RonM

Going to paint new bumper filler, but not a paint pro. Purchased spray can touch up kit from Audi. What prep work should I do on filler and what steps should I take in painting the filler for best results? The 2001, A8L is pearl white. Thanks for any help!

ex-a8drifter

Scuff the surface with a 3M pad (dish scrubbers are cheap and work great. The green ones, not brillo) Prime with a light primer (make sure it is automotive enamel kind). If you don't know already, the primer coat should be the quality of surface the paint should be so get that nice and smooth! The pearl is a tri-coat so its gonna take some experimentation on some scraps to figure out the pearl application. I would do some swatches to match your paint in the sun with different numbers of pearl on top of the base coat. I did like two to three passes and it seemed to match nicely. Once all that is squared away, spray like two to three coats of base, then the desired number of pearl. Then spray your clear when all that is dry and spray some more(make sure to spray the edges or you will get chipping later). The clear should be sprayed kinda heavy so its wet between coats. Try not to run the clear, but if you do, it can be wet sanded out. Once the clear is dry, the "orange peel" the peaks and valleys of the paint will show little ripples. Take like 1000 grit wet sand paper(bucket of water and soak the sandpaper and piece you're painting wet) and sand those out (careful not to go through the clear). You can go over it with a 1200 or finer to finish The slurry from the paper and clear will slide smoothly. Then take some paint polish and buff it with a buffer. If the clear came out pretty smooth (or you're not ****), then skip the wet sanding process. This is my two cents, good luck!

RonM

What are the best grit sandpapers to use during the priming and painting process between coats? I am a beginner when it comes to painting on autos and I want to do it right the first time!

ex-a8drifter

the base coat should be fine with out sanding. The clear, definitely sand if you want the glassy factory look. It also depends on your bumper condition. I would buff your front bumper to match or you will have a blingin' plate cover and bug/stone smacked-up finish on the rest. The best way to polish is to get an angle grinder/rotary tool with a sponge(looks like the egg crate stuff) buff pad and automotive finish polish. Heck you could do your whole car! Wax afterwards.