What are you guys using for paint? I would like my car to look like original paint but finding lacquer and acrylic enamel seems to be difficult around here. I am looking for Andalusite Blue and my local paint stores didn't even have formulas for this. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Paint type
- Thread starter firerod
- Start date
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
I bought some lacquer from TCP to edge the car out and was not happy with the quality (seemed very thin with not much pigment). I see Mac's has PPG lacquer for $800 a gallon, don't think I can justify spending that. I used to love spraying Dupont Centari and PPG Delstar acrylic enamel, neither one available any more. I was considering TCP Enamel, maybe it's better. Looking for suggestions.
denniskliesen
Well-known member
I use TCP Global urethane. Works good for me. Also use their epoxy primer, black, with good results. Preparation makes all the difference in the world. I also use their grease and wax remover before primer and before paint. Never had a problem with it.
Terry NJ
Well-known member
I painted my A,Town Sedan about two years ago. I used PPG Shop line and the matching primer. I sprayed it with a HF "purple gun" with a 1 qt aluminum reservoir (costs more than the gun!). It was a two color job, the "Drabs" Copra drab and Chickle drab. The car can be seen in the album "My A". This is not a perfect job for a few reasons not the least was the inexperience of the painter, ME! The price of the spray gun undercuts the quality of it in the consumers eyes. That stupid gun is one of the best things around. As a former machinist, There's a lot of work in that thing for what it costs! ($10-$15) There's a lot of stuff on youtube about it. The Reducer and Hardener and 1 gal and 1/2 gal of paint and 1gal of primer cost around $360. All PPG Shop Line. I've been told to never mix brands of these components. Look in my album under "My A" Good Luck!
Terry
Terry
I've used lacquer and epoxy primer from TCP with no known problems. I had used PPG lacquer prior to using TCP and didn't see much (if any) difference. I did notice that their price for a gallon of Kewanee Green or Elkpoint Green lacquer went up substantially to $229 .
I was using a $500 Sharpe Platinum gun and was getting considerable orange peel requiring a lot of color sanding. I recently bought a Devilbiss Finishline 4 FLG-670 on Amazon for $200 and getting much less "peel", almost as good as a typical new car finish (which isn't saying much).
I was using a $500 Sharpe Platinum gun and was getting considerable orange peel requiring a lot of color sanding. I recently bought a Devilbiss Finishline 4 FLG-670 on Amazon for $200 and getting much less "peel", almost as good as a typical new car finish (which isn't saying much).
Tinbasher
Well-known member
Southern Polyurethanes Inc. Has a good line of products. You can make it look just like the lacquer and enamel if your into painting. To get the semi-gloss look for inside the hood and firewall etc. I over reduce the Single stage and add flattening agent to get the look I want. This gets rid of the heavy peel and plastic look. Here Lacquer will only last about 3 to 5 years if the heat and humidity aren't controlled, so not a great product to use unless your doing a Fine Points car. JP
Ed in Maine
Well-known member
I have had good luck with TCP urthane paints also. Ed
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
Oh boy, what a question. Define "average"!!
Kinda like asking 'How long does it take to catch a fish?'
In all seriousness, there are many, many things about a vehicle that factor in to the length of time it takes. The bodystyle is a biggie. Fordors take longer than Roadsters. The condition of the sheetmetal, the wood infrastructure, and the mechanicals all determine the time necessary and no two vehicles are ever alike. Then, factor in the customer's short-term and long-term goals ...and their wishes all tend to factor into the methods we use to repair all of those items I just mentioned. For example, if their car is to be an heirloom to be passed on to a family member, the customers generally seek a higher quality-level of restoration over someone who just wants to keep their vehicle for a few years and then get something else. The same thing applies for the level of authenticity and accuracy they desire. And if all that isn't enough, a customer's budget dictates how fast we can go. Some choose a monthly budget to target while others say go as fast as you can. Then on our end, we must factor in work load in each discipline area which can spread the timeline out too. Most people do not realize that we fabricate our own body wood in-house, we fabricate our own sheetmetal repair panels in-house, we sew our own upholstery, do all the machine work & rebuild the engines in-house, etc. Because of this, if someone who has a Coupe being restored that happens to be scheduled behind a Fordor (that takes over 200 hours to do the body wood), then they will likely see some sort of a scheduling delay in the timeline.
Another thing that many do not consider is a 1,500 hour restoration performed by an experienced hobbyist may still be a 1,300-1,400 hour restoration by us. Some things we are faster at however there are also certain tasks that generally take the same length of time to do whether it is a pro or a novice doing them (i.e.: sweeping the floor up after making a mess.). The biggest advantage we have over a hobbyist is we have many jigs, fixtures, & specialty tools to help us do things that the average person may not have access to, or may not have due to logistics or costs. Additionally, when a craftsmen does the same basic craft for 2,000 hours a year, they tend to be efficient at it whereas a hobbyists, -or even a one or two man shop that must where all the 'hats' during the restoration process generally are not as time efficient.
Probably way more info than what you wanted, and I could go on for hours explaining but I hope this helps you better understand how there is no easy/standard way to determine the time it takes to do an "average" Model-A. If you need a number just to start from, to completely restore a car could be anywhere from 1,000 - 2,000 hours, --and even more on a fine point. Now remember those numbers include sewing the interior, rebuilding the engine, fabricating wood, etc. on items that others might purchase 'kits' for.
Brent, thank you very much for the explanation. I realize it was a bit of a loaded question. I appreciate you taking the time to answer. As a master carpenter/period furniture maker of over 30yrs, I find the woodwork in these vehicles intriguing. I dont have a car yet but when I do get one it will be the best one I can afford, I just may be hitting you up for some refreshing some day. Again, I am very impressed with the work your shop puts out. You guys are true craftsmen.
Purdy Swoft
Well-known member
I've always preferred lacquer because it is faster drying and easier to work with . Lacquer looks more original . Single stage urethane is way more durable but will have more gloss than the original car did . I painted our 31 standard coupe with single stage urethane over 20 years ago . . The coupe has spent a good bit of outside storage over the years but mostly still looks good . As long as cars painted in lacquer are properly stored and took proper care of will hold up well . Lacquer is much easier to repair if necessary for me .