My daily driver. 110k, have had for ten years, not one mechanical issue. Dark gray paint, looks great except for the hood. Clear coat gone, turning white. Asked a couple nearby body shops, said nothing special just spray it to look decent. Both said about a thousand dollars! Just for the hood. So my question, I sand it down, buy a harbor freight spray gun, prime, I suppose get PPG paint and clear can I really muck it up that bad? I know paint is expensive but a thousand dollars. Can I buy paint in small enough quantity just for a hood? Great car.
August 11, 2025, 06:22 PM
sig2392
If you are going to do it yourself you may want to look into wrapping the hood.
It can be done for a fraction of the cost.
Going rate for rate to wrap a hood around me is about $400 and that is mostly labor.
YMMV
August 11, 2025, 06:22 PM
onegeek
quote:
Originally posted by Schmelby: My daily driver. 110k, have had for ten years, not one mechanical issue. Dark gray paint, looks great except for the hood. Clear coat gone, turning white. Asked a couple nearby body shops, said nothing special just spray it to look decent. Both said about a thousand dollars! Just for the hood. So my question, I sand it down, buy a harbor freight spray gun, prime, I suppose get PPG paint and clear can I really muck it up that bad? I know paint is expensive but a thousand dollars. Can I buy paint in small enough quantity just for a hood? Great car.
University of YouTube. PowerNation shows have some good paint info as well, but there it is scattered within each project vehicle.
You can do it. It’d be easier if you don’t care if it blends. Maybe a flat for the hood? Prep is normally the hardest part, but that’s if you have a booth. Where are you planning on actually performing the painting?
August 11, 2025, 06:35 PM
Schmelby
quote:
Originally posted by sig2392: If you are going to do it yourself you may want to look into wrapping the hood.
It can be done for a fraction of the cost.
Going rate for rate to wrap a hood around me is about $400 and that is mostly labor.
That sounds fine. I'll ask my son about wraps. I'm sure he'll know. As long as it closely matches the fenders, I'm happy. Thank you.
YMMV
August 11, 2025, 06:36 PM
ScreamingCockatoo
OK I paint cars as a hobby. I fix quite a few paint problems from bent fenders to replacing the plastic bumper. (you can search my posts)
Yes you can buy a pint that mixes down to a quart 1:1 ratio.
Depending on the paint code the paint will be anywhere from $45 to $125. You'll need some clear and hardener for it.
A $75 gun off E-Bay will do a good job.
A 30 gallon compressor will work just fine.
I recommend removing the hood and putting it on sawhorses.
Sand the clear off the hood(320), try not to hit metal. If you do, you'll need an epoxy primer. Lacquer primer will bubble and crinkle under the urethane paint.
Wipe it down with glass cleaner.
Watch videos on spraying. Practice with water in the gun to get the feel of it. Yes let the gun dry and just clean it out with lacquer thinner.
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.
August 11, 2025, 06:36 PM
shovelhead
Figure out materials and equipment necessary to repaint the hood.
Then check salvage yards nearby and car-part.com for a used hood of the same color.
Take the cheapest option.
-------------------------------------—————— ————————--Ignorance is a powerful tool if applied at the right time, even, usually, surpassing knowledge(E.J.Potter, A.K.A. The Michigan Madman)
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.
August 11, 2025, 06:46 PM
nhracecraft
quote:
Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo: It's not rocket surgery. Even I can do it.
Seriously, not everybody can do it. I 'might' be able to do it, but it's all that prep work leading up to it where I decide it's best to recruit (or pay) someone that knows what they're doing. If wrenches need to be turned though...
If Some is Good, and More is Better.....then Too Much, is Just Enough !! Trump 47....Making America Great Again! "May Almighty God bless the United States of America" - parabellum 7/26/20 Live Free or Die!
August 11, 2025, 06:58 PM
Schmelby
quote:
Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo: OK I paint cars as a hobby. I fix quite a few paint problems from bent fenders to replacing the plastic bumper. (you can search my posts)
Yes you can buy a pint that mixes down to a quart 1:1 ratio.
Depending on the paint code the paint will be anywhere from $45 to $125. You'll need some clear and hardener for it.
A $75 gun off E-Bay will do a good job.
A 30 gallon compressor will work just fine.
I recommend removing the hood and putting it on sawhorses.
Sand the clear off the hood(320), try not to hit metal. If you do, you'll need an epoxy primer. Lacquer primer will bubble and crinkle under the urethane paint.
Wipe it down with glass cleaner.
Watch videos on spraying. Practice with water in the gun to get the feel of it. Yes let the gun dry and just clean it out with lacquer thinner.
I have an Iwata Eclipse I use to paint my scale models. Probably too small to spray a hood. I like Shovelheads idea, find an Impala that's been rear ended, buy the hood. I don't care if it's not a perfect match, it's 17 years old.
August 11, 2025, 07:05 PM
LS1 GTO
Find a lowrider club or show, that’ll give you some ideas…
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
"If dogs don't go to Heaven, I want to go where they go" Will Rogers
The definition of the words we used, carry a meaning of their own...
August 11, 2025, 09:50 PM
64dodge
A 17 year old DD? Buy a spray gun? Pffft. Rattle can it.
As JALLEN used to frequently type, "nothing beats knowing what you're doing"
I grew up with a Dad in autobody who was the lead painter for the top shop in that half of the state. I did all of the grunt work (e.g. sanding) and then Dad painted my first 3 cars. Even after watching a pro from a few feet away for years, my first paint job was a "5 footer" as I held the high dollar DeVilbiss paint gun too far from the panel and it resulted in "dry spray." Got to sand that off and restart several hours later.
It's not easy, but it can be learned. I wouldn't recommend learning on the hood of your daily driver. Instead, most body shops throw away dozens of panels per week that only 1/4 to 1/2 are damaged so you can practice sanding and painting on the good half. When I wanted to learn how to machine compound and machine polish paint (i.e. another higher end skill thing Dad used to do while I watched), I asked a local body shop manager if they had any panels they would give me so I could learn and left with 2 free panels with only about 25% of the surface damaged.
The learning part will increase the cost of your first DIY paint job as practice will consume sand paper, primer, paint, solvents, etc.
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity
DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
August 11, 2025, 11:52 PM
Schmelby
quote:
Originally posted by 64dodge: A 17 year old DD? Buy a spray gun? Pffft. Rattle can it.
There should be a paint jobber that can mix up the correct amount of paint, are you going base coat clear coat.
JMO Rattle can isn't that easy, you can end up with a crappy looking job and be back sanding it again. Ask me how I know and several $$ later.
Buddy had a dented motorcycle tank, shops wanted to replace it or big money, he found a local painter that would do the work on the weekend, ended up looking really good and wasn't expensive.
Check Facebook Marketplace for someone advertising, or check around some car clubs.
August 12, 2025, 06:56 AM
gjgalligan
My BIL use to paint his older drive to work cars with a paint brush using Rust-Oleum paint.
Integrity is doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking.
August 12, 2025, 07:12 AM
darthfuster
Pay the thousand. I’ve painted automotive and had plenty of projects turn out great. But my first attempts were ugly. And, it’s not just how it looks, but how long it lasts. Get the wrong paint system combo…….peeling, flaking or checking. Use the wrong technique……….looks worse than before. Have the wrong environment……….looks and feels awful. And on and on. If you add up the dyi cost labor and materials and subtract it from the pro bid, you are only saving a few hundred. Add the do-it-over or worse factor and the 1000.00 starts looking pretty good.
You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
August 12, 2025, 08:02 AM
dgshooter
Whatever happened to Earl Schieb?
August 12, 2025, 08:04 AM
xantom
Others have covered options/pros/cons pretty well. A salvaged hood might be the best option, IMO. If you do paint, it depends on how ok you are with the inevitable flaws you will have painting your first hood. You might want to get a test "Canvas" to practice on.
Unlikely they have the color you need, but ran across this the other day and thought it was pretty neat.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: xantom,
"We've done four already, but now we're steady..."
August 12, 2025, 08:06 AM
egregore
I'm no painter, but have seen plenty of it done. First, ~80% of a good paint job is not the painting itself, but the surface preparation. If you want to paint your hood, want it to look half-assed decent, and are not an experienced painter, you'd better practice on some scrap. Otherwise you'll get runs, uneven spots, orange peel, etc. Take the hood off, lay it flat on sawhorses, and if you must do it outside, pick a calm day, or little particles of paint will get on things you don't want it to, like the neighbor's property. Also keep in mind that even with a professional job that does everything perfectly, now you have a shiny hood while the rest of the car is faded. If this doesn't bother you, go for it.
You might consider one of the cheap chain painters like MAACO or similar, for an "in-between" (amateur vs. professional) job. By the time you buy paint, spray gun, sandpaper and other equipment, not to mention your time, you may find this rivals the cost of the DIY.
"The Almighty, He put some livin' things on this earth so a man can eat." - Festus Haggen, Gunsmoke
Just for the hood.
