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Paint touch-up - Duplicolor equivalents?

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NutmegCT

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
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My 1959 Triumph was repainted "signal red" by the PO about five years ago. Not the world's greatest paint job, but at least it's holding.

There's a 1/2" circular popped paint bubble on the LR wing. No rust underneath - just shiny steel and primer.

I want to sand down, prime and repaint (rattle can).

Is there a way to find the Duplicolor equivalent to Signal Red? Duplicolor's website doesn't show that name, and I can't find an "equivalent table". Just taking cans off the store's shelf and holding up to the car is a bit dicey, especially with variance in the can top, and "wet vs dry" issues.

Thanks.
Tom
 
Duplicolor (and others) are designed to match manufacturer's colors but you're going to be really lucky to find anything to match a repaint unless they used a stock color from a modern manufactured car (even then red isn't the easiest to match).

I got lucky on mine, red from a late 90s Windstar van is almost a dead match. Close enough for little nicks, but not even close to what the color actually is.
 
Drive the car to a good body/paint supply huose and they can do a computer match and load it in rattle cans. Usually they have a 2 or 3 can minimum but it's your best shot at a match.

Marv J
 
With that as a problem I'd be more inclined to:
A) Have an automotive paint shop match the color. Have a half-pint mixed.
B) Build it to the edges using a sable artist's brush, several applications.
C) Wet sand (with a block) to height of existing finish with #600~#800.
D) buff, wax.

Trying to flatten and spray the area is going to be a real pain if you only have "rattle-can technology".
 
Doctor -

Could you give some details on step D: what specific products/techniques would you use for the post-sanding buff work?

Thanks.
Tom
 
Tom,

I'm in the process of tackling all the tiny scratches
and paint dings from the 2 year restoration.

What Doc posted about layering is my method. I had to
pay $125 for a computer matching color quart locally but
still cheaper by far than a professional paint shop touch up.

I use tiny sable brush, dry 48 hours, #800 grit wet, auto
polishing compound wet, marble polishing paste (#4Kto6K
grit?), more layers with same process until the scratch
is filled in. I final it with turtle wax.

An almost perfect blend from 2 feet away.

d
 
If you go to a reputable paint shop that fills rattle cans, they can mix your signal red in a rattle can for easy dispensing. You can then sand ,prime and fill , whatever you need and paint. You will need to use the rattle can within a day of filling, though. Not as expensive as it sounds. Take the car with you, they can then match it perfectly.
 
NutmegCT said:
Doctor -

Could you give some details on step D: what specific products/techniques would you use for the post-sanding buff work?

Thanks.
Tom
Click to expand...

Once the "spot" is level, polishing compound (NOT "rubbing" compound) on the area with some elbow grease and wax after that. If the metal underneath is undamaged and the paint match is good it should take a maginfying glass to detect the repair, not a two foot distance. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

It's like learning to use "SpotTone" on photo paper... practice on a place under the front bumper first. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
another thought is the companies that are springing up to repair minor dings - My wife was lightly rear ended and I recall it was about $200 to fill the scratches and repaint the bumper.
 
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