DIY

Zinc primer, acrylic base coat, and 2K clear coat.

What I learned:

• Don’t cheap out on the paint and clear coat. The difference in quality between box-store products and real automotive ones can’t be overstated. They’re as much of higher quality than they're more expesive.

• Buy more product than you think you’ll need. Just do it.

• Surface prep, surface prep, surface prep. Paint and clear coat don’t hide imperfections at all. If you can feel it with your fingers, you’ll see it through the paint.

• Avoid “smart 2K” products where you don’t need to mix in the hardener. I’ve tried them twice and both times got terrible results. It’s not that they don’t work, but they’re really finicky if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.

• Close the doors so bugs don’t fly in, and wet the floor/ground to keep dust from getting airborne.

• Cover the entire vehicle before painting. Overspray dust goes everywhere and settles on every unprotected surface - ask me how I know.

• Keep an eye on the spray nozzle and wipe it down occasionally. If it starts gunking up, it’ll spit droplets and ruin your finish.