Thread: Paint gurus...

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After this past month of $30k estimates I have decided to tackle a project myself, my own personal 1972 4X4 F-100 w/600HP 390FE (if she turns out good then I'll shoot my Charger R/T ... )

It is slated for paint this winter and after hanging out on this forum these past few days I think I've got the liquid courage to spray the beast myself. I am very familiar with HVLP and shooting one-step PPG paints and a few candys of House of Kolor on "small" items...IE engine parts. With some practice I think I could pull it off considering the truck is rust free and straight. Great first timer project...

Now my question to the gurus. I am interested in that goldish/metallic tan color GM shot on some of their trucks around 94 to 96. I can research the paint code but I guess my question is...what level of experience does it take to shoot/mix that color? The color does have a little bit of pearl/metalic to it but is this a one-step style paint? I couldn't imagine them going through the process it takes with say...Candy blue from House of Kolor and having to wait for the silver to flash off...etc..etc.

Where should I start on getting this color? PPG?

~Ty

Ty, You can buy that color from any major paint manufacturer. They will be able to find the paint code, and show you some color chips.

Expect to do some bodywork on the back of the cab.

If it's a stepside, it may be easier to replace the bed, or tailgate, if it's too beat up.

You need to think about taking the bed off to paint the front of it, and the back of the cab.

Use a basecoat/clearcoat, which you should always do on a metallic.

Make sure you spray the basecoat "wet". Shooting it too dry will make the metallic splotchy.

Spray the clear no more than 24 hours after the base. 2-12 hours is better.

Ty,
All GM trucks are base coat / clear coat since the body redesign in 1988 .
PPG can most likely mix the gold in a single stage DCC product , but BC/CC in DBU will be alot easier,
just make sure you cross hatch across the hood , roof , and bed floor as it has a tendenacy to tiger stripe if you keep going one direction on all 3-4 coats . The base will dry to a simi flat look , mixes 1:1 with DRR reactive reducer and the clear give the color POP and UV protection .

Make sure you clear over the DBU base no later then 30 minutes to an hour after spraying it , its a wet on wet porduct. I have been spraying it since it came out in 1987/88 , and never have had any problems with it .
If you let the base dry to long , the clear has nothing to bite to , and could cause a delamination of the clear.

If you have mastered good gun technique with Kandys , then you shouldnt have much problem with PPG's DBU , now DBC is a tad harder because its a non catylized base , unlike DBU . Its why I stick with spraying DBU , because in a heat make up down draft booth , you can pound the living crap out of it and have no problems !!!
Need to in a production dealership . Its what makes me alot of money !!

Spray

Originally posted by HOTRODPAINT
Ty, You can buy that color from any major paint manufacturer. They will be able to find the paint code, and show you some color chips.

Expect to do some bodywork on the back of the cab.



You need to think about taking the bed off to paint the front of it, and the back of the cab.

Since the engine is out of the truck awaiting its transplant I plan to remove the bed as well as the cab. The truck mocked up right now with its new suspension lift and the front and rear diffs are rebuilt with detroits mounted to 38" tires...again...awaiting the engine and wiring. Once the cab is removed for paint I can also replace the notorious cab mount pedstals...which no longer exist thanks to rust (the only rust on this truck).

Sounds like some great advice. Specially the cross-hatch part! Here is a snap shot of the truck currently. Engine, Rearend work, and eventually paint...did all the work myself thus far (except for my employee Josh putting on the wheels in the truck pic

http://www.tpcracing.com/images/chr01.JPG
http://www.tpcracing.com/images/chr02.JPG
http://www.tpcracing.com/images/chr03.JPG

The color your talking about might be pewter... they put that color on like everything..lol.. there putting that color on newer trucks also..