It’s rare for someone to own a vehicle without encountering some type of paint damage. If you take your vehicle into a body shop, expect to pay anywhere from $300 to $3,000 to repair your automobile’s paint. Instead of paying such expensive costs, you’ll save a lot of money by using an auto touch up paint kit. However, you might be in a situation where you’re using this type of paint for the first time. In this post, you’ll learn how to touch up your Honda Civic paint job.
What to do Before Purchasing Paint
First, it’s wise to find out the extent of your vehicle’s paint damage. Automotive professionals classify paint scratches under several levels, ranging from level 1A to 4. A level 1A scratch is barely visible while level 4 scratches are the most severe. Inspecting the condition of your vehicle will help you understand how much touch up paint you’ll need to purchase.
Next, you’ll need to find the right kind of touch up paint. Vehicle manufacturers often want their automobile’s colors to be unique. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a color matching professional to obtain this information. You’ll simply need to find your Honda Civic’s paint code. For a Honda Civic, this code is found on the door jamb of the driver side of your automobile.
Getting Your Vehicle Ready
When a vehicle’s paint receives damage, it sometimes causes rust to form underneath the surface. If you see any rust forming, this needs to be taken care of before applying any Honda Civic touch up paint. If not, the rust will end up spreading which causes even more damage to your vehicle. Experts recommend lightly using 220 grit sandpaper to remove rust from your automobile.
If you’re dealing with damage that is exposing any metal, you’ll want to purchase primer. You’ll find that primer creates a seal, protecting your vehicle from further damage. It’s best to use primer sparingly, a small drop on bare metal is more than enough. In addition, make sure that you give the primer enough time to properly dry.
Applying Touch up Paint to Your Honda Civic
You’re almost ready to begin applying your Honda Civic touch up paint. Before doing this, it’s wise to practice your painting skills by applying a small amount of Honda Civic touch up paint to a test surface. This surface could be anything from an old can to a piece of cardboard. The point of doing this is to see how the paint will look after drying, making sure it’s an accurate match for your vehicle.
While applying Honda Civic touch up paint, it’s best to apply a single layer and wait for it to dry. Depending on where you’re applying touch up paint this could take as little as 20 minutes or several hours. Certain people will wait overnight for each layer to fully dry. The severity of your scratches will determine how many layers of touch up you’ll need to use.
After each layer of touch up paint dries, it’s time to apply your clear coat. Clear coats are often 1.5 to 2 milliliters thick and protect your vehicle’s paint integrity. Considering that, it’s imperative to purchase and apply clear coat after you’re done using touch up paint. If you want to go the extra mile and create a shiny finish, wait a few days and apply rubbing compound over your newly painted vehicle. This helps to blend the old and new paint together, creating a stunning finish.
In conclusion, it’s important to learn how to properly apply Honda Civic touch up paint. If you’re new to applying this type of paint, you might want to consider ordering a touch up kit. These kits contain everything you’ll need to properly touch up your Honda Civic. While this process takes a bit of time, many drivers prefer using touch up paint as opposed to spending large amounts of money on body shop bills.
