Re: What Painting Process to use

Posted by Marco on March 06, 1998 at 12:19:21

In Reply to: What Painting Process to use
posted by Craig on March 06, 1998 at 07:49:11

Craig,
I agree somewhat with Bob's comments, however keep in mind that when the cars were produced they were painted over ALL NEW METAL. The cars didn't have ANY rust pits, or poorly repaired body damage. The sheen of the buffed laquer was outstanding, but limited to the exterior panels of the body and the face of the gas tank. The fenders were identical top AND bottom except a small area of controlled run-off on the bottom side. They had NO paint texture, and it's nearly impossible to duplicate the quality and sheen they had originally.
Back to your orignal question. If you're competent with the urethanes, it's a great way to go for durability etc. You should use what you're most comfortable with. However, clear coat systems provide a "plastic" or "wet" look that I think looks out of place on a Model A. This is something you need to decide what will please YOU most. Everything except laquer will have a "wet" look in areas where the paint isn't buffed unless a flattening agent is used.
There are two things that make the old show cars Bob mentioned look different than original. First is the color mix. The original paints didn't have the rich, pure color pigments we have today, so the colors were all somewhat "muddy". A good paint matcher can control this when requested. The second, is the addition of clear in the color to add "depth". This tradition detracts in my opinion, but that's my problem.
The newer paints are much better and there are many options. The bottom line is: Decide what you want the final product to look like, then determine the best/easiest way to get there. It's your car!!!
Good luck,
Marco
P.S. I used PPG Acrylic Urethane and made it look like laquer!

E-Mail Comment to Webmaster