Whether you’re just painting a hardtop or you’re looking to paint your entire vehicle, you should take some precautions. If you’re painting your car in a garage, it’s best to keep the garage door open. That way, any VOCs from your car paint will disperse outside. Even if you take precautions, it’s best not to spend too much time in a room with a freshly painted car. Car paints are primarily acrylic, meaning they don’t give off as many VOCs as oil-based paints. That doesn’t mean they’re safe to breathe, though.