# How to properly paint car hood?



## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

The bottom pic looks like a combination of the paint applied too thick in weather that was too hot making it dry too fast.


While the clear coat doesn't need to be completely removed it does need to be sanded smooth. Bare steel will need to be primed. It's not a good idea to paint in the hot sun. 



Will you be using rattle cans or are you set up to spray?


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## Theguardian720 (Jul 13, 2017)

Thank you for the reply. I’ll be using rattle cans.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

thats pretty messsed up, i would look for another hood, even if repainting. 

also, don't use duplicolor. go to a auto supply and get real car paint, they can put it in spray cans for you. kinda pricy but you get what you pay for.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

It needs to be stripped to bare metal, reprimed and repainted.
For what it needs to be removed and set vertical for spraying.
Good luck with spray cans. 

Also, if you buy spray cans from auto paint store, what will be lesser evil, get ones that have adjustable nozzle. And, get some cheap paint and practice on something. Spray cans require master hand to do it right.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

If you can't unbolt the hood to stand it vertically, masking off the areas surrounding the hood might do ya a little better this time around.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

While I'm good at spraying, I'm not too good when it comes to rattle cans. I met a boy about 30 yrs ago that claimed he painted his T bucket with rattle cans [almost 30 cans] It looked surprisingly good.


IMO a hood is one of the harder body parts to get a nice paint job with rattle cans.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

I've read a car can be painted to look descent with a foam roller if the paint is thinned and 2-4 coats applied. I see where Rustolenum has quarts of oil enamel for metal or wood for about $13 bucks. If that was mine i might just give that a try after stripping to bare metal. What's to loose being most anything would appear better.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I've seen a few cars that were painted with a roller. IMO it looks ok as long as you don't get too close. I have painted a few vehicles on the cheap using equipment enamel. Used Rustoleum once but it faded within a year.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

If we could be allowed to adjust the title to -- How to properly paint *this* car hood -- considering the condition, age and a few things, we have more options for a solution. That's definitely one for a DIY'er to practice and learn on. He could even paint half with a rattle and half with a roller then tell us which worked best for him. Once again most anything would look better than present.:biggrin2:


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

If you have a compressor get a cheap spray gun at Harbor Freight.
I would sand it to metal, prime, seal and paint. Mask off the rest of the car. If you are not a painting expert it will be easier to avoid runs with it flat on the car than off and standing up. Also if you remove it you have to be careful of the corners and you have to align it right when you put it back on.
Or paint it with a broom...


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Screw sanding, use a chemical stripper.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

If you use a chemical stripper it would be best to remove the hood. If doing it with the hood in place you need to mask off the fenders with plastic so none of the stripper residue gets on paint you don't intend to mess with.


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## Osh (Apr 17, 2010)

As a retired auto body/ paint guy this made me puke. If you need to save a few bucks then remove hood ,strip with paint remover, bring to body shop for a real paint job.Do not paint with brush,roller ,aerosol cans again unless you enjoy posting pic's like this because you will.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

who cares if it matches perfecctly = its a daily = just make it so it doesn't look like a beater. and i am sure that is the goal.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

Fix'n it said:


> who cares if it matches perfecctly = its a daily = just make it so it doesn't look like a beater. and i am sure that is the goal.


_"Should"_ be the goal, at least if you are chivalrous in giving a better effort for your wife, backup car or not. Can use rattle cans for a $1500 car, just mask, take the time to sand, primer, paint, then clean off the old overspray from the cowl, grille and headlights. I'm still trying to be nice to the OP.

. . . unless your wife's a beater too then chivalry is dead


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Guardian, while Fixnit's idea of seeing what you can find as far as a new hood sounds reasonable, maybe even getting lucky and finding one the same color as yours that's faded similarly, not sure that I would spend a whole lot of time on it because, as I'm sure you know, most collisions involved front end damage, so the odds aren't the best. And while completely stripping it makes a lot of sense, I don't personally know Mark Sr, but know enough about painting to know that his advice is almost always very sound, so would do as he suggested in post #2. It may not be absolutely perfect, but for what you want to do I believe it is spot on. I think the main thing would be getting it out of the sun for as long as possible first so that it's not so hot.


Osh, I almost never say anything even close to this, mainly because my folks taught me better, but can only imagine that you did a lot of lead work in your career. For what it might be worth, a good friend of mine did a lot of lead work, and he finally connected with a doctor through a hospital that deals with a lot of industrial trauma, who was able to help him regain a lot of the faculties and mannerisms he lost as a result of the lead. Or maybe that's just the way you are. Either way, I am very happy for you reaching the point in your life where you can take anything and everything to professionals, but, so you know, you are not in an elite class, because I too could take a hood to a professional. That doesn't mean that I look down on anyone working within a budget though. And there are other things that I could professionally do myself, some of which you might be able to do and some that you might not be able to do yourself. But I will tell you that if any one of my family, friends, neighbors, or even complete stranger who heard about something I do at church or wherever, came to me and asked for help, I would do my very best to come up with a plan to help them, something that might not be the ultimate, but that would get the job done and work within their budget.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

i bet there is a chinese replacement hood for that. and it bet it doesn't cost a lot, at least compared to the effort it would take to strip that.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Fix'n it said:


> i bet there is a chinese replacement hood for that. and it bet it doesn't cost a lot, at least compared to the effort it would take to strip that.


Looks like as low as $160 shipped on eBay. Probably worth it instead of spending the money and elbow grease on paint stripper. Assuming it fits.


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## Theguardian720 (Jul 13, 2017)

I appreciate all the helpful replies. I’ll consider my options and go from there. 

As for the other replies, try to remember not everyone is sexually attracted to cars and feels the need to have what isn’t a head-turning car anyway looking pristine. No one is going to be impressed by it sitting there in the driveway whether it looks flawless or merely adequate. 

My wife has a Nissan Rogue we just recently bought brand new from the dealership and this corolla has not been her daily car for years now. It is, as I said, our backup vehicle in case one of the others needs work done, or if a relative needs a loaner. I apologize for confusing many of you with this concept of having 3 cars for only 2 drivers, I recognize now most if you can probably barely afford one, let alone one for your wife (let alone have a wife). 

Thanks again, cheers.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Theguardian720 said:


> I appreciate all the helpful replies. I’ll consider my options and go from there.
> 
> As for the other replies, try to remember not everyone is sexually attracted to cars and feels the need to have what isn’t a head-turning car anyway looking pristine. No one is going to be impressed by it sitting there in the driveway whether it looks flawless or merely adequate.
> 
> ...


I didn't do the numbers but i believe this is what approx. 99.999 % were trying to convey to you. Sorry you had to go through all that other nonsense to get your answer.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

You might consider getting an air compressor and cup gun. Sounds like that car would be a good place to home diy skills ..... and compressors have a lot of other uses too.


btw - it's just me and my wife but we have 3 vehicles; her car, my jeep and pick up.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

he could put car wrap on there, after sanding of course. but the color would not match. 
maybe flat black with a hood scoop , lol


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## FM3 (Aug 12, 2019)

Replacement aftermarket hood is an easy option, as mentioned.

I've painted cars with brushes and Rustoleum. Turned out quite good and lasted years in the rust belt. 

Spray cans are probably easier. At least if the hood is removed. A big benefit of brushes/roller is you can do a section at a time and not have to mask anything off. 

There's numerous examples online of brush/roller/paint can paint jobs done well. 

Whether you use a fancy setup or just a brush or a spray can, the prep work is the key to a good-looking paint job.

Me, I'd start by seeing if any local salvage yards have a hood in that color with decent paint still on it. Buy it for $50 or whatever and bolt it on, done.


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