Spray-painting your car with spray cans: It CAN be done, but it is a lot of work.

You can do it!  But be ready!

This article was initially written for a specific article request. Please note that I have actually done this, many years ago; and while it is possible, I actually do not recommend it, unless you are ready for a lot of work, and a possibility for ending up with a less than perfect paint job on your car.

That said, I will explain how I approached it when I did it myself; you can take if from there!

Painting a car with spray cans is not something everyone would want to attempt; it is an effort-filled project, and takes a lot of patience, elbow-grease, and plain hard work! However, if you think that's what you want to do, read on: I have done this, so I know it can be done!

Things you'll need:

• Patience!
• Elbow-grease!
• Car needing paint
• Paint
• Place to spray paint
• Sandpaper
• Body-filler
• Finish putty
• Other, as noted

Preparation:
First of all, you need to prepare yourself for this project! It takes work, so be ready for that. It also takes time, and your car will be "out of commission" for a few days, at minimum.  Then, it's time to prepare the vehicle to be painted with the spray cans; which includes repairing rust spots, dings, dents, scratches, and the like; plus, sanding and finishing such repairs; plus, priming the car with primer paint.

Tools needed:
A variety of basic tools will be needed to carry out this project, including (but not limited to) the following:
-Hammers
-Screwdrivers
-Cold Chisels
-Vibrating or oscillating sander
-Rotary buffer
-Pop-rivet gun
-Putty knives
-Body filler squeegees
-Tin snips
-Sanding blocks
-Step ladder
-Other, as deemed necessary

Procuring the materials:
It is hard to say exactly how many spray cans you will need; including primer and finish-color; but reading the manufacturers' coverage data should help you decide that.  I used a top-quality brand "enamel" spray paint when I painted my Mercury Capri some years ago; though I don't know if enamel is necessarily better than lacquer spray paint in spray cans. In any case, read the labels to understand which might fit your case the best.

In a nutshell, this is what you will need:
-Ample supply of primer spray paint in cans
-Ample supply of finish-color spray paint in cans
-Several sheets each of fine, medium, and coarse sandpaper
-Several sheets of fine "wet/dry" sandpaper for final smoothing where needed.
-Ample quantity (1 container?) of body filler material (if needed to repair rust spots, dings, and the like).
-Ample supply (several rolls?) of masking tape (or "painters' tape") to mask (in conjunction with newspaper) areas of the vehicle not being painted.
-One tube of "Body Putty" filler for scratches and small finish repairs.
-Protective gear and clothing; as recommended by product manufacturers and as deemed necessary; might include (but is not limited to): Rubber gloves, work gloves, safety glasses, face-shield, dust masks, respirator.
-Ample supply (1 container?) of mineral spirits or lacquer thinner (depending on which type of paint is chosen).
-Tack-cloths (1 or 2)
-One container of rubbing compound for final buffing
-Buffing pads
-Other, as deemed necessary

Repairing rust spots:
You can likely repair smaller rust spots with regular body filler. Larger rust spots might need fiberglass cloth or even metal patches. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for a good repair job using body filler materials.  It is important to properly prepare the spots being repaired, so the body filler adheres well. You will also need to sand and prime areas where you've used body filler.

Preparing the rest of the body for painting: It is important that the surface of the vehicle be sanded, so the primer and finish paints will adhere well. Using a vibrating or oscillating sander with medium to fine grit sandpaper, sand the entire vehicle surface so it is "dull" and feels slightly roughened to the touch.  Often, when preparing a vehicle's surface for painting, some small scratches or dings might not be pronounced enough for body filler; but you still want to eliminate them. Many such repairs can be done with what was once called "Red Lead", but now I believe is simply called "Body Putty", or something similar. The material is a fast-drying, easily sanded filler material specially designed for scratches and small fill repairs.  You might need to re-prime these areas after repairs are made.

Finishing touches before priming:
After all sanding is done, clean the surface with a tack-cloth or other means of completely removing all dust, such as a vacuum cleaner, dampened cloth, or whatever else works.

Masking the vehicle:
This is the final step before you begin to apply the primer and finish-color spray paint from spray cans, so you need to ensure that the weather forecast is for clear and comfortable (assuming the painting will be done outdoors--if being done indoors, you must have adequate and safe ventilation--and it is not recommended without that!).  Park the vehicle where it will be out of the way, preferably on drop-cloths or newspapers (weighted down with bricks or other weights); and is not too close to other vehicles, buildings, shrubs, trees, and the like; in order to prevent over-spray from getting on those things; and to minimize dust from trees and other plants.  In order to ensure you don't get spray paint all over parts of the vehicle you don't want to paint, you need to mask off all those areas.  Using newspaper and masking tape or painter's tape, cut, fit, trim and otherwise shape pieces of newspaper to fit over window glass, chrome, lights, exterior mirrors, wheel-wells, tires, antenna, wheels, bumpers (if not being painted), and any other items your vehicle might have on it that shouldn't be painted.

Spraying the vehicle with primer spray using spray cans:
Now that you have the vehicle all masked off, and the weather forecast is promising, you can begin the fun task of spray painting your vehicle with spray cans; first with the primer paint, then (after sanding, of course!) with the finish-color paint.
Note: Be sure to follow manufacturer's recommended guidelines for applying their particular products, as spray paints might vary in their application procedures.

It is recommended that you begin spraying from the top down; i.e., spray the roof of the vehicle first, then work down to the ground from there. You might need the step ladder to position yourself above the roof.  Holding the spray can several inches from the surface, spray in as continuous a spray as you can manage, working back and forth within the range you can comfortably reach.  Apply one light, even coat, moving your ladder and your position as needed to cover the area equally. Do not attempt to cover any areas completely with a single coat; multiple coats work much better.  Working your way down, repeat the light coat spraying process until the entire vehicle surface is equally covered with the primer paint.

Wait until the first coat is dry; then lightly sand the first coat of primer and remove all dust. Then, repeat the process to apply a second coat of primer, which should be all that is needed (some areas might need more, depending on a variety of factors).

Note: If you experience any "runs" or "drips" in the paint spraying process, wipe away immediately with a clean cloth, then re-spray the area.

After the second coat of primer dries, sand lightly and remove all dust.

Painting the vehicle with finish-color using spray cans:
After your second primer coat is dry, sanded, and dust-free, you can begin spraying the finish-color spray paint from spray cans.  Following the same process as outlined in the step above, spray the entire vehicle surface with several light coats of finish-color paint. Allow each coat to dry; then lightly sand and clean all dust; then apply another coat. Repeat until the vehicle is covered with at least three coats of finish-color paint. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours; more if possible.

Final touches:
After your paint job is completely dry, you can begin rubbing it out with rubbing compound to bring out the shine. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for proper rubbing procedures.  Rub out and buff your fresh paint job so it glistens and shines. Of course, you might not be able to get your spray can paint job to look quite as good as a factory or auto-body shop paint job; but it is possible to get it looking pretty good, if the right amount of patience, elbow-grease and careful spraying were used!

Tips & Warnings

• You can use a super-fine steel wool to help blend or remove light scratches and imperfections in your newly dried paint, if the rubbing compound doesn't seem to do the job. Rub gently though, so you don't remove the paint!
• Follow manufacturers' recommendations and guidelines for handling, use, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment, tools, and products.
• Use proper protective clothing and gear.
• Do not spray paint indoors unless equipped with safe, adequate ventilation system.
• Spray paint products might contain toxic or hazardous ingredients. Be sure to read the labels; and visit the Quing-It.com link below to learn more about product ingredients.
• Dispose of all wastes according to local and other guidelines covering such.

Resources

• Quing-It.com -- Product Ingredient Information
• How To Spray Paint-It's All In The Motions