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Paint Supplier

SaxMan

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I'm looking for a recommendation for a paint supplier -- I'm looking to repaint my '53 Plymouth. I used automotivetouchup.com in the past, but they've been very slow to respond to my inquiries -- in fact, they haven't responded at all. I'm thinking I'll need 2 gallons to paint the entire car and all the door sills, trunk, etc.
 
For the last two paint projects I have worked on I used TCP Global. Their fleet color paint "kits" are very affordable. If you want a very original factory color, they will mix for you. However, the factory color kits cost more... color matching a chip you send them will cost even more.

I have used both their enamel and 2-part, single stage urethane. They are a good deal less expensive than PPG. In general I was pleased. The only bad thing is shipping from their location in CA to you in MD will be somewhat expensive and must go by ground.
 
Surely there would be local suppliers? CarQuest NAPA.

matching Detroit Iron would hopefully be easier - and, much as I love the likes of Ebay & Amazon etc - buying local has its merits.
 
I have used Colours, Inc. I believe they have distributors throughout the east coast.
https://gocolours.com/
 
Surely there would be local suppliers? CarQuest NAPA.
matching Detroit Iron would hopefully be easier - and, much as I love the likes of Ebay & Amazon etc - buying local has its merits.

Our nearest NAPA used to sell paint but they stopped about a decade ago which forced me to buy either PPG or DuPont from the local sources. Their paints are excellent but pricey.

I'm not sure about Car Quest. They were bought by Advance Auto a few years back and may not carry what they used to.

Eastwood and Summit Racing also sells paint.
 
Our nearest NAPA used to sell paint but they stopped about a decade ago which forced me to buy either PPG or DuPont from the local sources. Their paints are excellent but pricey.

I'm not sure about Car Quest. They were bought by Advance Auto a few years back and may not carry what they used to.

Eastwood and Summit Racing also sells paint.

We still have a NAPA Paint store in Albuquerque. You can buy pre-mixed paint or give them a chip and they can make you ca can to match.
 
Thanks for the tip about going local. There is a Sherwin-Williams Automotive Paint store about 15 minutes from me. I'll probably pop by and visit. Also a NAPA that is supposed to sell paint in the same general vicinity.
 
Thanks for the tip about going local. There is a Sherwin-Williams Automotive Paint store about 15 minutes from me. I'll probably pop by and visit. Also a NAPA that is supposed to sell paint in the same general vicinity.

A good auto paint jobber will be your best friend. Painting a car is all about using products that will work together from the primer, filler, surfacer all the way to the final coats. Decide what topcoat you want to use and work backwards. The manufacturers all produce sheets that will tell you what they will support for undercoats and topcoats. The local guys will get all the feedback from the local body shops and can, if they are good, tell you what works with what. NAPA used to distribute Martin-Senour, which was later bought out by Sherwin Williams, so maybe your Sherwin-Williams shop is also feeding the local NAPA store. At any rate, I'd ask the Sherwin- Williams store what shops they are distributing to and pay them a visit. Tell them what you want to do and they can probably give you some good advice.
 
I took car to Colours and they used a camera spectro to exactly match the paint. They mixed a gallon and a spay can to match in little over an hour.
 
NAPA is still using Martin Senour paints. I may stop by and talk to them tomorrow morning, since they are open Saturdays and the Sherwin Williams is not. Thinking that I should go with an enamel paint base layer with a clear coat, as I need to have lettering painted on the car (this is going to be a police car replica) and should probably clearcoat the lettering to protect it.
 
I used Martin Senior Tough Coat for the chassis and running gear on my TF 7 years ago and it still looks perfect today. Inexpensive compared to regular automotive paints. For a high gloss finish on the sheet metal the Tough Coat might not be the proper blend, I'd just ask them. I like Martin Senior paint. I won't even say what the different brand paint on the body and fenders cost! :rolleyes2: PJ
 
I stopped in at the Sherwin Williams Automotive Paint shop -- they were very helpful in telling me all the things I need and how to get each product to "play nice" with the other. Right now, I'm just waiting for them to get enough toner in to make two gallons of paint in the color I need. Then the real fun can begin.
 
If you thin the paint to your guns specs, you'll probably have a lot of paint left over. You more than likely know this, but unless you have a climate controlled paint booth, Don't paint on a humid day, dryer the better. :encouragement:
 
If you thin the paint to your guns specs, you'll probably have a lot of paint left over. You more than likely know this, but unless you have a climate controlled paint booth, Don't paint on a humid day, dryer the better. :encouragement:
Thin the paint to your gun specs??????
Paint is to be reduced as per the paint manufactures ratio of hardener and reducer!
I do agree that two gallons is way more than enough paint. Once the reducer and hardener are added, you will have more like three gallons of material.
 
Thin the paint to your gun specs??????
Paint is to be reduced as per the paint manufactures ratio of hardener and reducer!
I do agree that two gallons is way more than enough paint. Once the reducer and hardener are added, you will have more like three gallons of material.

Yes manufactures specs, but I have different tips for my guns depending if I'm spraying lacquers or enamels and a different gun for primers, Actually I have a different type of gun for what I'm spraying, HP, LP etc.
 
So, I hadn't heard from the Sherwin-Williams guys in quite some time, so I picked up the phone and called them. I got some "who struck John" that they had reached out to me several times (I never got one call), and that when they didn't hear from me, they returned the tint to their factory. I asked them what number they had on file, and he said they couldn't find it. Needless to say, I'm not going to pursue this any further with them. Probably just as well, as I'm still a few weeks away from being able to start painting.

Doing a quick internet search, I discovered there is a PPG paint supplier literally around the corner from my office, which has received excellent reviews. I'll go give them a try.
 
Excellent. Be sure they are a Platium dealer and have the paint ratios on a label hidden behind the main label.
Go for DCC, as it has the best finish.
 
Pretty standard stuff on that link. DP epoxy is the best product that I have found, along with self etching primer.
 
The latest in my paint saga: It turned out the PPG supplier was just a house paint supplier, but they directed me to an auto paint supplier around the block, who carried PPG paints. They hooked me up with the correct color, and since PPG is a 1:1 mix, I only needed one gallon instead of two. Also got the primer, reducer, hardener and clear coat -- all for about half of what I was going to pay at Sherwin Williams.

I have only a couple more things to do on the '53 Plymouth before I start shooting, but right now, Mother Nature is going to be the main factor of when the paint starts. It's still too warm and too humid to shoot.
 
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