If you intend to paint your car gloss black prepare yourself for a great
disappointment unless you are a very experienced body man. Black is
virtually the worst color to paint a vehicle unless the prep work is nothing
short of perfection. Every small blemish is magnified. The easiest color to
prep for? White! If you still wish to make it black take a paint stir stick,
wrap it with 220 grit paper and begin working every square inch of the
surface. Once you have what you think is a perfect prep job hit the car with
a "guide" coat. This is usually a very, very dusty coat of black lacquer
over grey primer. As you begin your process once again using the paint stick
you will notice high and low spots. Work these down until you're convinced
it's perfect. Then hit it again with another guide coat. Continue this
process for a few weeks until the surface is perfectly flat. Finish it off
with 600 wet, then 1000 wet, and then 1600 wet and, if your arms are still
attached, 2000 wet.
Now you're ready to put on the first coat of paint. If you're using 2-stage
paint and intend to finish with a hand-rubbed clear coat you don't have to
worry too much about the finish of the color as long as you intend to put on
several coats of the 2-stage clear.
Let it all dry thoroughly and gear up for the rubout. This will only take a
day or two with a power buffer and some progressively finer rubbing
compound. Once you feel you have it pretty nice take some corn starch, whip
it into a paste with water, grab a new buffing pad for your buffer and give
it a final polish. Once this is done you're ready for wax but be sure to
wait at least a week or two before putting on that final wax. Sounds like a
lot of fun...at least it did when I was younger and went through the process
a time or two. Now I'll just take it to someone with more muscle and fewer
brains than I have. Good luck!