What abrasive grit sequence is more reliable for automotive refinishing?
There is no single fixed sanding sequence for every repair job, but a safe rule is to move from coarse to fine in gradual steps.
A common workflow is:
• P80-P120: for initial body filler shaping, correcting obvious defects, or removing old coatings quickly.
• P150-P240: for intermediate sanding to remove deeper scratches left by the previous step.
• P320-P500: for surface preparation before primer or surfacer.
• P800-P1500: for fine sanding before topcoat, blending areas, or higher-finish refinement.
• Above P1500: better suited to fine wet sanding, pre-polish preparation, or correcting minor defects on high-gloss surfaces.
Practical tip:
Avoid jumping directly from a very coarse grit to a very fine grit. Deep scratches from the previous step can remain and cause rework. A step-by-step progression is usually more stable.