A full panel respray uses more consumables than most job sheets account for — and running out of masking tape or hardener mid-job is the kind of delay nobody has time for. This is a working checklist of what a bodyshop actually gets through on a typical respray, from surface prep to the final clearcoat, with real trade-pack links for each stage.
1. Masking & Surface Prep
Before anything goes near a spray gun, the panel and surrounding trim need masking off. Q1 Automotive Masking Tape is built for automotive refinishing and paint preparation, giving a clean edge line without lifting when the coat goes on.
2. Body Filler for the Repair
Any dents or damage get made good before primer. U-POL Fantastic Ultra Lightweight Body Filler is suited to medium-depth automotive body repairs, giving an easy-sand finish before the panel moves on to primer.
3. Primer
Once the repair is sanded back, a high build primer evens out the surface and gives the topcoat something consistent to key into. INDASA High Build Primer 500ml is an aerosol option that's easy to keep on hand for smaller jobs and touch-ins between larger primer batches.
4. Paint & Thinner
The paint itself is job-specific — colour-matched touch-up, a solid trade colour, or a full basecoat system — but the thinner behind it is a constant. Standard Thinner 400 25L is an automotive-grade thinner for bringing compatible paints to spray viscosity, and it doubles as a cleaner for guns and equipment after use.
5. Clearcoat
The clearcoat is what protects the finish and gives the gloss, so it's worth not being the thing that runs out first. Silco 9600 X-Cure UHS Clear Lacquer Kit supplies the clear lacquer with two 9650 standard hardeners in one 10L kit, built for professional bodyshop and paint shop use.
6. PPE
Filler, primer, thinner and lacquer all mean hands-on contact with materials you don't want on your skin. AutoTop AT1084 8 Mil Nitrile Gloves hold up through the wet, dry and oily stages of the job without needing to be swapped out every five minutes.
Quick Checklist
- Masking tape — Q1 Automotive Masking Tape
- Body filler — U-POL Fantastic Ultra Lightweight Body Filler
- Primer — INDASA High Build Primer 500ml
- Thinner — Standard Thinner 400 25L
- Clearcoat kit — Silco 9600 X-Cure UHS Clear Lacquer Kit
- Gloves — AutoTop AT1084 8 Mil Nitrile Gloves
Always work to the manufacturer's technical data sheet for mixing ratios and cure times, and use proper ventilation and PPE with any solvent-based product. For garages and bodyshops ordering these in volume, our trade account page covers how bulk pricing and trade ordering works.
