To get a very smooth paint job on your car, you’ll need to go to a bit more work than the basic painting tips. Wet painting, wet sanding, polishing, and even waxing can all give you a fantastic finish.

To wet paint, you need to spray dozens of thin coats of paint on your car without waiting for the previous one to dry. The coats will blend together, filling in and hiding small imperfections in your block. The trick is to paint while the previous coat is still wet, but not add so much paint that drips form. I first put on a solid coat of paint and then let it completely dry (about 48 hours). Then I spray in short, half-second bursts and wait about 15 seconds before spraying again. The short burst process is repeated dozens of times, and after about ten minutes, I have a fantastically shiny coat of paint.

Wet sanding involves using an extremely fine grit of sand paper on your car. The sandpaper will remove any high spots and fine wrinkles from your paint, leaving only a smooth car. After your paint has completely dried, use a 2000 or 2200 grit waterproof sandpaper and some water. Wet the surface of the car and sand in even, straight strokes. Don’t use a circular motion. Every few minutes, wipe the accumulated grit off of the car and dry it before starting again.

You can polish the paint on your car using automotive polishing compound. Follow the directions on the label. If you have a Dremel or other rotary tool, you might find it easier to polish complicated curves by using a cloth buffing bit in your tool.

And finally, for a perfect finish, wax your car. The same stuff you wax your real car with can be used to wax your pinewood car. As with the polishing compound, follow label directions, and you might find it easier to wax complex curves with a rotary tool. Make sure not to get wax anywhere around your wheels. You don’t want to mix wax and your lubrication and gum up your wheels.