Paying for a show-quality paint job on your car will cost more than a few thousand dollars. Paint jobs that shine and give off a glow can't be found at a regular collision center. Collision centers and paint and body shops normally paint your car and then buff it, but that's it. For an extreme shine, color sanding is needed.
Materials Needed
Before getting the materials to color sand your car, park the car in the sunlight to inspect it. Examine the paint job for any specs of dirt, runs or orange peel. Orange peel is a rough-looking area in the paint that looks like it has the texture of an orange, with small dimples in the paint. If you find all of these things in the paint, you will need 1200-grit sandpaper. If the paint looks good with few flaws, use 1000-grit sandpaper.
You will need a water hose without a nozzle to keep running on low pressure. You will need to keep the sandpaper soaking wet at all times while sanding. A small amount of dish soap can be added to the sandpaper to keep the surface slick. This keeps sanding buildup from getting trapped under the sandpaper and scratching the car's surface. A synthetic chamois can be used to wipe away the water and soap while sanding. This allows you to see how much you have sanded.
Color Sanding
Make two folds in a sheet of sandpaper to make three different sections. Fold the two ends over each other and use one side at a time. Hold the water hose in one hand and sand with the other. Run water over the sandpaper frequently to keep the paper wet. Sand in small areas until the surface of the car is dull with a satin-looking sheen. Use the chamois to wipe water away from the area to check your progress.
When sanding, you will see milky colored water coming from the sandpaper. Sand the surface of the car, but stay at least 3 to 4 inches away from trim and edges, such as the edge of the windows.
After Color Sanding
After color sanding the entire car, rinse it with the water hose to remove all of the milky water. Let the car dry completely. Use a dual-action orbital polisher to polish the sanded surface to a shine. Use a foam pad and a coarse polishing compound. Polish using small circular motions. Once the entire car is polished, use a smoother, black polishing pad and a fine polishing compound in the same manner. This brings out the shine on the car.
