The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Paint Recommendations

So I have realized I am way behind the times on automotive paint. The last vehicle I painted was in 1983. Back then, I just went to the local auto parts store, gave them a color code, they mixed some paint and I sprayed it on.

Fast forward to today...

I have selected the colors for my '53. I have a friend who has a paint booth and an employee who is a very talented painter. He will paint my truck, but I have to purchase and bring the paint myself.

We are a long way from being ready to paint the truck, but as we complete parts (bed, fenders, etc), we have to shoot some primer on them.

So my friend tells me, be sure to get the right kind of primer for the paint you plan to use. I ask him what kind I should use and he says, we can shoot just about anything.

So I talk to the local auto parts guy, he asks if I want Enamel, Urethane or Lacquer...and then he asks if I want Base Coat and Clear Coat.

I'm not sure what we used way back in the '70s and '80s. I'm thinking it was Lacquer, because we mixed a hardener in it.

I also know most of the newer vehicles use a Base and Clear Coat. That is Urethane, correct?

I'm way behind the curve on this and open to any advice.

Thank You
Tim

This is controversial I suppose, but I like PPG products, not just because they are considered top of the line, but because my PPG representative is close by and very helpful. So the routine is:

1) DPLF Epoxy Primer over bare metal
2) K36 High Build Urethane Primer for smoothing. Use with Rage Gold filler where needed. This step usually takes about 3 applications. I do it with 80 grit, then 220, then 400 all dry.
3) Epoxy Sealer - very important to seal in all of the substrates and it totally heals 400 grit making 400 the last sanding step.
4) Base Coat Urethane. I use PPG's Concept in the color of your choice.
5) Clear Coat. About 6 layers of it makes it so I dont worry as much about burning through it with the wet sanding process.

VERY expensive just in the paints listed above. I do not entertain going with a different brand since what I pay more in paint is justified with the questions I ask and the fact that they come to me and look over my project from time to time.

Hope this helps! 36 and 48 inch long boards are helpful too. Its like purchasing an Airplane. No end to the expense, but lots of fun if you do it right!

Just bought all of the above for the '46 project earlier this week. Expensive stuff!!!! Sure hope it's worth it.

Hey Lynngrove - here is what I am using

SPI epoxy on all bare metal that will sit for some period of time. Can be set outside as well. Internet purchase (plan ahead!) $180 for 2 sprayable gallons, white, black or gray.

Tamco DTM Primer $84 (autobody101 dot com) for 1.25 sprayable gallons. Internet purchase so plan ahead. GOOD STUFF!

My local jobber sells Wanda paint. Also good stuff. Not yet well known but very good coverage. The pricing reflects the fact that they have zero customer service on the phone. There is a supplier east of you. I am trying base coat/clear coat this time for my two trucks. Not as original looking as single stage but heck, the stuff looks like you could dive into it. I paid $300 for a gallon of paint and a gallon of reducer ($268 and $14 respectively). The jobber's clear I chose is Matrix Universal. $135 for a gallon and I will use the reducer I already have to make 1.25 sprayable gallons.

I have done about 10 trucks for the old neighbor behind me and he uses Napa's Martin Senour products in single stage and they are just fine as well. It really all depends on what you want to pay. You won't get better paint than PPG but I can't personally see spending that much $$$ on something that I plan on taking outside on the highway. I like to spend somewhere in the middle and try not to beat myself up over my choice.

I hope this helps in some way. Please use the modern urethanes as they are way better than enamels and lacquer.

Good Luck

I have been spraying PPG products for over 25 years. I agree with some of what Deve has said above. However... The Concept paint is a single stage paint. Meaning that it does not need a clear coat.

Different painters like different products. Ask the guy who is holding the gun what he prefers. Getting something that he is used to will assure that he knows how things will lay down and your paint job will be better.

I just painted my 46 2-ton. I used this process..

-Bare metal
-Rust repair/metal work
-DP Epoxy primer
-All body work
-Evercoat Slick Sand ( cheaper than K38. A sprayable body filler almost)
-Block with 80 touch up body work
-PPG K38 Block with 220 dry fill minor imperfections
-PPG K38 Block with 320 wet
-Wet sand with 500
-DP Epoxy reduced with DT870
-PPG DBC base coat
-PPG 2002 clear with DFX11 hardner and reduced with DT 885

See the photo's in the link below.

Thank you for the info. It is much appreciated.

Tim

I always use a single part paint on the antiques. Now PPG Concept is the best available and use the hardner. Used Dupont Centari for many years but no longer available
Maybe it's just me but I can see the difference between a clear coat paint job and a single part. I just think anything made before 1965 doesn't look original with a clear coat.
Not to mention, when you are doing a complete restoration and painting lots of individual pieces over the course of the build, painting everything again with a clear coat is a lot of work.
Little repairs or touch ups are much easier with single part.

We do the same as Jim Sears describes, for the same reasons as Jim describes.

"I always use a single part paint on the antiques. Now PPG Concept is the best available and use the hardner."

However, Jim, I think the PPG DCC Concept paint should be referred-to as a two-part/component single-stage paint.

"CONCEPT® (DCC) Acrylic Urethane is a premium quality, single stage, two component refinish product designed to offer exceptional gloss and color match. It is available in conventional single-stage solid and metallic colors and can be used over all properly prepared OEM Finishes and cured air dried finishes."

We have also used PPG Omni (on select projects) which is a lower-cost two-part single-stage Urethane.

Keep in mind guys, and something I learned at the PPG supplier, Concept is Clear Coat compliant. It is the only single stage PPG identifies as a paint that you can do without Clear, or WITH clear. Thats why it I am sold on it. No need to clear coat the bottom of the cab for example. Yet, clear on the outside of the cab is essential. NO problemo!

If you use 400 grit as your last sanding step DRY, the PPG epoxy sealer will heal those scratches so the ONLY wet sanding you are going to do is AFTER the clear coat. I like it!

Or, you can color-sand the PPG Concept DCC single-stage to a glossy/glassy finish, without a clear coat. Do it soon after painting (within 24-48 hrs) - it gets hard as H after a few days.

Tim, the Concept I have used IS 100% gloss. But I assume you mean glass finish which is beyond gloss. All of the Yellow you see in my pictures, the differential cover, the tie rod, the calipers, the driveshaft are gloss yellow. Concept. Its very glossy, but not sanded glass finish. I am looking forward to final painting my cab, but really, putting it off because I am kind of scared to do it. Getting a run in the final finish using Concept.. as you said it gets HARD after a few days.

Deve,

I was trying to get across that the single-stage gloss finish is a glassy finish (perhaps like a clear coat) - people often ask if it is BC/CC - I simply reply: no, it is a single-stage paint job, just like the original.

Yeah, I get that Tim. Interesting thing about Concept is it behaves just like the old Omni did. Super glossy, one stage, no extra steps. Yet Concept is better since it is designed chemically to accept Clear Coat if you SO CHOOSE. Very nice! Agree Tim.

Edit: I just also remembered that the PPG reps say to strengthen Concept and make it even better, mix Clearcoat IN with Concept if you so choose. Its just worth looking into.

Yes, my bad, "Single Stage".
It does have an amazing gloss without a clear coat.