I Painted My Wife’s Car in the Garage…and it turned Out Decent

by | May 19, 2026 | Autos, LifeSkills, Right to Repair | 131 comments

After my wife’s 2009 Corolla got destroyed by an idiot turning left into my wife when my wife had a green light, we needed to buy her another car.

My wife and her friend were fine, but the car, which we had bought new in 2008, was totaled

I found a 2011 Camry with 89,000 miles on it for $10,000. It was in great shape, but the clear coat on the roof and hood was peeling. This didn’t bother me at all because the rest of the car was decent and the engine ran perfectly. I put new struts on it and it needed new tires but I was happy with it.

Easy Job

Then we noticed the A/C smelled funny when it rained, so I pulled out the glove box and looked at the cabin filter.

That’s not good

Really not good

Even with the new filter, the smell came back every time it rained. I cleaned the drain with BG Figi-Fresh and that took care of that issue.

After that, the car has been solid. The paint didn’t bother me, and my wife said she was fine with it. As time went on, it started to get to her. I took it to Maako and they gave me a $2,300 estimate for their single stage paint. My wife asked me if I could paint it, but I was hesitant. I started looking into it and saw this video. My wife kept emphasizing that she didn’t care if it was perfect, she just didn’t want it to be ugly anymore. I figured I could do that much, so I purchased everything he used and put the car in the garage.

It was pretty ugly

First step was to tape off the car and put the plastic on. It has a static charge in it, so it sticks to the car.

Then I sanded the clear coat down.

Once I was happy with that, I sprayed it with high build primer.

stressful

Once I sanded that smooth, I painted it with Eastwood’s factory color match spray paint.

More stressful

After 3 coats it looked pretty decent. Now it was time for the clear coat. I used Eastwood’s 2K clear coat. It has a button on the bottom to combine the paint with the hardener.

Everything had been going fine until now, but somehow I didn’t have enough clear coat for 2 coats. I had to order more and sand what I had laid down before I put the last coat on.

Not bad, but so so stressful

It didn’t quite blend into the old paint like I hoped, but it looks much better than it did before.

Not perfect, but a definite improvement

My wife was happy with it, and while it bothers me that it is a little rough looking, I think for a garage paint job using spray cans, it looks quite good. That being said, I don’t want to do that again.

About The Author

ron73440

ron73440

What I told my wife when she said my steel Baby Eagle .45 was heavy, "Heavy is good, heavy is reliable, if it doesn't work you could always hit him with it."-Boris the Blade MOLON LABE

131 Comments

  1. EvilSheldon

    If I’m running from the cops and need a respray, I know where I’m going…

    • ron73440

      You better have a week or two to kill, because this process is slow.

      • Ted S.

        So you’re telling him he should be stoic about it?

      • juris imprudent

        So more like walking from the cops instead of running.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        I once read a crime novel (can’t remember the title) that made two huge WTF’s. First was he had the bad guy drive an incredibly noticeable uncommon car (Mercedes 600!) which, OK, whatever. The second was having it completely painted overnight to hide some damage or something. Destroyed all credibility on the spot.

      • UnCivilServant

        GTA rules – you pull into the garage, the door closes, there’s a puff of colored mist, and when the garage door raises, you have a new paint job. You can even do it while the police are actively rolling the neighborhood.

  2. Not Adahn

    Of all the things I am terrible at, finish work is the worst.

    • Sensei

      Even though everybody says it – it doesn’t make it less true – it’s all the preparation.

      That’s a nice rattle can paint job.

    • ron73440

      I used to think that, but I discovered it was more of a lack of experience than an actual inability to make it look decent.

    • Sensei

      Eastwood 2k uses isocyanates. If he didn’t the headache must have been quite awesome.

    • ron73440

      Definitely bought a respirator for this job.

      My wife might have found me dead without it, it was extremely harsh.

  3. The Late P Brooks

    It’s all about preparation.

    • Furthest Blue pistoffnick (370HSSV)
      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        E!

      • Furthest Blue pistoffnick (370HSSV)

        M!

      • The Other Kevin

        How bad were Preparations A through G?
        /80’s comedian

  4. The Late P Brooks

    My wife was happy with it, and while it bothers me that it is a little rough looking, I think for a garage paint job using spray cans, it looks quite good.

    As a friend used to say, “We ain’t taking this thing to the Oakland Fucking Roadster Show.”

  5. The Late P Brooks

    After my wife’s 2009 Corolla got destroyed by an idiot turning left into my wife when my wife had a green light, we needed to buy her another car.

    You should have gone to Copart and gotten one with the back end knocked off and built a stretch limo.

    • Sensei

      “Properly” (if there is such a thing) wrapping a car is quite expensive.

    • B.P.

      All of those attention whores I see driving around pay upwards of $10K for that?

      • R.J.

        yes

  6. kinnath

    PTB — suggest you blur the license plate.

    • ron73440

      Didn’t even notice that.

    • Threedoor

      Why do people do that?
      It’s just silly.

      • kinnath

        It would actually be illegal to post that in the EU (I think — personal info)

      • Threedoor

        I hope the Europoors cover their plates when out and about Kinnath

      • Threedoor

        And it’s not like randos have access to the registration systems like cops do.

  7. B.P.

    “I found a 2011 Camry with 89,000 miles on it for $10,000.”

    That’s a pretty good deal, and it’ll last for a long time. Also, that looks like the garage of an insurrectionist!

    • ron73440

      Sweet flag collection, right?

    • Threedoor

      He’s got to be on a list.

      The garage is even painted!

  8. The Late P Brooks

    Did you wet sand the color?

    • ron73440

      No, that was more involved than I needed to go.

  9. Gdragon

    All I know is that I am not zooming in on that cabin filter.

    • R.J.

      Just absolutely vile. And hazardous.

      • PutridMeat

        Ron’s got the Henta virus now.

      • ron73440

        They had sprayed it with a perfumey scent that bothered me, but not my wife.

        When it rained the underlying funk would come through.

      • R.J.

        I have dealt with that so many times, it has become part of the standard “must do” operations for a new to me car, like changing every fluid and a brake inspection.

      • juris imprudent

        It was patchouli, wasn’t it?

    • EvilSheldon

      Many years ago, with an old car, I didn’t know about changing the cabin air filter. Then I took it in for an oil change, and the shop showed me what the cabin air filter looked like. I still remember the horror of that day…

      • UnCivilServant

        Oh come now, even I’ve changed the cabin air filter, and I’m no car guy.

      • R.J.

        On my old Challenger, you had to destroy the old air filter to get it out, and crush the new one like an accordion to put it in.

      • UnCivilServant

        RJ – That sounds like a design flaw.

      • ron73440

        I still need to do mine on the Saab.

        That is a couple hour job because it is tucked behind everything.

        It requires removing the lower trim, the glove box assembly, and the filter access panel.

        Then you have to put foam on top of the filter and squeeze it around the A/C lines back there.

        Once I get my truck out of the garage, that is next on the list.

      • UnCivilServant

        Seriously?

        I underestimated how badly designed so many models are. All I had to do was pull one panel, pull out the old, squich the new a little to get it in, and put the panel back.

        Mea culpa.

      • Threedoor

        I didn’t know cabin air filters existed until around 2020. None of my stuff had one.

      • DrOtto

        Some Volvos you have to remove the gas pedal. Some definitely do it dumber than others. More than one time a literal rats nest has been built over the filters I have serviced.

    • Sean

      I had to disinfect my monitor after seeing that pic.

    • Aloysious

      “That’s nasty!”

    • Threedoor

      And here I thought the KC135 was retired or on its way to retirement.

    • Drake

      Look up the replacement cost for the E-3 Sentry if you want a sinking feeling in your gut.

  10. Pat

    I’m fixin’ to do a Rustoleum Turbo and 2K clear rattle can job on my 2006 Elantra this year, so this is inspiring. Like you, I bought it with the clearcoat already failing, and now it’s at the point where I literally can’t make it look any worse than it already is, so fuck it. I can’t replace the thing for what I paid for it in 2013, and all I want out of the job is to prevent further rust and look OK enough at 20 feet that I don’t feel like an asshole being seen parking it.

    • R.J.

      I should get a butler just so he has to valet park your car when you come by.

      • Pat

        Lol. I’ll show up with one of these so your neighbors don’t panic and think the neighborhood is going downhill.

      • Ted S.

        They’ve got a broccoli-headed alien for a neighbor. How much further downhill could the neighborhood go?

    • ron73440

      it’s at the point where I literally can’t make it look any worse than it already is

      That was the deciding factor for me.

      It was still stressful for me though.

  11. The Late P Brooks

    *looks out window at 1990 Honda with rusty wheel wells and faded paint*

    Whatever. It runs fine.

    • ron73440

      It’s different when it’s my daily driver or when it’s her daily driver.

      My 2005 Saab had worse paint and I was fine with it and so was she.

  12. Aloysious

    ron, I like how your work shop is neat and organized.

    Mine looks like a tornado hit it.

    • ron73440

      Thanks, just don’t look at the work bench.

      • ron73440

        Very nice, you have more parts and less junk than I have.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        I had just cleaned for that photo, as I was starting a new, major project.

      • Threedoor

        What’s the hydraulic motor looking thing?

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        disassembled scroll chuck

  13. Threedoor

    I’m too inpatient for paint.
    While being too picky.

    I’ve got an hvlp gun and have done some furniture but even then.

    I hat paint.

    More power to you Ron.

  14. The Late P Brooks

    Flooding the country with undesirables

    The US government has said it will increase the number of white South Africans it admits as refugees this year from about 7,500 to 17,500, claiming that “unforeseen developments in South Africa created an emergency refugee situation.”

    Since starting his second term in office last year, Donald Trump has repeatedly made false claims that white Afrikaners are racially targeted and face a “white genocide”, which South Africa’s government has furiously rebutted.

    ——-

    The conspiracy theory of a white genocide has also long been a staple of the racist far right, which highlights incidents where white farmers were murdered. In recent years, this has also been amplified by the South Africa-born billionaire Elon Musk and the rightwing media personality Tucker Carlson.

    Spurious claims of oppression. Meanwhile millions of legitimate refugees are prevented from seeking asylum as Lady Liberty weeps.

    • rhywun

      which South Africa’s government has furiously rebutted

      OK, then – they are certainly beyond reproach.

    • juris imprudent

      White Africans oppressed by black Africans not welcome, but black Africans oppressed by black Africans are. And that makes sense to these assholes.

  15. The Late P Brooks

    Afrikaners are descended from Dutch and French settlers and ruled South Africa during apartheid. They repressed the black majority, keeping them in poverty, while ensuring the white minority was safe and wealthy.

    REPARATIONS NOW!

    • rhywun

      The sins of the father attach to every succeeding generation. Sorry, boers. You are not absolved.

    • UnCivilServant

      The Boers settled the area before anyone besides the Khoisan arrived. And the ANC doesn’t represent the Khoisan. The bushmen are not a signficant minority in the country.

  16. DEG

    My wife and her friend were fine

    That’s good.

    The paint job looks pretty good.

  17. Tres Cool

    Meh. That cabin air filter looks similar to the one I pulled out of the Genesis a couple weeks ago.
    I don’t think it had ever been changed.

    • rhywun

      lol

      Love the stock pic

    • Raven Nation

      Wow! Also a 4 point deduction for next season.

      • Raven Nation

        The Leeds case prompted the EFL to write a specific regulation about spying.

      • juris imprudent

        Aha, bend the rules, just don’t break them!

  18. DrOtto

    That turned out decent. I did one like this I thought turned out a little rougher than I’d like and I ended up doing some polishing with a DA and then following up with a regular buffer and some correction chemical and finally a wax. I ended up very pleased with the final results. The good news is you can still do this if you decide you feel like taking it on. I like Paint Societies videos. He’s very informative without being condescending.

    • ron73440

      I’ll probably leave it as is.

      The paint Society videos were very helpful, I had never tried to paint anything like this before.

  19. The Late P Brooks

    Affirmative action policies since the end of apartheid helped to create a black elite and middle class. However, more than 30 years after Nelson Mandela came to power as South Africa’s first black president, South Africa remains deeply unequal. About 12% of white South Africans are unemployed, according to official data, compared with 48% of black South Africans.

    Tell me South Effrika is a basket case without telling me South Effrika is a basket case.

    • UnCivilServant

      South Africa went from a functional economy capable of actually developing new technologies and building infrastructures to one of the worst shitholes in Africa. They didn’t take the crown only because there are some serious contenders.

      The ANC spent decades trying to prove Botha right.

      • rhywun

        They just haven’t tried real communism yet.

      • juris imprudent

        There are more eggs that need to be broken.

  20. The Late P Brooks

    Putting the cabin air filter in is a cinch if you do while the motor is out.

    • Sean

      GTI: Tool less and easily under 5 minutes.
      Compass: two different screw types and like 5 minutes.

  21. The Late P Brooks

    And now I have been reminded of this cinema gem. If it hasn’t been a Thursday feature, it should be.

    • rhywun

      It has. It was wonderful.

    • UnCivilServant

      You mean we could have avoided the “Fat Acceptance” fad and all those images of blobs pushing out the attractive people?

    • kinnath

      I have 47 patents. As far as I know, not a single one of them is in a revenue-generating product.

      Research, including successful research, only shows what is possible. It does not show what someone can turn into a profit.

      The market for Ozempic did not exist in 1990. Note that Novo spent research dollars for another 20 years for a profitable product emerged.

      • Sensei

        And if you or your company choose not to pursue it, I have to buy it from you. Or find some way to go around your patent.

        I’m not anti-IP, but in its current state it is a mess.

  22. Evan from Evansville

    You did a very good job. I hope she’s very pleased with you. (She should be.)

    Also, fantastic work cloud-seeding your nickname into your garage. It may work out for ya. On my last break, so take care now, Diesel. Mr. Thoroughbred Diesel. (Your tool is nursing a chub in front of your window. May attract all the right callers.) *Sean’s avatar*

  23. The Late P Brooks

    GTI: Tool less and easily under 5 minutes.
    Compass: two different screw types and like 5 minutes.

    My curiosity was aroused, so I just checked. Element has a filter (2, axially). Pretty straightforward, no tools. If I can get my fingers to work.

    • Sean

      Always get the charcoal infused ones. *thumbs up*

      • Sean

        *carbon

        whatever

    • Threedoor

      I have to take parts of the glove box off to get at both my suburban and pickup.

      But GMs HVAC is so crummy none of the dirt gets trapped by the filter.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Same with Ford and Ram. Well, the glove box part. I’m beginning to think the different manufacturers are just badge engineering at this point.

  24. Not Adahn

    “Only thing, that’s not a Porshe, that’s a Ferrari.”

  25. juris imprudent

    Pelosi endorses Chan instead of Scott Weiner. Someone needs to update that SNL clip about Pelosi when she became speaker; add a tagline “I never could stand the gimp”.

  26. The Late P Brooks

    The market for Ozempic did not exist in 1990.

    They needed another 35 years of corn syrup to really establish a market.

  27. The Late P Brooks

    Woman dies in freak manhole accident.

    Some hipster probably swiped that cover for an art installation (or a coffee table).

    • Threedoor

      Am I the only one that looks at the ground when I get out of my rig?

      • The Other Kevin

        I do. I’m usually on crutches getting out of a car, and I most definitely need to know what’s on the ground.

      • Threedoor

        I’ve got a bad back and a fake ankle.

        I look.

  28. Threedoor

    Listening to Hannity.
    They have the guy running against Massie on.

    What a liar. And Hannity is lapping it up like a drooling idiot.

    • EvilSheldon

      I actually talked to some of the worthies down at Little Creek about Gallrein. The consensus was that he’s an absolute shitbag and a fame whore.

      • Sean

        So, a standard politician?

      • Threedoor

        He sounded like the kind of guy that wears a hat that says “retired military” on it and has a bunch of scrambled eggs on the bill.

  29. Sensei

    “If you can increase head count by two or three people, but have everybody manage AI agents, essentially you’re expanding by 10, 20, maybe 25 people,” he said. “You’re able to get more deals, you’re going to be able to do more stuff, because they can build a slide deck faster.”

    When you deliverable is a slide deck.

    https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/ai-entry-level-jobs-graduates-595cee28?st=xiUxFe&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

    • The Other Kevin

      One of the red flags for me in all this is you have so many people speaking with 100% confidence about what will happen in the future.

  30. The Late P Brooks

    Am I the only one that looks at the ground when I get out of my rig?

    Was she in an SUV? Did she jump down on two feet like a paratrooper?

    I came home one day this winter and when I put my first foot on the ground it was solid glare ice, absolutely frictionless. I pulled forward to a bare spot.

    • Sensei

      Was she in an SUV?

      From an article I read, of course she was. From memory Range Rover.

      How else does one shop 5th Avenue?

  31. The Late P Brooks

    The consensus was that he’s an absolute shitbag and a fame whore.

    What do you call a guy like that?

    Congressman.

Submit a Comment