Thread: Roadster painting questions

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I've been working for months getting my roadster ready for paint. The body and frame have been taken apart, put of two rotiseries, media blasted, phosphate treated, and 27 parts were then powdercoated in primer (frame in semi gloss black). I then blocksanded it with 80 grit and filled with Evercoat Rage Gold and Evercoat Metal Glaze fillers. It's been shot with PPG NCP280/NCX285 "two part" Primer/Surfacer. This has been repeated until it's straight, flat, and it's now "block sanded" to 400 on the panels. I've spent close to $1500. in materials to this point, and have many hours in it so I don't want to screw it up. Money is tight, so I'm trying to do as much as I can myself on the paint job. Up to this point the primer was shot outside. I want to finish it in a single stage Maroon opaque color like was standard on a 1940 FORD.

Here are my questions,
1) I have 27 pieces to paint, most need to be painted on "all sides" so it's going to be a long drawn out deal anyway I do it. I'm thinking if I start with a single stage color I will be able to paint the body inside and underside, as well as the inside of the doors, deck lid, hoods, etc. I would do this outside, and if I get a few bugs or dirt in it it would not be a big deal, or at least fixable. I have lots of small brackets and parts that could be painted this way to save some money/time. Then, I would rent a spray booth or hire someone to shoot the outside final coat of the body, doors, decklid, hood top, hood sides, radiator shell, and frame outside surface. Does this sound like a good plan? Do you think I will have a color match problem since I will be shooting things at different times?

2)What do you think about shooting clear over the single stage paint when I get to the final coat? This would be done so I have some paint thickness to color sand and buff. The main reasoning behind the single stage is so I can paint all of the small parts and inside surfaces with out going to a bc/cc system.

3) Do I really need to use a Sealer since it already fully covered in "two part" surfacer? Also how much paint material do I need to purchase? It's a high boy roadster (no fenders) but it does have a three piece hood.

I want to stay with all PPG products since that is what I started with and I would like to stay the same all the way. Also, since I'm in California we are restricted to low V.O.C. product. This car will be driven (already driven 9000 miles in bare steel), so it needs to have an easily repairable top coat finish.

Thanks, any advice from others that have been down this road already is greatly appreciated.

John Palmer

One thing I might suggest is that to avoid color match problems from can to can, buy all your paint at one time and put all the cans together into one, then shake or stir it really well so you get one big batch that is a combination off all the slightly different mixes. Paint stores are generally pretty much dead on, but slight variances do occur.

Jay (Hotrodpaint) will probably be able to offer some thoughts on this subject.

Don

Sounds like the plan-I would use the SPI clear instead of the PPG other friends have had real good luck with it and you can sand it pretty much whenever.

Don, I always have thoughts ...on any subject. :-)

I don't use PPG, so I can't offer much there.

If the dark red paint doesn't cover well, a red sealer will get you closer to the final color, and lessen the chance of the primer color peeking through somewhere.

I know guys who do successfully use clear over single stage, and clear is a little easier to sand. Just shoot it right after your single stage, or you will be faced with having to sand the whole thing just to get adhesion.

....and don't forget to show pictures of it to your friends. :-)

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

Don, I always have thoughts ...on any subject. :-)

I don't use PPG, so I can't offer much there.

If the dark red paint doesn't cover well, a red sealer will get you closer to the final color, and lessen the chance of the primer color peeking through somewhere.

I know guys who do successfully use clear over single stage, and clear is a little easier to sand. Just shoot it right after your single stage, or you will be faced with having to sand the whole thing just to get adhesion.

....and don't forget to show pictures of it to your friends. :-)

Thanks Jay

Any guess on how much sealer and paint I should purchase?

John
...only 27 pieces? I suspect it isn't a full fendered "roaster" in CA. Try an 'A' full fendered roadster with running board splash shields and a 4 piece hood if you want frustration.

But enough of my whine. I too don't use PPG but SPI surface prep materials with DuPont color and SPI Universal clear. But that's a personal preference though I did use one quart of DuPont clear on the splash shields, it didn't 'lay out' quite as nicely as the SPI, it still worked well.

Single stage just wont make you happy especially with the amount of work you have expended. A good base coat with a good clear will really make the paint pop whichever color or brand you use. As far as small brackets, usually they can be either left without cutting and buffing or done by hand. The national brands, they are all pretty good at this point.

Final sanding - 400 may still show some sanding scratches. I ended up doing my final on the SPI epoxy with 800 tho some pros (I'm an amateur) will stop at 320/400.

Price of paint - anything that has red - 10 to 50% more expensive pigments. Mine - 7 quarts(one left for aw s#@$'s) of Venetian Orange @~$160/quart as it has some pearl, then about the same amount of clear @~$50/qt. Then of course add activators and any reducers. The PPG will be even more in red/maroon.

What ever you do/use, keep in touch!!!

Originally Posted by IC2

John
...only 27 pieces? I suspect it isn't a full fendered "roaster" in CA. Try an 'A' full fendered roadster with running board splash shields and a 4 piece hood if you want frustration.

But enough of my whine. I too don't use PPG but SPI surface prep materials with DuPont color and SPI Universal clear. But that's a personal preference though I did use one quart of DuPont clear on the splash shields, it didn't 'lay out' quite as nicely as the SPI, it still worked well.

Single stage just wont make you happy especially with the amount of work you have expended. A good base coat with a good clear will really make the paint pop whichever color or brand you use. As far as small brackets, usually they can be either left without cutting and buffing or done by hand. The national brands, they are all pretty good at this point.

Final sanding - 400 may still show some sanding scratches. I ended up doing my final on the SPI epoxy with 800 tho some pros (I'm an amateur) will stop at 320/400.

Price of paint - anything that has red - 10 to 50% more expensive pigments. Mine - 7 quarts(one left for aw s#@$'s) of Venetian Orange @~$160/quart as it has some pearl, then about the same amount of clear @~$50/qt. Then of course add activators and any reducers. The PPG will be even more in red/maroon.

What ever you do/use, keep in touch!!!

Damm Dave, Not exactly what I wanted to hear, LOL! I'm just going to box it all up and take it down to Earl Schrib and have them do their $39.95 "any color" special. Wait a minute, I heard your comment....."That Palmer Guy must be really OLD", to remember back to those days.

Seriously, I know your correct, I won't be satisfied with the "single stage" and I will go BC/CC as you, and others have suggested. I'll need to work on finding a place I can spray. The shade under the Elm tree is not cutting it because we have a family of hawks that have moved in!

So, it's on to the next step "sealer", "basecoat", "clearcoat", more "freaking sanding", and "final buff".

Thanks everyone for their input on my project.

[QUOTE=John Palmer;363236]Damm Dave, Not exactly what I wanted to hear, LOL! I'm just going to box it all up and take it down to Earl Schrib and have them do their $39.95 "any color" special. Wait a minute, I heard your comment....."That Palmer Guy must be really OLD", to remember back to those days.


No, you are just a pup........I remember when it was $ 29.95!

Don

TWO youngsters!! It was even $19.95 "way back then"

John - IF you can safely (security wise)rent a garage in your area, and it has a good enough 20 amp electrical service, and you have a good enough 110V transportable compressor as well as a good low air consumption gun (an IWATA is about the best as far as low air usage), it should be reasonable easy. I did a pretty good job sealing my garage off with 4 mil plastic, a supplied air suit, inlet air filtration and a high volume exhaust fan.