Step 1: Surface Prep & Bodywork

Even on a clean panel, prep is non-negotiable. Rice Bowl Kustoms started by stripping the existing finish where needed and bringing problem areas down to bare metal. Any dents, rust spots, or filler work were addressed first — Void Black hides nothing, so anything left in the substrate shows through the final clear.

The whole vehicle was scuffed and feathered to give the primer a uniform mechanical bond, then wiped down with wax-and-grease remover. For shops handling beat-up bodies, our Bodywork Bundle has the body filler and abrasives for this stage. For sanding through the grits, browse the full OptiGrit collection.

Step 2: Sealer (Black Ground Coat)

Black is the recommended ground coat for Void Black because that's how the color was designed to be sprayed — black delivers full coverage, the intended jet-black hue, and the depth and saturation a solid basecoat is built to show. Rice Bowl Kustoms ran the DTM Primer-Sealer (AP-7541) in black, mixed at the sealer ratio of 4:1:2 — primer, AH-7100 activator, and Alpha urethane reducer. At this ratio, the AP-7541 acts as a wet-on-wet sealer that creates a uniform, opaque black foundation under the basecoat.

After the sealer flashed, the booth moved straight into the basecoat — wet-on-wet, no sanding between sealer and color.

View DTM Primer-Sealer TDS →

Step 3: Void Black Basecoat

The Void Black basecoat in the kit is ready to spray right out of the can — no mixing cups, no measuring, no reducer to add. For a shop running multiple jobs through the same booth, that consistency is part of the value: every kit sprays the same way.

Rice Bowl Kustoms laid down medium wet coats with steady overlap, building the saturation until the panels read true black under the booth's lights. Over the recommended black sealer, the basecoat reads at its full intended depth.

View Basecoat TDS →

Step 4: HS Glamour Clear (AC-4521)

The clear is where Void Black goes from solid to wet. Mix HS Glamour Clear (AC-4521) 2:1 with AH-7100, no reducer. HS Glamour is a high-solid formula with built-in UV protection.

On a shop build like this Ram, the clear off the gun is enough for showroom gloss without cut-and-buff. Most of the depth comes from the clear catching light against the black underneath.

View HS Glamour Clear TDS →

Step 5: Cure & Final Inspection

The Ram cured undisturbed in the booth. For an extra step of finish, you can wet-sand any nibs or dust spots out of the clear, then machine-polish. On a shop schedule, often the gloss off the gun is enough — and it is here. For the cut-and-buff progression, browse the full OptiGrit collection.

For the first 30 days after a fresh paint job, hand-wash only with pH-neutral soap. Skip automated washes until the clear has fully cured.