almost my entire car is primer since i bought it, the hood, front and rear bumper and the door attached ground effects are the only things painted but the hood and rear bumper need a repaint, the hood could be touched up and clear coated but the rear bumper needs to be entirely redone.

before i move to a larger project like that i want to take my center spoiler piece since its already primered and paint it the factory red color as best i can with a rattle can. what are some tips , steps or good brands to use for when i eventually attempt to do it. i've watched a few videos on it but i would like to hear some advice from more amateurs.

does anyone know what brand makes the closest bright red paint match? what mistakes are easy to avoid? any other advice is welcome too

 

id pass on that.... rattle can is a nightmare to remove / redo later... id suggest waiting till you're ready to do a full paint job with real auto paint.

 

What ever surface you paint, it’s needs to be super clean. If it’s in primer already, you need to wipe it down with wax and grease remover using a lint free cloth. You can get a pretty good paint job using rattle cans as long as your spray pattern is even and it’s not some cheap off brand company. I would go with a base coat followed by a clear coat.

Practice practice practice

 

I watch a lot of this guys videos. I have learned a lot from them. Here is one on spray cans.

 

I like Eastwood clear coat, I have used it many times with good results.

 

I watch a lot of paint society videos too! I've learned a lot.

....that being said, I wouldn't rattle can the car. That's not to say it CAN'T be done well.....but....more than likely it'll look bad, and then it's all that much more work when it comes time to do it right. In my opinion, nothing looks worse than a rattle can job on a car. Dents and scratches just say that you haven't yet got to paint. Primer says it's a work in progress. Rattle can say you're cheap. Just my 2 cents.

 

So I stand by what I said, however in an effort to always be helpful, Paint Society just happened to upload this video yesterday. ....he shows you how to do it RIGHT.....but at the end when he's wrapping up, he said you're better of getting a cheapo job at Maaco if it's a whole car.

 

The problem with rattle can is it's not even 1/4 as durable as "real" paint and will chip, scratch, and fade.. .and when you have to prep for "real" paint, it will gum up sandpaper real bad.

On mwetal not to obad cause you can grind it off with power tools, but on something like the spoiler....

 

Off the shelf rattle cans are not as durable as real automotive paint, however you can have real auto paint put into a rattle can. I have had excellent results with this method. The paint lacks a hardener but for touch up or a small part (like a mirror or spoiler) I would not hesitate. There are online companies that provide this (Tower is one I think) but I prefer the local paint shop.