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repainting your Triumph

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71tr

71tr

Jedi Warrior
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Will be repainting the TR6 soon and am undecided on final topcoat brand. Doing the work myself with an HVLP sprayer, have already stripped the body to bare metal and coated with etch primer and primer sealer. Any comments on paint brands and suppliers; PPG, Dupont, Senour, Kirker etc. Also, single stage vs clearcoat?
 
71tr, the PPG acrylic with hardner will give you the original look and can be buffed out just like clear coat and JMO looks better. Wayne
 
Prep is everything, as you well know. Sounds as if you have your primer down pat. I have always been a fan of basecoat/clearcoat. I have had a lacquer paint job on one TR6. Beautiful but difficult. I then had an acrylic paint job on another TR6. Bad prep and an easy paint to chip. Basecoat/clearcoat does not look "original" but sure shines and is tough. I currently have such a paintjob on my 6, using PPG paint, and touch up the rock chips with PPG acrylic. My vote is PPG base/clear. Now, is your primer compatable with such a finish?

Bill
 
71, I've used nothing but PPG for years and love the stuff. I did my GT6 with Acrylic enamel in the original white, and shot 3 coats of clear over it. Turned out beautifully. But, as Bill mentions, you need to find out what top coats are compatible with the primer.
Jeff
 
Painting is a process of layering, you can shoot pretty much anything over anything if you know your materials. Thats what proper drying times and sealer coats are all about. You could shoot Imron over latex wall paint if you seal it right. Thats what spec sheets at your paint jobber are for. Just as an experiment, I painted water. By the way Laquer chips far easier than acrylic enamel.
 
Thanks all. I've got the spec sheets for most brands and will carefully review before final coating. PPG seems to be getting the nod. Anyone have suggestions on reasonably priced supplier?
 
I'm in the process of painting my '71 TR6 as well, but you are ahead of me regarding priming, etc. The advice I've received says you should find a local paint supplier - not a mail order or internet based supplier - especially if this is your first time to paint a car. The reason being simply so you can get a lot of good info and have a place to run to if you need products during drying times, etc.

I found a place nearby and the folks have been real helpful. They sell both name brand and generic products and have helped me save money on prep materials by recommending some generics over the name brands (such as wax remover, etc.).

A good source of info is the forum at www.autobodystore.com.

I don't have a heated place to paint my car so I've put everything on hold until it warms up.
 
Re: Sad story about repainting long ago

Back in the mid 70's my first car was a '68 Chevelle 327, Really fast, especially for my first car. Anyhow the car was in great shape, but the paint was shot, dull blue with no life left in it.

So being in the Auto parts buiss I had a local paint shop re-spray the whole car in lacquer black. I remember meeting with the owner & him telling me how he would have to "seal" the exist paint & prime to accept the lacquer. I remember driving by the shop every day seeing the car go through it's stages. Two weeks later I was told it was going in the spray booth for the top coat of black lacquer & that it would look like a new car the following Monday. I couldn't wait to see it!

Monday rolls around & I swing by the shop on my way to work & the owner has this awful look on his face. Apparently the primer/sealer didn't protect the orig paint & the entire paint job lifted! It looked awful. Anyway they sanded the car to bare & started over & it finally turned out great! They even held to the $ est. saying it was their bad. Good businessman!

Goes to shoe in the early days of paint & body work things didn't always go as expected.

p.s. I paid $600 for the car & $500 for the paint job!

Good luck with your project.
 
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