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Another Paint thread

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Kim, that "zebra" striping that you referred to as showing up some time after the paint was applied is a result of not enough paint! Typically, when applying paint with "puff-cans" there is never enough overlap betwen strokes, so you get a "thick and thin" application. with time, polishing and waxing, the thin spots wear off faster than the thicker paint and you get those zebra stripes!

The one major drawback that I see down the road for all these "cost-effective" paint jobs is that to maintain that "fresh paint" shine is going to be very disapointing! After a few wash and waxings, you are going to see a marked deterioration!
 
I just want to throw out a little FYI here.
I diverted from the original technique quite a bit, which is why I won't do a write up on it, here's why....
A B is a lot more curvaceous than a Charger, the Charger has many flat spots such as hood, trunk, roof etc, that would be more suited for a roller.
Spridgets too, with the valleys around the front and rear lamps require a lot more attention than just rolling it on.
Cars are different, people are different and paint mixes are different that really comes down to a 'seat of your pants' feel for what is going on as you're applying paint by whichever method.
Late last night, I tried a rattle can of the same product and colour, and it turned out far better on a previously untoched area; again another experimental technique that you won't know until you try.
I guess what I'm saying is, try at your own risk, be prepared to make changes and try something else until you, the car and paint are comfortable.
Although this paint job has cost more than I paid for the car, and it has worked for me, I wouldn't want to write something up about what I did that won't work for someone else. As they say on infomercials about overpriced diet pills, "Results may Vary".
Good luck!
I'll post pics when it's completely done.
 
An aside: While I was overseas my Ol' Fella was pacin' th' cage and chose to give my MGB a makeover. He decided the overspray from the usual guns etc. would be more trouble than t'was worth (the Elan sat in the next bay) so got a CASE of Rustoleum rattle-can paint (all the same lot number). When I got home after a year I was stunned there were no rust holes... then floored when he related HOW he'd done it. A silver metallic, matching our prior automotive finish in color and gloss. He did the entire car and it lasted a few years before showing any signs of deterioration.
 
mine looks/is deteriorated now!
AND if it does get a little thin in a few years,
all u need is a couple quick coats and some buffing/sanding
to get back to new again.....
i think i might try spray cans though as ive done alot of house spraying and am well schooled in the art..
i also have a cheap Waggoner sprayer with an unused stain tip..
how would that work?...z
 
I've seen some "wee-tight" paint jobs at car shows. And...some of them it took me several minutes to notice. Frankly, when I'm at car shows I like to see all sorts of cars regardless of condition. So... what ever slows the rust and makes you happy... go for it.

As an aside, I'm thinking my next project might be a TD ratrod. I think the shock factor would be fun.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]As an aside, I'm thinking my next project might be a TD ratrod. I think the shock factor would be fun.[/QUOTE]

DO IT!

I love ratrods!
 
Thoughts on spray versus roll/brush:

*DISCLAIMER* As you read the following ruminations, please be aware that I have no real experience in these matters. Most of my statements are derived from other forum threads and personal conversations or are purely opinion and/or malarkey.

1) The inventer of the roll-on $50 paint job process claims that he painted a VW Bug, a car with many swoops and valleys, and said Bug has held its shine and finish for 7 years with minimum maintence.

2) Rolling ANY paint is more economical than spraying ANY paint. When spraying, a significant amount of paint is lost to the air. Rattle cans are extremely uneconomical. Only a small amount of the can's total volume is paint. You are mostly paying for can and aerosal. Most of the good rattle can paint job stories I have heard start with, "I was at a sale and bought two cases of paint for $5."

3) Touch up with rattle can can be tricky. Paint colors can vary slightly from batch to batch. If you need a touch up a year or two after the initial paint job, and you did not buy extra cans from the same batch when you intiallly painted, you may be boned.

4) Spraying is wicked hard on the environment and your body. Even if you are using relatively "safe" rattle cans, you are still dumping a lot of aerosal and other polutants into the air. Many of said pollutants can be absorb through the skin. This not a big deal when you are painting a wagon or a mail box, but when you scale said exposure up to the car level, you may accumulate enough toxins over time to negatively affect your health. And let's not forget all the rattle cans you are throwing into the landfill.

5) It may be illegal for you to spray. Many auto paints (but not rattle cans at this point) are regulated by clean air laws. In many cities it is illegal to use said paints outside of licensed facilities.

6) Most two-part paints are EXTREMELY dangerous. Simply venting your home made paint booth and wearing a mask is not enough to protect you from the toxins in these paints. You must wear a full coverage hazmat suit and use a "fresh air" breathing system.

7) I am not trying to tell anyone on this forum how he/she should paint his/her car. I am merely putting some thought food on the old brain table. I am going to try the roll on method on my on car. At this point, house paint slopped on with $0.98 brush would be a marked improvement over the PO's driveway spray.
 
Since Bugsy my '68 Sprite has been in various shades of BRG as well as Grey and Black Primer since 2001 my goal is to get him painted this year. He's also experienced further dramatic evidence of the rust worm since he lost his indoor storage 2 years ago and has had to sit outside under cover. Bondo'd areas I didn't know were there have appeared and now the A Pillars are definitely in need of some metal and repair.

There is also a Bugeye Bonnet which is undergoing repair which will be grafted on to replace some really trashed out fenders, rusty and bent hood, and front fascia. It needs a little metal welded in and hopefully Uncle Sam owes me some money so I can learn a new skill in welding.

As much as I want a prisitne classic looking LBC I have faced the fact that this car will rust in spite of everything I can do it will continue to rust. I'm just here to slow down the progress. A $1,000 paint job will also rust and will hurt more to see it rust.

A $350 MAACO Job, even if you can get it done for that price, will rust and definitely will not have the TLC that I will put into it. Also those guys will not paint the engine compartment, well they will if you want everything the same color, door jambs, inside of trunks etc. Well again they will but we're now up to the $1,000 price.

Plan is to thin and spray engine compartment and inside of doors, jams, inside of trunk. Places where a roller won't work well and brush takes just forever. I own a compressor and a spray gun.

Bugsy will continue to rust. I need something I can continue to fix and touch up the paint on. Something I can match up fairly reliably later on. I want to change from BRG to either Yellow or Blue. Haven't looked at the Rustoleum Yellow Color to evaluate if nice or garish. I do know that Tractor Supply carries gallon cans of Ford Tractor Blue, IH Red, and John Deere Greene and Yellow in an enamel formulation with thinner sold by the gallon as well. Might be another source although the idea of some sort of go over primer / rust formula definitely might be the better way to go. Just some thoughts on this whole process.

Back to the original point, Bugsy will continuew to rust no matterwhat I do. Our job is to slow down the process and continue to have fun. This is the way I'm going to go.
 
regularman said:
Will it take out overspray? I was thinking of my truck that got overspray when I was spray canning the trunk of the midget with rustoleum. Sorry to be off topic, but I have kept that truck like new since I bought it. Would love to get that stuff off of it but I am scared to use sandpaper on it.
Click to expand...

Detailing clay was first used by body shops to remove overspray. At least that's what I was told when it first showed up on the scene in the '80's. I would try a sticky clay bar. Meguiars has an "aggressive detailing clay". After washing the truck, you can use their Final Inspection or just use a fresh mix of water with car wash to lubricate the surface (that's what I do). I would try this first before using compound or any sanding.

Cheers,
John
 
A two part epoxy primer stops rust in its tracks if the surface is clean to start with.
 
And speaking of wetsanding, a friend of mine just started a web forum devoted entirely to the subject.

He just went live so there’s not much on it yet but the plan is to have a lot of discussions, Q&A, demonstrations and just generally anything related to wetsanding automotive paint.

https://www.wetsanding.com/


PC.
 
I'm thinking there may be a few of us doing this right now, I know Zimmy is and a couple from other rooms....
Is it worth starting a new thread in 'Car Care & Restoration' so we can discuss techniques, differences, progress and outcomes?

Just a side note, I have 2 coats on and 1 wetsand.
The shine isn't quite there yet, I feel one more coat and then horrendous wetsanding will do the trick.
The finish is VERY smooth, literaly like glass.
 
I did find that Home Depot carries Gloss Sunburst Yellow, Gloss Royal Blue, Gloss Hunter Green, and a Gloss Red. I want Bugsy Bright Hurt your eyes Yellow but better half keeps saying Blue with White Stripes ala Cobra Style. Picked up a quart of blue, that fender that is coming off anyway may change from BRG, Primer Gray, and Primer Black to Blue this week just to see how it looks. Better yet, gearshift cover is coming off to be stripped, sanded, and painted. The ultimate color choice will be first applied to the gearshift lever cover to see if I can live with it.
 
i dipped one end of a 4 way lug wrench in some Sunrise Red....
it is pretty dry this morning and has a good shine to it,
but i think it needs some orange in it...its REALLY red!
if u wanna stick out inna crowd, pick some up!
im wanting to match the car a little closer, for obvious reasons...........z
 
Oh shoot Zimmy, susprise us, hehe.
 
Part of the gloss comes from the thinning with 50% mineral spirits based on reading the reports on this thread. And again wet sanding progressively certainly does not hurt. Just dipping in the end of the lug wrench won't prove to be a definitive test.

Hey based on Bugsy's present paint job even a no shine color would be an improvement. I've had BRG, Rust, Grey, and Black Primer for almost 5 years now. Leading edge of DS lower Outer Sill was replaced and never painted other than in black primer. In the course of 5 years+ of ownership, a nick in the paint on the leading edge behind the front tire has resulted in rust performation and rust through. Oh these quality MOSS panels. Something else to fix before painting. And we don't even want to talk about bondo removal needed.
 
Jim_Gruber said:
I did find that Home Depot carries Gloss Sunburst Yellow, Gloss Royal Blue, Gloss Hunter Green, and a Gloss Red. I want Bugsy Bright Hurt your eyes Yellow but better half keeps saying Blue with White Stripes ala Cobra Style.
Click to expand...
I also want hurt your eyes yellow, Tis why I bought this color here called Nuclear yellow.
nukeyellow.jpg
Have been thinking of adding just a bit of candy color green to the clear to give it an interesting look, but then again I will be lucky to just get everything else right. I only bought a quart and according to those that I talked to this paint should cover the car in two coats and still have some left from the quart for the square footage of the midget for other things. If I had bought more I might experiment with a roller on something just to see how it did. This stuff is rather expensive though.
 
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