red Honda, I think i'd like to change the color. Now, onto my questions:

I'd like to prep the body for paint. It's in good shape (no dents). What can I do to prepare it? What all is involved? Primer? Just wet sand? Any tips/faqs/quides?

I know this is a broad/generic question, but any and all help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

 

i always prep panels with a medium-coarse scotch-brite bad, until its somewhat dull. then, wipe it down with denatured alcohol, and youre good to paint

edit: oh, this is after you fill and block every single tiny low spot too.....

 

Thanks! The car is in good shape, aside from some fade here and there. Should I treat those panels differently? The surfaces are smooth.

 

im guessing that the parts that are faded are as follows:

side view mirrors
exterior roll bar parts
top seal covers

thats because these parts did not come primed from the factory, however, the factory paint will act as a primer for your new paint, so yes, treat it the same.

 

dont forget to tack pad the surface before paint.....

 

yeah at the body shop I work at, we will use very fine sand paper to sand the car down and then take the scotch-brite pad and go over top of everything again then wipe it with wax and grease remover which basically does the same thing as denatured alcohol. also if you have done mud work(bondo and hardner), be sure to check for pin holes before u paint. nad of course primer the mud work before painting the car.