Thread: Flat colors...will they go "out of style" or are they pretty much here to stay?

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One of the recent things I've seen around here are a few cars being painted in an acrylic enamel....for some it’s a question of economics, but a couple have purposely been done that way so the paint is not the deep deep shine that you get with a BC/CC system.

A friend of mine is restoring the flathead powered 32 Ford coupe he owned and raced back in the mid 60’s. It’s definitely shiny, but IMO the less than 10 mile deep shine looks just right for this car.

OK...looks like it's going to be gloss paint. I just don't want to be dropping a chunk of change on a brand new paint job that could be "obsolete" in a couple years. And, I think you're right...gloss paint never goes out of style. Thanks for your input and advice. Please feel free to add any further comments. Thanks again.


Tom

Comments?? Where's the pictures?? That's what we're after!

Wellllllll...here's what I'm starting with. I'm hoping to take it to the painter after the Good Guys Heartland Nationals in Des Moines over the July 4th weekend.


http://www.earlytindusters.com/color...1/promiser.jpg


But first, one of these (3rd pic down) is going on the engine...


http://www.force-efi.com/stacks.htm


However, in keeping with an old school (late 50's to mid 60's) street rod look I'm going to have the hood and maybe the trunk louvered. I'm thinking of running painted rims (same color as the car) with chrome spiders and trim rings, and semi-wide white walls, There will also be some early style pinstriping done. Once the car is painted a dark plumb gloss, it's pretty much complete. A new cream ultra-leather interior was installed 2 years ago.




Tom

Yes,that colour will look awesome on it. notice the difference of the paint finish of the sedan beside your in the 1st photo, totally different and gives that finished look. The wheels is another matter,I wouldn't sell what is on it yet as they suit the car too. Nice looking fuel injection unit but going onto a '50's to 60's looking car???? That might clash???

Just a suggestion for you Tom. If you're going to louver the hood, have a deflector shield formed for under the hood to deflect the water that will inevitably come in. You'll especially thank me when it comes time to clean up that beautiful injection system. On an old '55 Chev I had we had one........it was basically a near full size sheet metal panel set off about two inches for airflow on the underside of the hood. It had a stiffener ridge down the center to keep it from fluttering. Worked well and helped keep the engine cleaner.

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

Yes,that colour will look awesome on it. notice the difference of the paint finish of the sedan beside your in the 1st photo, totally different and gives that finished look. The wheels is another matter,I wouldn't sell what is on it yet as they suit the car too. Nice looking fuel injection unit but going onto a '50's to 60's looking car???? That might clash???

I'm keeping the current wheels and tires so I can switch back and forth. Just as a little prank, I'm tempted to put one set of wheels and tires on one side and the other set on the opposite side and take it to a car show that way, LOL.
As far as the fuel injection is concerned, there were lots of late 50's early 60's cars with Hilborn/Crower style 8 stack fuel injection. I know...I was there. What you're looking at is based on a Hilborn mechanical unit but it is electronic vs mechanical and it's specifically designed for my engine/heads/cam configuration. The only real difference is the units used during the 50's and 60's were mechanical injection and mine will be electronic.
The only thing about the engine that might make it "incorrect" for the era is it's a Gen. IV big block Chevy (BBC). As you may know, aside from the "W" block engines, the first BBC didn't come along until 1965 (the 396). But I think it's close enough to fit the era. And, I'm not looking to be 100% "correct" for the era. I'm just going for the general look. Sort of "quasi-old school" if ya' know what I mean.


Tom

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Just a suggestion for you Tom. If you're going to louver the hood, have a deflector shield formed for under the hood to deflect the water that will inevitably come in. You'll especially thank me when it comes time to clean up that beautiful injection system. On an old '55 Chev I had we had one........it was basically a near full size sheet metal panel set off about two inches for airflow on the underside of the hood. It had a stiffener ridge down the center to keep it from fluttering. Worked well and helped keep the engine cleaner.

Bob,

Thank you so much for the suggestion. I will definitely pass it on to the painter.

Tom

Thanks for the info Tom and yes, I should of thought of Tommy Ivo's T with the Nailhead and 8 stack injection. Glad you will run with the two different wheels and swap to suit your mood. Have to agree with Dave on catching the water before dirtying your engine.

Yeah, 8 stack Hilborn/Crower and Enderle "hat" injection were very common in the 50's and 60's. Of course sprint cars have used Hilborn mechanical injection for 40 years or more. However, that kind of fuel injection is designed to operate at wide open throttle (WOT) and was rather temperamental and glitchy for street use. So, relatively recently they started converting Hilborn mechanical units to electronic. And more currently companies like Hilborn, Inglese, Kinsler, Imagine, and Force EFI have started to actually make/manufacture Hilborn style 8 stack electronic fuel injection for use on the street. They have proven to be quite reliable and efficient, just like factory EFI on passenger cars. Many are self learning and require no laptop tuning. The main drawback of these systems is cost. They range from about $5000 to as much as $11000.


Tom

Love the look of 8 stacks,but I could not aford that when I was building hotrods in the late 50's into the early 60's,did findly get 2x4 set up for my 292Y-block.
One thing that always seems odd to me is statemints like ["50's/60's quasi-old school look of flat or saten paint"],that was not a look at at all then,the plan was alway shiny,but a few never made it to shiny,yet no one I knew ever thought of there not yet shiny primer as a finish or even good looking or cool.but was going to be when the shiny got put on!.
The point is flat is not how it was to be,thats just some 70 or 80 guy or younger not knowing what he was looking at. I guess it's like some one saying who was the first pinstriper,roman chairits had pinstriping and ya can go older then that too.

all i know is we never built them butt ugly on purpose. and being a paint primer is not a top coat

{...["50's/60's quasi-old school look of flat or saten paint"]...}


That's not really an accurate quote from my post. It's more of a paraphrase with quotation marks. The word "quasi" means somewhat. I never professed that a flat color was an accurate representation of a 50's-60's street rod.
And I now want gloss, not satin. I do agree entirely regarding flat colors only being temporary paint or just a prep for gloss paint in the 50's and 60's. I was there and grew up during that time.


Tom