Our crew argues over prep time for paint jobs | Auto Body Repairers

William Scott · 2026-03-06T17:21:24.740309+00:00

In our auto body shop, we're split on how much prep to do before spraying paint. Half the team insists on hand sanding every panel to bare metal. They point to that vintage truck we did where the paint still looks new years later. The other half says for most cars, a good scuff with a dual action sander is plenty. They mention all the fleet vehicles we've painted that held up without issue. I'm stuck in the middle and want to hear from others. Where do you stand on this?

wyatt8517mo ago

Check what's under the paint first. I've seen jobs fail from skipping bare metal on bondo repairs, but scuffing fresh factory paint is usually fine. Why not split the difference and test adhesion on a small area? That way you're not wasting time or risking a peel.

4

gavink957mo ago

My old boss always said to test a spot first, saves a ton of time.

3

the_brooke7mo ago

So how do you pick which spots to test on a bigger job, like a full repaint?

2