My car is never going to be the " best in show" nor do I care. I've been looking for some budget paint for it. Was just looking at Restoration Shop paint kits. Since I know nothing about this subjet, and knowing that my budget it tight. Was looking to you guys to chime in on if you have used thier products, opinions, would you use again... My car will be driver quality, no show car..just nice old car ( I hope ). It will be garaged all most all of the time when not being driven. I was thinking Acrylic Urethane..but at there prices I would consider BCCC. As time goes on I ask myself , just how much money am I willing to keep dumping into this. And will spending more money even make me happier ( don't think it will ) . If you have the budget to use better materials and that's what you feel is needed, thats great. And you can tell me you " get what you pay for" and thats true...But alot of times what you pay for is the brand name. Anyway " Restoration Shop paint kits" ???? I will be choosing from the pre mixed colors, Not the custom miixed " color library" selections.
I've used TCP Global many times. Acrylic Enamel, as well as Acrylic Urethane...I've been happy with the results. I build driver quality cars. I do appreciate show cars that use the top of the line products (with the skills to deliver) with outstanding results though.
I'm an amateur, and my first full paint job was on my '39 Chev coupe a few years ago. I used TCP Global's acrylic urethane single stage. A friend is a full time painter and recommended the single stage as he said there's less chance of screwing it up for a newbie than base/clear, and it would hold up better over time. I found it easier to apply than I expected, and although my paint job isn't up to what pro shop painters can do, I'm very happy with the results. My first attempt at lettering also, and it came out about as good as the paint job.
My local paint supply shop would mix factory colors in rattle cans. My Ram clear coat was fading and peeling. They scanned my vin number and I think the cans were $17, and I got two. Just need to do one fender that faced the sun where it was parked. They told me how to prep the area, and apply the paint. It turned out nice. If anything, it looked better than the rest of the truck. I can see someone doing a small roadster and turning out a nice looking car, with those cans. Actually, if you have the patience to prep it right, you could probably buy a gun and do a good job.
A lot of guys keep saying to me " buy better " PPG" paints and materials" because lesser brands will not hold up, and you'll have to redo the paint job a few years down the road. " so did you really save any money ?
Right now I just want to get my engine bay painted, then move on to the door jambs. I'll leave the outter body panel paint work to someone with better skills.
So he thinks that the Acrylic Urethane would hold up better than BCCC ? The Acrylic Uretance would be cheaper....long ago I did spray some Acryilic Enamel Centri I think.
If you have a local automotive paint supplier, visit them Mine sells PPG. Most paint lines have economical paints. And if there is an issue, you can talk to a person instead of sending emails
Talk to Southern Polyurethane Inc. I called we talked, they made recommendations and they actually have a rep that is almost a next door neighbor. The local supplier had everything I needed. Very reasonable prices and their epoxy primers and clear coats are top of the line stuff. The SS and BC/CC only have a few colors I believe white, black, orange dark red, med red and red. Dan
I have about 30 vehicles out there with finishes from TCP Global. This includes my own car, and included one motorcycle that I sold (that now lives outside, and still looks great*). Several I painted in the very early 2000's. Many live outside. Absolutely none of them has had a single paint related issue. *Just to prove a point, I painted that motorcycle, start to end, with a HF purple gun. Most paint opinions come from those that don't paint.
I have used spi epoxy and high build primer and love them. When I paint it I will be using there s/s black, I want it shiny but look like plastic, more like stock. Also good customer service and good prices.
My 40 coupe was painted with Centauri 30 years ago, last had front fenders repainted with bc/cc. Can’t tell the difference.
All I am going to throw in is that solid colors without metallic are a hell of a lot easier to get looking real nice than metallic. That Porsche Indiana red on my truck in my avatar was one of the first high metallic paint jobs I did and had jail bars that looked like panel painting when the light hit it right. I painted my friend' 53 International Harvestor highway department orange the same year and that job turned out near perfect and still looks pretty presentable 42 years later. All it would take for Dan's 39 is a spa afternoon with a top quality detail dude for a buff and wax job and that car will hold it's own with the fancy ones. My legs were tired when I got to it for this shot but My camera says "we are doing this one".
German colors from the 50s thru the 70s are great Whatever paint you go with, look up the tech sheets. Trying to save $$$$? AnHVLP gun is cheaper to operate material wise than a siphon. They will use less material/make less overspray. The HF ones are actually decent guns. Price or cheaper line paints? Remember, it’s cheaper for a reason. Not necessarily quality for colors but pigments. Cheaper colors usually have fewer pigments that higher cost paints. Or, takes more to get full coverage. Always ask your paint person the recommended shade of undercoat (primer/sealer) for the color. General rule of thumb: Use light colors under bright colors. Don’t spray bright red over dark grey or black. Wastes a lot of paint. Use very light grey or white. Use darker primer/sealers under dark colors. Final sanding recommendations are in the tech sheets. General rule of thumb for me: Old school enamel single stage, you can probably final sand between 320-400. Urethane single stage, solid colors, I’ll final sand with 400 BC/CC solid colors, I’ll final sand with 500-600 Light colored metallic BC/CC, definitely 600, sometimes 800. Light metallic colors show surface imperfections worse than black does
I second the Shop-Line recommendation. I'm working on a 6 figure American classic rt now that needs a little paint work. Shop-Line it is, and I'll be worms by the time it fails. That product is used on cars that sit in the work lot 40hrs a week plus. Why use it? You can source it at a supplier, and if shit goes bad you can get backup matl without waiting mail order. How much more to ship paint than say a brake drum? So what did you save really?
We use a lot of cheap stuff at school. Odd ball donated stuff as well. Autobahn primers and sealers have worked well. We use the epoxy and urethane products. No issues. Very economical 5 star products have worked well. We’ve shot plenty of shop line products, nason, SW, restoration shop clears, no name store brand products crap I’ve never heard of, Capsi, industrial primers and paints. All have worked but I guess they should when you use them by the tech sheets. a pro shop a friend has uses SPI products. High end paint jobs. Loves the products.
Yes, he said he sees more high end show car paint jobs being BCCC, as he said they can be cut and buffed to perfection. But he said if I planned to drive the car a lot and it was exposed to the elements a lot the acrylic urethane would hold up better. I suppose if both paint jobs were typical hotrods that were always garaged, and only driven on nice days it wont matter. I have BCCC PPG on my old Austin gasser, and it's held up great for over a decade. Cost $700 a gallon back in 2012 when I had it painted. But I'm not too picky about the weather, or leaving my '39 outdoors, so I went single stage.
Aren’t the clear coats all acrylic urethane. It’s just whether you go single stage or multistage. I painted this with acrylic lacquer in 1986, it’s garage kept but has held up great. Any urethane should outlast this.
Do you recall the name of that white paint from Restoration Shop or the part/item number..I've been looking at their "Spinnaker White #1110"
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