Primer seals metal panels, prevents rust, and allows for paint to bond. It is an important prep stage before spraying paint on a car.To lay down primer properly, you need to properly clean and prepare your Integra, otherwise the primer will not bond, and it will flake off, taking the top layer of paint along with it.
Instructions
- 1
Thoroughly clean your Integra, using dishwasher soap to clean away any wax and road tar. Use blue painters tape to mask off the rubber seals, chrome trim, windows and parts you do not want painted. For larger areas, cover with masking paper held down with painters tape.
2Sand down the panels to remove old paint and primer using 200-grit sandpaper. Start with the 200-grit and wet sand the panels with water, dropping down to finer 400-grit sandpaper for second and third passed over the panels until the surface is smooth. Thoroughly dry and clean the Integra panels with a mineral based cleaner.
3Lay down your first layer of epoxy primer, using long controlled light strokes to avoid any drips. Spray from the top of the car toward the bottom, and use an even left to right motion. Once the coat is dry (usually 30 minutes) you will dry sand the primer with 400-grit sandpaper to work down to an even coat. When you detect flaws or distortions, use a touch of glazing compound and 220-grit sandpaper to fill the distortion to make a very smooth surface. The more work you do to eliminate distortions, the smoother the final panel appearance will be.
4Lay down a second coat of primer now that the surface is smooth and distortion free. You can either leave the Integra in primer form for now, add an additional layer of primer, or proceed to spray down your color coats.
