This book came for review just in time for me! Had to replace my driver side door on my truck due to an an accident. Installed a salvage yard door that needed painting. This book gave me the confidence to do the job myself! Great resource for someone just thinking of tackling a paint project, but lots of advanced tips and techniques as well. Only issue with book was some of the print was very close to inside binding making it a challenge to read. Fantastic color photos and clear, concise descriptions throughout this how to manual. Recommend for anyone ready to tackle their own painting project!

There's a lot of good information here, but this project seems a bit more than I'm ready to undertake at the moment. Having the room to work and the equipment required is kind of a catch. But the book is well illustrated and full of interesting details. ( )

After my garage door came down and cracked a plastic molding on my 2015 Forester’s back hatch, I decided to buy the replacement piece from a Subaru online parts dealer and paint it myself. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize there were two shades of white for that year and model car. The painted molding didn’t match the rest of the car when finished. Custom Car Painting on a Budget, with its promise of providing corrective measures, had the right book title for my skinflint persona.

The steps needed for preparation, sourcing paint materials, and supplies, were laid out and their uses were explained. A painting facility is needed for auto painting. The author suggested using the painter’s garage as long as overspray and proper ventilation were considered when setting it up for that use. A quality paint job takes planning and a great deal of work. Body repair work and rust removable is easier and more effective after disassembling body components. Rick Bacon and Dennis Parks also recommended that mechanical work, if needed, be done before painting to avoid damage to a new paint job from mechanical component reassembly. Depending on how much mechanical work needs to be done and how many work hours can be made available, a budget-minded DIYer could spend weeks securing the parts and completing these repairs.

After mechanics and body repair work, surface preparation can begin. The process of adding fillers, mixing paint products, masking against overspray with tape and coverings, priming, and sanding takes many more hours. The authors described the steps needed to be followed to complete these tasks and then went on to address topcoats, how they’re used, and the characteristics of topcoat products.

I found the last chapter on maintaining a car’s finish inciteful and much appreciated as I’ve felt that I was doing a good job of finish preservation since purchasing my car. Included at the end of the book is a small appendix that lists auto-paint material sources to help the DIYer get started on the painting project.

Car Painting on a Budget was what I needed to think through and plan my car painting project. In the end, I decided that it wasn’t for me. Despite this conclusion, however, I benefited greatly from reading about the process and it left me with a good understanding of what goes into a painting project. I can now justify the costs that a paint shop charges for an auto paint job.

I’m glad that I decided to read this book before taking on an auto paint job. It saved me from starting a project that I didn’t have the time to complete and would lead to an unsatisfactory result. ( )

This is an excellent book for anyone contemplating a major paint job. Two caveats: you should have some experience in basic body work and painting before trying something too exotic. And the ‘on a budget’ part is relative. Reading this book will show what to expect and what it will cost. If you don’t already have the tools and paint booth, it might be too expensive for DIY. Whatever your level, you will learn a lot from this. The chapter on Masking, for example, is invaluable. Read this first to help plan the job. ( )

Some very interesting ideas. Well written with lots of tips and good pictures. I've done several motorcycles and have an old car I'm preparing to try some paint on it. Hope I've paid attention to enough of the do's and dot nots in this book. ( )