How to Paint a Golf Cart
Learning how to paint a golf cart gives might not give back the respect you lost, if you keep losing on the links, but it can restore your golf cart to its original beauty. Maybe you want your golf cart to stand out among the dozens of other cluttering the fairways.
Give your golf cart an upgrade isn’t too difficult of a task. While you might think painting a vehicle is better done by a pro, painting your own golf cart yourself has its advantages.
Painting your course transportation yourself means avoiding the hassle of having the job to your exact specifications. By doing it yourself, you’ll complete the project on your own schedule and make sure the golf cart looks exactly as it should.
Painting Golf Carts – Preparation
The importance of preparation in painting golf carts can’t be overemphasized. Set up a tent or some sort of area that’s protected, if you do not want to paint in a garage.
- To begin, strip all of the trim from the vehicle. This includes any trim and bumpers, if necessary.
- Clean the golf cart from top to bottom, removing any dirt and grime.
- Next, apply wax and grease remover to the body of the golf cart.
- Apply duct tape to the edges of the front window to keep it from becoming scratched.
- Sand down the old paint. Reduce the golf cart to its original primer or factory paint before applying your own primer and paint. Try using a dual-action air sander for best results.
- Patch up any rust areas as you come across them before you go any further. This shouldn’t apply to most golf carts, since newer carts are made with synthetic plastic materials.
- Cut out the rusted area, if possible and clean the exposed area thoroughly before applying a patch. Use a body filler for any minor flaws or dents on the surface of the golf cart.
- Use a plastic spreader to apply filler evenly over the surface. Smooth the top with a knife when the filler is almost hardened and cut out any excess filler.
- Use acrylic glazing compound over the section covered by the filler to give it a smooth, professional looking surface. Skipping this step could result in tiny bubbles forming overtop the filler.
- Sand down the glaze.
Masking the Vehicle
How to Paint a Golf Cart
You may want to mask any areas on the body of the golf cart, particularly if painting a special decal or logo. Use soft-edged foam tape, so as not to damage the vehicle. Masking the entire golf cart is the next step, and an extremely important one at that.
Before you even being to paint a golf cart, be sure to purchase specialized auto masking tape and paper. Set up a curtain or series of sheets or towels all around the golf cart on the underside, to avoid getting paint on the underside of the golf cart.
Mask off the floor or grass, depending on where you are doing the painting.
Priming and Painting the Golf Cart
Before applying the actual paint, lay down a layer of primer. If you have a type of primer you prefer to use, stick with that.
If not, use an epoxy primer to seal to the vehicle. Apply a contrasting color on top of the primer in order to achieve the best results.
This will serve as a reference during the sanding process. Sanding down the color is easier than the primer itself, since you’ll better be able to see uneven areas.
This guide coat should only be misted over the vehicle, not painted directly on. Sand the primer using coarse paper.
Apply a Second Coat of Primer
If all imperfections are taken care of, apply a second coat of primer. Add two coats, so the sanding does not break through to the layer beneath the primer. After waiting for the last coat to dry, remove the masking surrounding the golf cart.
Wash any accumulated grit from the surface of the vehicle and wet-sand it until smooth. Before the base coat of paint is applied, dust the golf cart off with dry paper towels.
Apply a Base Coat of Paint
Apply the base coat, which should go on lightly. Use a spray gun and aim it perpendicular to the area you’re spraying. Hold the gun about a foot away from the surface.
Allow the base coat sufficient time to dry before adding the secondary coat. Let the paint settle before a final sanding and buffing. Finally, remove the masking and reattach the items you removed in the first step.
Painting a Golf Cart – Tips for the Entire Process
Here are some tips and guidelines to remember throughout learning how to paint a golf cart:
- When applying acrylic glazing compound, use only a small amount at first. The material takes a long time to dry and shrinks if applied too generously.
- Spend too much time on the job, instead of not enough time. A paint job isn’t something you rush through. For example, make sure you wait for the paint to dry before adding another coat.
- Consider laying down a double coat of masking tape in case the tape has any small holes or tears.
- When dusting the golf cart, use paper towels instead of rags. Rags contain traces of fabric softener, which don’t interact well with most types of paint.
- Ensure your working environment has proper air ventilation to avoid inhaling fumes.