Hot Rods Is a nice paint job really that important?

I would much rather have one fast and dependable than shiny and slow.

The only thing a car really needs is nice looking tail lights.

Oh and the paint on my bike lacks perfection. But I can disappear in a sea of black bikes.

 

After years of buying cars with what I thought was good paint I was gifted a old show car that was perfect. I learned on here how to paint a car myself and do the bodywork. Now I can see every single flaw in a paint job after spending hours and hours of bodywork on my own car. After all that bodywork I decided I like the raw paint look with clean metal or glass underneath. When the next owner takes over then can respray it and not need to do much work. for now I like being able to use my cars and if they get scratched just live with it and have it add to the character.

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I agree.

 

Since I've found urethane epoxy primer I could care less. My primer job is almost 3 years old and it's holding up well. The thing is, even if I painted my coupe it'd be the same color as it is now so why would I bother? Yeah, yeah all the welds show under the primer but that just means nobody confuses it with a 'glass body.

 

AMEN! recently I fixed a brand new mustang gt that was following a gravel truck when the tailgate malfunctioned, basically shot peening the car all over. So it was an all over job, 3 stage ruby red pearl. Each gallon of base was $1100. That's $2200 just in color, not including basemaker and clear. I'm on the wrong end of this paint thing

 

after you give it to me I am gonna paint it pink. But I aint gonna fix the welds.

 

Yep, the car owns them, not the other way around.

Me, I'm a shiny paint guy. One, it's far easier to clean; flat/primer jobs don't dust off well. Now, my paint jobs are far from perfect but look fine driving down the road. Seeing how my 'driveway' is 3/4 mile of potholed gravel/dirt, it's a given any paint is going to get dirty and chipped at some point and they all have.

I was at a show a few years ago and after walking around and looking at the other cars headed back to mine. When I get there, a guy is looking my car over and asks a question about it but isn't aware it's my car. Now, my knees were getting tired so I sat on the front fender. He gets a look of complete horror... 'Jeez! Don't do that! The owner will freak out!'. I laughed, said not likely, it's my car. The guy was at a loss for words...

And you don't need to spend a zillion $$$ to get a good-looking paint job. I know several guys who have had MAACO blow $1K paintjobs onto their cars and while they won't win any 'best paint' awards, with a minimal 'cut and buff' they look just fine. I suppose if you're a trophy whore, a big $$$ paint job will make you feel better but my cars get driven.

 

When I joined the HAMB I was driving a '65 Galaxie (that was when a '65 was still off topic). It had a very old Earl Schieb job on it and all I did was wax the crap out of it when I first got it.

I was power parked among a Chevy club and had gone away for a walk about. When I came back the Chevy club was busy detailing it. they had their dusters out and the spray stiff and and they were working their asses off. I asked why and they said it had hand prints all over it and they should have been watching. I thanked them and said that it really didn't matter. One of them said that I may win something. I said, "Only of the Good Guys have a "best use of an old Earl Schieb job award. ""

 

I didn't know that wasn't a glass body!

 

Probably the only way to use that color.
But there are a lot more paint companies than paint resin manufacturers.
The top shelf latest and greatest paints get a more expensive base due to better color. matches
Older or custom rides that are all overs do not need that added extra expensive matching technology.

 

this is mine with satin clear i love it and will probably never put color to it.

 

I can see why you love it! I would love to see it gloss black. either way it is one nice five window!

 

Shiny paint is important to me. I'm tired of the Rat Rod look.

 

My old Hemi Charger had its original paint...lots of scratches, flaws, and road chips. It was worn through in some spots from previous owners polishing it. I never even waxed it.
I would never have painted it.
Long gone now...

 

Base coat is basically inexpensive to manufacture. The pearls are expensive because of the sea shells they grind up, Quick lesson on urethane. Most expensive urethane there is is a full polyester. This is sold as yacht enamel, anti graffiti paint and your top of the line industrial floor coating. It's got good weatherability, it has the highest chemical and acid resistance very chip resistant . The most expensive part of this 2 part urethane is the B part hardener. This coating will do 90 days immersion in acetone. Let's look at a blend acrylic / polyester Like Imron 15 minutes in thinner it will blister. This is how I test them. As for price I know where to get a gallon kit of polyester for $159. If they label it as yacht enamel it's 359. Lloyd you're end of the business works a hell of a lot harder than this end. The guys in the factory would always say I had the best job., going to the shows and throwing myself at the waitresses. Oh and by the way, my field is very similar to yours except they paved over it

 

I like my shiny car but it wouldn't bother me to drive a car in primer.

 

You know, if you are going to leave the vehicle in primer why finish the welds. Most people will grind a weld because it looks like crap to start with. You don't need to finish flush the welds if you can weld and leave a roll of dimes (weld bead). So if you are going to leave your car in primer learn to weld.

 

I like shiny paint and I like long road trips.

 

If you’re talking about patch/panel welds I agree

 

Primer or old paint doesn't make it a rat rod.

Being a poorly built and dangerous makes it a rat rod.

 

Rat Rod aka "ratty built"...
Think some are building well engineered rides, while intentionally made to look ratty and dangerous.
Not my thing, but were not all the same in this world.

 

Here pics of my "alkyd type" paint jobs.
Both shot on using urethane reducer and acrylic enamel hardener, yes it was compatible.
Put this Acadian in primer and painted off topic car twice.

 

I can relate. My old beater is still original (somewhat shiny) paint and it is thin and has plenty of battle wounds. I can’t imagine ever repainting it unless it ends up in a wreck or something...

 

That Ford is real nice!! ^^^^

 

The thought of painting scares me but since I really can't afford to get it done, I will have to do it myself. I did get a new perspective on painting this week while watching "Cold War Motors" on youtube. They are doing a "winter beater challenge" where they get some old clunker and get it road worthy to drive. Scott, the main guy, starts off with a rusty Renault LeCar, does a great job of rust repair and is taking it all the way to a paint job. They do a new episode every week so I'm sure that this is occurring in real time so next show should have the thing in paint. In comparison, I'm really dragging my feet on my paint project. I wouldn't be up to the challenge with a brand new LeCar.

 

Mine is primed and that was 20 or more years ago. I would have 2 take it apart so I could have it done. But hate the prospect of paint jail. I'll leave it alone and maybe get an estimate or 2 and drink about it.

 

This looks great and it's what I'm considering for my coupe. Which clear did you use, and how's it holding up?

 

My 34 is also total Kirker flat black, not black primer. Money, talent and time accounts for that.
I'd like it to be Black Cherry and shiny and if down the road its in the cards it will be.
I like spending my idle time cleaning and waxing my car. In fact my '66 Riviera had so much acreage I spent hours waxing it.
I recently did a reshoot of the Kirker stuff in some spots and it worked out good.
The price is sure right, that's for sure, something like $100.00 a gallon if I remember right.

 

I will preface this be saying I am not against cars with hours of body and paint and multi thousand dollar paint jobs. If it you want one and the under carriage, and drive train is just as nice go for it.
I don't understand a car with a 500 horse power engine and a well built chassis, but a body with rotten rockers and no floors ether.

However if someone's only criteria for a good/well built car is a paint they should see a local 41 Willys.

The builder couldn't live with out a modern Corvette front suspension. The front suspension was far too far wide for 41 Willys he had so he narrowed the front crossmember and then narrowed a rack of unknow origin he found in a junk yard.

The end result was he totally F**ked up the front end geometry and the car will not stay in the road and he has a one of a kind rack that can't be replaced if it fails.

He is a body man by trade so he went all out one the paint.

Yes, he spent a lot of time and money on the car and the paint is amazing but under the skin the car is a pile of crap.

 

I used Maxx Satin Clear i am not real in love with it my car was spotless when i sprayed it and as you can see spots of rust popped up here and there as you can see on my pic. just louvered my trunk and give it another chance see what happens