Auto body repair & detailing: How to paint a new hood, grit, coat type

Question
I bought a new hood for my car.The hood is black with primer.Do I need sand it before I paint it? Do I need put clear coat?Some people said I do not need coating.Could you give me some suggestions?Thank you!!

Answer
Hi Jie,

The black primer that comes on new panels is called e-coat. You will need to sand it with a 400 grit and then use a primer sealer over it. Then you can paint directly over the primer sealer without sanding. Concerning your question about clear-coating, You need to find out if your car was clear-coated from the factory. If it was you'll need to go back with a base-coat/clear-coat type paint so that you color will come close to matching. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

Gary