Painting hood a new color

I recently did a front end conversion on my truck to a different model of my truck. With this I had to get various front end parts including a hood. The hood is white and want to paint it the same color as my truck. The hood has clear coat, paint, and some rock chips that go down to the metal on the front. How do I go about painting this? I got a quote from maaco and they wanted $350... Way too much for me and would like to do it around . Do I just scuff the existing, fill in rock chips, primer, then paint and clear? What size sand paper to scuff first, how do I fill in the rock chips, and what else?

I was thinking about just getting an auto store to fill some spray cans with my color paint since I don't have/know how to use a sprayer but scared of the results from spray paint.

Thanks for any help!

 

How good of a quality to do want?
IMO no paint job matches the quality of factory. Although I'm sure if one has enough money there are some stellar custom painters out there with the same factory controls.

The risk with doing it yourself is the job may only last a couple years or less. I personally cringe when I see cars that people clearly did themselves with a spray can. It just doesn't look the same.

I think it depends on what quality you want at the end of the day. I have not been happy with the self body work I have done on my white F250. If I had to do it over again I'd pay to have an expert do it. But I get to be a perfectionist with my trucks. I take it as a hit against myself when my truck has rusting out dents. Not every guy is that way though.

I think $350 is a good quote for a redo on hood paint IF AND ONLY IF the hood is completely removed, sanded to remove all rust, treated, paint matched, and clear coated under controlled conditions. I wouldn't pay a guy $350 to do what you are going to do with $100 at home. So do your research on who you go with.