The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop PPG Delstar (DAR) ya got the SKINNY on it?

Ok, I’ve spent literally hours on line trying to find out what’s going on with PPG’s
Delstar line. And, I’m more cornfused now than when I started.
Even the dealers seem to be out of touch with what’s happening. I started out with Delstar
on the ‘50 cuz it looks a lot like the original enamel that was used on the ‘50. Oh I’ve
heard stories about how GM used lacquer and Ford used enamel back then, but you can
soak this original paint down with the hottest lacquer thinner you can find and it don’t
touch it. This truck was painted with baking enamel and that ‘s backed up by the specs
from the restoration packs.
So back to Delstar. Is PPG phasing the Delstar line out or not? We only have two PPG
paint dealers in the Chicago suburbs that I’m aware of, at least in a 25mile radius of me,
and only one still has the Delstar system in place and they have to order most of the base
or reducers when I need them. They are telling me that they think it will be gone in a year.
If that’s true what are they replacing it with? I can’t get a solid answer from the girl that’s
mixing the paint. I don’t want to get into a BC/CC I don’t like the gloss that these leave
you with and I don’t want to get into color sanding and buffing.
So do we have any painters out there who have the skinny on what PPG has up their
sleece?

Denny Graham
Sandwich IL

I sell PPG at a FLAPS, but we don't carry Delstar. No one uses enamel any longer-they've all gone to base/clear or now waterborne. I'm using Omni enamel on mine, you might look into that-it's PPG's second line. IMO it looks like enamel from back when.

My PPG rep says that they are phasing out the Delstar to meet EPA regs. for the amount of solvent that is used in the spayable mixture. The Omni line does not have any UV screeners so it will fade quickly like the old enamels did.

My Jobber has a commercial line of PPG called "Essentials" that is a single stage paint with a catalyst. it goes on nice, looks like enamel but is better quality, and less costly than the automotive line.

Yeah, the gal that mixes my DAR says 4-5 years and that's about all we're gonne be able
to get is the waterborne. But for now, she can still get the Delstar. She also has been
pushing Omni but my limited experience with Omni hasn't been the best. I did the
steering wheel and mast jacket with it and it took several coats to get a decent build
thickness vs the DAR or DCC and even then I see signs of it wearing thru the wheel after
only a short time.

Just got a call from my gal and she's got my Blue mixed so I'll ask her about the
"Essentials" when I'm up there this morning. I'm 100% in support of cleaning up the
environment I just hope the paint companies will be able to match the look of the old
enamels with the new systems. The BC/CC paints just don't do it in my book Steve.

While we’re on the subject, maybe someone can explain to me why the water based
paints wouldn’t rust the bare metals when they are applied directly to it? I have this
picture in my mind of the water based house paint cans with the rust around the lids and
inside after sitting for a spell.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Okey dokey, talked to a couple of people about the "Essentials", seems like it's a watered down version of the Delfleet system aimed at the guy painting his hot rod out behind the barn. In the same way Omni is the watered down version of the Delstar or Concept lines.
DG

you use specially lined cans w/waterborne.

Yeah but, is the fender specially lined???
Is the primer also waterborne?
For the system to really be environmentally
sound then the primers would have to be waterborne also.
So what happens when the water and air hits the bare fender???
There taint no fighting it, we've got to do something to keep
from ruining the air we breath and the ozone layer that keeps
us cool and I’m sure they have it worked out it they are selling
it all over the world.
Back in the late 70’s when I was building my air plane, they were first
introducing the waterborne paints for fabric covered aircraft. It really
didn’t catch on very well but that was very early in it’s development.
I’d like to learn more about it because like the electric car, it’s the
wave of the future, so we‘d better get to know it sooner than later.

I talked with the service rep at PPG this afternoon and she said when
they are phasing out a paint line they get obsolescence notices. She had
no such notice about the Delstar (DAR) paint system as of this date.
So I think I might be safe as long as I can find a dealer that will order it
for me and has the correct tints in their paint room.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

only the base color is waterborne.

Well I that would make sense but that means that we're still using solvent based primers and sealers. I guess that helps a little but still doesn't solve the VOC polution problem does it.
Thanks Brian

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL