Getting close to paint decision time. Need advice.

[luvmyclassics]

I am considering painting my truck on my own which I have no experience doing. My son would help as he has painted various body parts but never a complete vehicle.

I live very close to an Eastwood store and they keep telling me I can do it.

Here are my concerns and questions:

Looking at both a single stage paint or a pearl BC/CC. Not sure if a BC/CC is too much to try on first project. Perhaps single stage makes more sense because I could paint piece by piece.

Would likely have to paint outdoors in a portable garage set up for painting.

Thinking of using Eastwood paint which appears to be Kirker brand paint. Price is the attraction as well as the help they are offering. However, if the paint job wont last 10 plus years it is not the paint for me.

Appreciate any advice.

[51 MERC-CT]

You have concentrated on which type color paint to use and how long it will last, but without the proper prep it does'nt really matter.

[luvmyclassics]

If I paint the truck myself I will do all of the prep work. I do understand that any paint job is only as good as the prep.

[Ken/Alabama]

Personally, I prefer single stage paint. Acrylic Enamel. The last I used was single stage acrylic Urethane and it seemed to be a little less forgiving than the enamel. Either way, you can wet sand with 1000 grit and take it on up to 2000 then buff it. I paint outside, I have no spray booth.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Ken/Alabama

Personally, I prefer single stage paint. Acrylic Enamel. I paint outside, I have no spray booth.

C'mon Ken, no reason to be shy. Let's show 'em the big picture.....beautiful Zep! DD

[Floyd]

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You will get lots of opinions on this subject. First off, if you do most of the other types of work on your old cars and you consider yourself careful, patient, and very detail oriented, then you may be a candidate for painting. If you are OK with putting in lots of time (100 to 200 hundred hours plus) you may be ready to try painting. If you want to save a ton of money, you are a candidate.
The new single stage urethane paints are great and can be color sanded and buffed to perfection. I think Eastwood may be a little pricey for paint and body shop supplies. I would find a good local body shop supply company for primer, sandpaper, solvent, tape advice etc. Then go to a real auto paint store, Dupont, PPg ,etc for your finish paint. Buy a decent spraygun from TCP Global (DevilBiss ) for about $300 . You can put plastic tarps in a garage and it will work fine. However renting a spray booth is probably the way to go when it comes to the final paint.
Remember that it is prep, prep, prep and then prep and then prime. Then sand, sand, prep, prep and reprime. This goes on a long time and then consider starting to paint.
I did my 32 in the garage and it looks good, (at least to me)
My opinion

[deuce_roadster]

Like Ken, I have painted outside many times with great success. I had a paint booth in my last shop and didn't build one in my new shop. Pick your day and weather conditions, a slight breeze is nice but I set up fans that blow the overspray away, start closest to fans and move toward the other end of the car painting the horizontal surfaces last to avoid overspray settling on it. I have had equal success with both (catalyzed) acrylic enamel and single stage urethane. and as Ken said, you can fix minor flaws and wet sand out any orange peel with up to fine (2000 to 2500) then compound it out to a great finish.
Also as mentioned before, modern primers and sealers are superior to the old lacquer substrates, if you take it to bare metal, etch it, seal it with a catalyzed primer sealer, go over this with primer surfacer, guide coat it (fog a contrasting color over sandable primer) block it find your low places, glaze (new pourable glaze is great) low spots or add more primer, repeat the guide coat/block sand steps until you are satisfied with the surface, spray a final sealear like Transtar in a color like your final coat and then shoot your color. You can do it!
I would discourage using a metallic color for your first paint job. There are a number of things that can go wrong with metallics.
good luck!

[19Fordy]

I agree with Ken. Painted mine with NAPA Martin Senor 8800 Black Acrylic enamel with urethane hardener in 1980 inside a garage. Car was on a lift. When the paint finally dries it's rock hard. Still looks great after all the years. Make sure you wear a suit that provides fresh air as this paint is hazardous to your skin, lungs and eyes. Can cause cancer. I didn't know that and wore only a paper nose and mouth mask. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. When it dries you can wet sand and buff. Shines like a diamond. Use HLVP gun not the old siphon feed from years ago.

[38bill]

I have used single stage urethane and really like it. If you screw up it hardens fast and you can just sand it out. The stuff is hard on your lungs so make sure you have the proper mask and good ventilation. I painted my truck completely outdoors and I found that if I tried to remove bugs and such on the surface while the paint was still wet it just screwed up the finish. Let them stick and sand them out later. PS: I'm no body man but I would not use pearl or metallic for my first paint job. It take some skill to lay them down so the finish looks even. In my opinion its also a lot harder to match if you need to repair later.

[waterboychuck]

I used single stage urethane from TCP global. For me the price was right and the end results were very good. I also purchased my spray gun from them. I thing I would suggest is go to Youtube and watch a few videos on how things are done and also how to set up you gun for the proper pressure etc.

[38bill]

One more thing. Even though one step urethane is very shiny it seems to have a softer look than BC/CC that I really like. Here's mine after 17 years.

[mrtexas]

Buy an Iwata spray gun. Very good guns.

[grumppyoldman]

I talked to a car painter and he said anyone could do a good paint job if they used the HVLP type gun, Good Luck and keep us posted. Al

[chap52]

I never painted a vehicle before and ended up doing it in my garage using TCP Global paint & supplies and a $20 Harbor Freight gun. Three coats of primer sanded with 900 grit between coats, then two coats of 2 part Ivory Enamel wetsanded down to 2000 grit then polished out. Worked great and I can take credit for any flaws found.
Great experience and I enjoyed the adventure. Can't ask for more than that.

[Scott H in Wheaton]

My 36 is painted with Eastwood's Wimbledon White.

I like the look of a single stage solid color. If I need to repair it, no problems blending a clear or getting a metallic to match. I highly suggest staying away from pearl or metallic. I've sprayed them in a both and done well, but would not do them outdoors.
painted cab right.jpg

[Lawson Cox]

If you are going to paint your own car/truck, let me make a couple of suggestions that cover mistakes I have made painting 2 cars one truck myself.

Your choice as to paint/supplier, etc. BUT

Have a Pro tell you how much paint you'll need to purchase. Double it.

If it will take more than one can, Pour all paint together in a good clean bucket and ,mix it all together up front. Although it is all mixed up by one guy there WILL be slight differences in the two buckets, even if mixed on machines using a formula. Don't ask me how I know.

Insist on a copy of the formula. Easier to use the same formula than to try to eyeball a perfect match. You're still going to have to tweak it a bit. Supplier may try to charge you for keeping track of the formula and charge big bucks to furnish you with a copy. Try not to fall for that trick.

Try to paint everything at the same time. Colors can change with volume and pressure settings.

My 2¢.

[40 Deluxe]

I've found it much easier to spray metallics using base coat/clear coat. If you get some shading or zebra stripes in the color coat or it looks blotchy, no problem. Once the clear goes on, it all evens out and looks great.

[edhd58]

I tried painting mine in steps, fenders one day, little pieces another and main body still another BIGGGGGG mistake. I use ppg single stage urethane, and ppg primers. wound up hainging the fenders on it and painting it all again at one time. My 42 took a gallon of color, plus the reducer plus the activator. wound up also adding some clear to the last coat. total was nearly two gallons of material sprayed.

[Ol' Ron]

Wall mart has a sale on rattle cans, bought a bunch.

[tiger.1000]

Luvmy,

There is no real substitute for the old fashioned cellulose paint. Lots of preparation;as many as three coats of colour, all flatted down between coats then finished with rubbing compound and T-Cut.

Cellulose paint has that special depth which is impossible to duplicate with modern 2-pack paints.