Guide to Car Paint and Body Repair

Guide to Auto Body and Paint Repair

Here at VirtuColor Paint Supply, we supply products that allow you to repair any minor dent, ding, or scratch on your car bumper or body panel. When used as directed our products give a professional result and finish in the shortest amount of time and lowest cost. It’s as easy as following the instructions below.

Step 1: Clean and Prep

Clean the area with a car wash solution, dry completely, and then use a surface prep solvent or grease, wax, and silicone remover to ensure the surface is completely free of contaminates.


Step 2: Body Filler for dents and scratches

If the repair area does not have any dents or scratches that penetrate into the panel or bumper or can be sanded out, then skip to the next step.

  1. Sand the affected area with 80 Grit Sandpaper to prepare for Bondo and Primer.
  2. Using a Spreader, apply Bondo over the damaged area as directed.
  3. Sand The area smooth with 150 Grit Sandpaper.
  4. Mask off all areas around the repair area with masking tape, and a good paper or film. Be sure to allow adequate room for blending into adjacent panels.
  5. Use a high build Primer to cover all body filler and exposed metal. Apply 2-3 Coats, allowing adequate flash time in between coats as directed.
  6. PRO TIP: Cut a hole in a piece of cardboard that is a little bigger than the repair area to be primed, and hold it above the surface while spraying to prevent excess overspray.
  7. Sand smooth with various grits of sandpaper, finishing with 400 grit.
  8. PRO TIP: Spray a Guide Coat product over the surface as you are sanding to help detect low spots, sand scratches or other minor imperfections while sanding primer. This will help you create a perfect repair every time!
  9. Base Coat - Apply as many coats as needed to thoroughly cover the area, allowing adequate flash time in between coats as directed. Make sure it looks uniform and even. 

Step 3: Apply Basecoat

  1. Wipe the repair area free of loose sanding dust, and then use a surface prep solvent or grease, wax, and silicone remover to ensure the surface is completely free of contaminates.
  2. With a shop light in-hand, inspect the surface one last time at different angles to ensure that there are no nicks, pinholes, or dents that are still present in the surface.
  3. Apply 2-3 coats of basecoat, allowing adequate flash time in between coats as directed. Be sure to blend the basecoat out into adjacent panels to ensure that the repair area blends with the existing paint.
  4. If applying a Tricoat you will receive two paints, a Basecoat and a Mid-Coat (also called a Pearl Coat). Apply coats of each starting with the base coat one at a time until the desired pearl effect is reached.
  5. PRO TIP: Tricoats are difficult to match because you don't know how many coats of base and pearl the factory applied.  Professionals will first use spray out cards with various coats of each base and pearl to compare to the existing paint job.  

Step 4: Apply Clearcoat

  1. Apply 2-3 coats of Clearcoat, allowing adequate flash time in between coats as directed. Be sure to blend the clearcoat out into the adjacent clear to ensure that the repair area blends with the existing topcoat.
  2. PRO TIP: Spray a spot blender product over the blending area to create a seamless transition between exising and new clearcoat.
  3. Let the repair area dry overnight in a well ventilated area. 
  4. Inspect the repair area and buff as needed.