I have been thinking about the cheap paintjob.

[terriphill]

Oh I saw them, but I have some great photos of my 86 300Zx with its Maaco paint job.....yeah, it looks WAAAAAY better in the pics. And, although it was a far cry better than what it had when I got it, it is not the look I desire for my midget.

 

[zimmy]

i doubt too many people read the 50+ page thread on this very subject on the mopar site....LOTS of info and pics, and i think that thread is sTILL going......
$50 paint job

 

[bugimike]

welll, i guess if i had a 59 Bugeye instead of a 74 midget,
i might be a little more concerned with the paint method....z

I have a 59 Bugeye!! What's the difference?? If the car looks good enough to you, why worry about the fear of being the butt of some joke by some stuffed shirt who couldn't or wouldn't try to do all the work on his machine himself. I own a Bugeye, not for how it looks (because if you go by how it looks, realistically you should get laughed out of most parking lots!), but for how it drives, and the pleasures derived from that pursuit!!

 

[regularman]

I plan to paint my own car. There is no way I would let anyone else paint it. I would pour gas on it and light it first. This is my car and my project. Instead of paying for a paint job, why not just buy a new car? The entire point of the project is to do it myself. I will spray it but I'm sure it won't be perfect but nothing ever is. If I fail miserably at the painting then I will consider the roller method.

 

[zimmy]

ur right mike, the 59 probably needs the rustoleum even worse /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif hhaha .......zimmmy

 

[bugimike]

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif

 

[Shealey]

I'm not saying you can't paint your car to look like a tractor if you want to. heck it's your car. I'm saying that a much higher level of quality can be achived with less effort and about $ 150.00 more money. I painted my Porsche in my garage and the Shealey. They are not trailer queens. But I don't have to appoligize to anyone by saying "it looks pretty good for rustoleum"

Better result less effort. Save you starbucks money for a month and get a real paint job.

BTW: I've driven the Porsche from MN to So Cal and back through all kinds of weather. It's not a trailer queen.

 

[bugimike]

Well, I am using Awl-Grip, and I hope I will be saying "it looks pretty darned nice!!...(and no appologies for anything!) Your Porsche does look nice! I have painted a few cars, all with good result, and even a couple of "trailer-queens" that were shown. I think this thread is attempting to explore simpler, perhaps more cost-effective, and basement-do-able alternatives is all!! These cars are metal after all, so even if a paint-job "goes south" it can be stripped and re-done!!

Here's my last paint job on the BE! It lasted well for 8 to 10 years and now needs re-done!

And I still don't see how or why a particular color is painting the car "like a tractor"???? Some of the toughest, most durable finishes are to be found on industrial equipment, and if it comes in a color you like, what the hay, Combine Harvester Green may make a very nice British Racing Green looking car for someone!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

 

[beaulieu]

I think you missed the whole idea of the Rustoleum roller story,

that is you do NOT have to spray anything , thereby no [censored] off neighbors, no overspray on anything , no toxic hardeners,
also no need for a compressor or spray gun .....

yes it takes some effort and a little bit of time ,
but thats the "fun" of it , telling people you did it yourself /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

its just another way of getting the car painted ,

Beaulieu

 

[regularman]

I think you missed the whole idea of the Rustoleum roller story,

that is you do NOT have to spray anything , thereby no [censored] off neighbors, no overspray on anything , no toxic hardeners,
also no need for a compressor or spray gun .....

yes it takes some effort and a little bit of time ,
but thats the "fun" of it , telling people you did it yourself /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

its just another way of getting the car painted ,

Beaulieu

exactly, read the thread and see what we are talking about and look at the pictures of the charger and vw the guy painted.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

What funny about all this is, you can still get great results and use real automotive paint and be smart about it. If you walk into any automotive paint store and tell the person at the counter you want to do a overall paint job on a car and you're looking for a cheap alterantive to high end paint, they have it. I bought complete kit for under $300, that include primer, sandpaper and all. There is a huge difference betwwen automotive paint and rustoleum for instance. At the end of the day you're still going to have to buy sand paper, primer etc. so realy when it comes down to the paint, you're probably talking less than $100. I understand cheap, but I also understand educated choices.

For the roller paint folks, well, I have to assume this is something people are doing because they don't have a air compressor or a cheap paint gun, to those folks I would say, get your prorities straight, you're putting the carriage before the horse, how would anyone in their right mind attempt a restoration without the tools for the job.

Here's a $300 paint job I did, so I know it can be done, oh and it was shot with a $39 paint gun from Home Depot. It's like I always tell my helpers, be smarter than the problem.

 

[Baz]

how would anyone in their right mind attempt a restoration without the tools for the job.

I'm pretty sure, that's the key difference. I did Rustoleum and rollers on my B because it's not a restoration, it's a DD that's going to get bird mess, bugs, tar, shopping cart scratches, door dings from my work parking lot buddies and other unwanted imperfections.

It is merely a better paint job than what it had to begin with, hard work to put on, but the saved funds were diverted elsewhere to get the car running and safe mechanically.

If the circumstances were different, it would have a different application. If I could have hired a professional to do it for a couple of hundred $, I would have done that also.

I don't have to apologize for what I did; end result, car is shiny, clean, looks WAY better than it did, and we're both happy.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

I put the forst coat of Gloss Hunter Green on Bugsy's hood and fenders last night. Straight Rustoleum cut 50% with mineral spirits. First coat did not use half of one of the mini cans of paint. Second coat later tonight. Looks pretty good in the garage this AM. Paint dried fairly flat. Needed to constantly be on the lookout for runs / sags on the vertical surfaces. 50/50 mixture may be a little too thin. Need to experiment more. I just worked and worked with the roller after giving paint a little time to set up and mineral spirits to evaporate. Smooth, snmooth, smooth. Air bubbles from roller go away quickly after paint starts to dry. Just try to get it on smooth and not too heavy a coat. Sure I can see lots of primer through the first coat but key is building up up paint layers. Second coat I'm sure will go on far easier than first base coat. Will take some pics this AM.

Considering what I started with paint job wise I'm not unhappy with the results so far. Not fabulous but it's getting to be the same color instead of BRG, Grey Primer, Black Primer, and Rust. Been that way for 5+ years since I bought the car. This is far better than it was for a couple of hours investment, probably 5-6 so far, in doing some Bondo work, priming, and sanding.

 

[zimmy]

Jim,it WILL look better than old paint....

my situation:
1. i GOTTA have a new windshield if i ever wanna drive at nite....
2 i DONT have to paint the car, i want to....
3 if i can do it for $50 and a weekend, why not?

its simple as that for me......

its not that i couldnt spray....i can.
but i dont have reliable equipment right now...add $150.
that $150 WILL get my windshield though!
i can paint the car with the change$ in my truck!

there are MANY cars already painted this way,
please read the 50+ page thread if u have any questions
or needa see a buncha pics.
its not just tractor paint, it good quality enamal!

dont forget to take a few pics Jim ...........zimmy

 

[Jim_Gruber]

So I've got the windshield on Bugsy that I am going to replace with a spare in the garage I bought a few years ago. Not perfect, 2 spots with rock chips but otherwise ok. A little polishing will restore it to pretty good condition. It will be available for a good price when I get the Bugeye bonnet finished and start the paint job to take Bugsy from Green to Royal BLue. I don't estimate that can happen before fall. Need a welder put into the budget first but I'll offer up the windshield if interested.

Yes paint job will definitely look better than existing paint job. Looks shiny under garage lights so far just after first pass. Now if I could figure out how to drop a picture in this note off of my PC I could show you what I started with.

Hey I'm happy to be able to get out in the garage and mess around a little. My restoration had been stalled by lack of a welder to replace A pillars on both sides and behins rear tires both sides. DS outer Sill needs to be patched and my Bugeye Bonnet needs metal welded in. So Bugsy visually has not made any progress in past 4 years. Just driving him ugly and having fun. Hunter Green not same as the BRG on there but not too far off.

Time to get back to work and stop thinking about playing with Bugsy. heck I only paid $900 for him and I've probably got another$1200 in parts and pieces over the years. Don't want to add up all of those receipts but minimum cost for a paint job, even MAACO would run me as much or more than I paid for the car. He's got the wrong engine for a '68 a 1098 and I'm going to customize with Bugeye bonnet. Never be a show car, just a fun driver. Someday I'll do a show car but right now no time or $ to do it that way. These old retired guys like Jack LAird have spent the last several years tinkering every day. I'm working 50-60 hours a weeks as it is and now with Spring coming grass cutting and yardwaork will occupy a major amount of spare time. Need to get Bugsy finished for now by next weekend. Take care.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Jim, you need to ga to a few car shows (even if the car is rough). There is usually a "diamond in the rough" class. I enjoy going to car shows to look at the cars, but the real fun is talking and networking with other spridget owners. Did I mention there is a show in Louisville KY on the first weekend in June? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[jlaird]

Hay wait. Yep I have spent a lot of time, but then I started with nothing.

Is it perfect, noop. Just a nice driver.

 

[Steve_Lawrence]

Hey Mike! You have your hood ornament on backward!

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Jack,

I appreciate your efforts in getting Miss Agatha done. You've been tireless in your efforts and I've followed your progress for many months. I know the satisfaction you felt when you got to drive her for the first time I felt the same kinship with Bugsy and I love driving a 40 y.o. car. I love being able to go out in the garage and tinker with him. The older I get the more I need to find things to tinker with and enjoying Bugsy certainly give s me the opportunity.

When I retire I'll have time to take on a restoration like Miss Agatha. I want to do a Bugeye. For now I'll settle for a '68 Bugeye Sprite when I finally get done.In the meantime however I want to get out and drive Bugsy as often as I can and the proverbial strip it down to nothing and begin again is not in the budget from either time or $ right now. We've all got opinions on this subject. Bugsy will never be a trailer queen, but he will get driven and appreciated several times per week and even during the winter when the salt is not on the roads. To all let's celebrate our diversity of opinion and get out and drive topless the way this car was intended to be driven.

 

[bugimike]

Hey Mike! You have your hood ornament on backward!

T'aint a Jag,hehe, that was the neighbors/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif !! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif