What You Need to Know
Finally getting around to painting your car in the New Year? It’s a job that many of us put off until it can’t be avoided anymore, and it is sure to be at the very top of lots of car owners’ lists in 2026. Whether you are just touching up one or two areas or you are giving your whole car a fresh coat of paint, there are some things that you should remember before you get started. From buying the best car paint to not skipping any of the prep, here is your essential car painting checklist.
Buying the right car paint
It might be tempting to go for the cheapest car paint that you can find, but this will probably not end well. Cheap car paint might not have been manufactured to the highest standards, and with that can come less than ideal results, not very long after you have finished painting. The paint might start to peel or crack, and this could lead to damage to your car’s body. So always make sure that you buy your paint from a trusted site. If you are looking for a particular brand, be sure to buy it from a genuine stockist.
Getting a good match
If you are painting your car a totally new colour, this won’t apply to you. If you are touching up a small area, though, listen up! It can be easy to assume that you know which car paint to buy from looking at your car alone. This rarely goes well. The only way to be sure that you are getting an exact match is to find your car’s colour code. This can usually be found on a plate or sticker inside the driver’s door or glovebox, although the location of it can vary from car to car.
Preparing your car
There are some things that you need to do before you apply any kind of paint to your car. First of all, you need to sand it. Take your time with this, as this is going to make such a difference to the end result and will give you a really smooth finish. Then you will move on to priming. There are lots of different types of car primer out there, and which one you need will depend on the paint you are using. So shop wisely!
Where to paint it
Last but not least comes where you will paint your car. Lots of people do it outside, but that might not be the best idea in January! The weather can get in the way at very short notice, and then you have year-round issues like bird droppings to contend with as well. If you don’t have a garage or other covered space, it may be better to wait a little while before you start.
You’re all set!
Now you know everything you need to paint your car in 2026, there’s going to be no stopping you! Once you have finished, your car is sure to be the envy of all your neighbours.
