Can black primer be painted white?
3 Answers
Black primer can be painted white, depending on personal needs, but it is not recommended. Materials required for color change: The "Motor Vehicle Change Registration/Record Application Form", the original and photocopy of the identity proof of the motor vehicle owner, the original "Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate"; the original "Motor Vehicle Driving License"; payment of fines before the vehicle color change; since the registration procedure for changing the vehicle body color requires changing the original vehicle registration information and replacing the original vehicle driving license, it is equivalent to processing a "new vehicle registration" again. The fines for violations of the "old vehicle" before changing the body color are not allowed to be carried over to the "new vehicle". The owner must pay all fines before processing the vehicle body color change procedure. Notes: Painting it white or another color may not pass the vehicle inspection, and the cost of a full-body paint job is significant. If the vehicle management office does not handle this business, you will need to repaint it back to the original color. After repainting, it may affect the resale value.
Last month I just repainted our old black car white. To be honest, spraying white paint directly over the black primer was particularly challenging. White paint inherently has poor coverage - after application, the black base was clearly visible through it. I had to apply five full coats before achieving complete coverage. If the primer isn't sanded smooth, orange peel texture easily appears, and the metallic paint effect becomes even worse. My recommendation is to either sand off the original black paint first or add a layer of gray intermediate primer as transition. By the third coat, my paint had become so thick it could be peeled off by hand, and I eventually had to take it to a body shop for rework to fix it.
As someone with ten years of auto repair experience, I've encountered too many color change cases. Spraying white paint directly over black primer requires a very thick coat, otherwise the base color shows through severely. Metallic paint or pearlescent powder can't suppress the black base and may turn grayish, while pure white paint tends to yellow. For such orders, I always apply epoxy primer first to enhance adhesion, followed by three coats of gray-toned intermediate paint. The spray gun pressure must be adjusted to 1.8 bar, and the gun movement should be fast to avoid sagging. Just the other day, a Model 3 skipped the intermediate coat and developed bubbles immediately after spraying when driven out.
