How much paint? (1 Viewer)

[Wasatch Jay]

I'm definitely getting ahead of myself buying paint well before I'm ready to spray it, but prices keep going up, and I want to beat any more price increases.

I plan on painting the entire FJ40 and it will be a color change. So, inside and out/top and bottom on all surfaces. It's a 1978 so it has ambulance doors in rear and I have a set of half doors as well as a factory rear tailgate, too.

I know some folks use spray-in bedliner on the interior and the bottom of the tub, etc, but I plan on painting those surfaces.

I will spray it with base coat- clear coat rather than single stage. I'm wondering how much base coat to buy, and I'd definitely rather have extra than not enough.

What says the 'MUD brain trust?

 

[dmaddox]

Hello!
I thought buying a gallon of base (1.5 gallons sprayable) would have been sufficient for a total paint job (I did a full restoration), and I ended up buying an additional three quarts (total pain to take what I had left back to be matched). So, nearly 2 gallons of base. Keep in mind it also depends on the shade of your primer and the color of your base. It also depends on the quality of the solids.

I used a PPG Deltron base, in mustard yellow. It took four coats for good coverage. If I were to do this all over again, I would buy two gallons of base, two gallons of clear, two gallons of epoxy primer, two gallons of feather fill and a gallon of sealer primer.

Happy new year!

 

[charliemeyer007]

Back in 85 I had my 72 with a 76 hard top painted inside and out (except the head liner). It was done with flat tan paint (must be shot as is not thinned). It took 3 gallon to do 7 coats on the outside and 5 on the inside, with like a pint left over. I had to buy the 3rd gallon, the paint guy only planned for 2 as he had never shot "flat" before.

 

[LSUfj]

I agree with dmaddox. I’d suggest 2 gals of base. Might have some excess, but you won’t have to worry about matching another batch.

 

[macdaddy59]

I bought 3 gallons of single stage for mine.

 

[Skreddy]

I did mine with 4 gallons of single stage and had about a gallon left over. This was a full repaint. Also 2 or 3 gallons of epoxy primer first, using thinned epoxy as sealer and another gallon single stage for the Cygnus white on the top cap and bezel.

Why base coat/clear coat?

 

[diesellibrarian]

Agreed. Why not just do a single stage? FWIW, I sprayed the interior and exterior of my FJ62 with one gallon of single stage acrylic enamel, which is what the paint shop said I’d need. 2 coats on the interior, 3-ish on the exterior. 2 years later it’s still looking good.

 

[Wasatch Jay]

Thanks for all the replies!

Single stage vs base-clear is a very fair question, and I don’t think there's a right or wrong answer.

I’m not sure the paint longevity issue has a clear winner, but my perception from talking to knowledgeable folks in the automotive paint world is base-clear holds up better over time than single stage. Also, at this point I’m planning on doing the spraying myself. That means dust and even bugs are a virtual certainty, and I’ll have to wet-sand and buff the paint. Having a few coats of clear to buff appeals to me as it should make it much less likely I’ll buff through the paint (been there, done that).

This past fall I completed the restoration of a John Deere 420 lawn tractor. I had purchased the correct John Deere brand paint and activator and despite already having bought it, talking to those same guys I made reference to above convinced me to use a quality automotive base-clear paint system. I think it turned out very well. I’m sure a purist would say it’s “over restored”, and it is a lawn tractor after all, but I’m pleased with how it looks (yes, the right front wheel bearing cover is missing).

Automotive paint is one of those topics that stirs up lots of debate about paint brands, quality and cost. There are relatively small paint manufacturers such as Southern Polyurethanes (SPI), Kirker and Tamco. Both Eastwood and Summit offer paint as well.

I have a 1986 K5 Blazer and I had it painted by a fellow who paints high end restorations professionally. He did this on the side and I wanted him to use SPI paint as I thought it would save money. I had read all of SPI’s information about how great their resins are, how easy it is to work with, how great the results are, yada, yada, yada. Well, he used the SPI paint and he said it was more difficult to work with than the big-name paints he typically uses. This was a man who had a lot of experience, and he was underwhelmed with the SPI product.

After that I did some Internet research and found one post that hit home. The author, a professional automotive painter, basically said “You guys spend hours and hours and hours doing body work and block sanding to make the body perfect, and then try and save money on the paint. Go to any major show and ask what paint is on the nicest vehicles, and what you’ll hear are the big brands: PPG, Axalta, Sherwin Williams, etc. Spend the money and buy the good stuff”

I think I’m like the majority of ‘MUD members that have to keep one eye on costs throughout the project. That said, with a project there are some areas that one may want to spend more heavily on, and for me that’s paint. I want to use high quality paint, and I’m willing to spend some bucks.

 

[zerotreedelta]

It's been a bit, but I think I was also around 2 gallons of base, and that allowed a couple panel reshoots - I used PPG base/clear, and I was also Cygnus White over white epoxy primer. That didn't include the roof; I painted that a slightly brighter white for contrast.

 

[SteveH]

Single stage vs base-clear is a very fair question, and I don’t think there's a right or wrong answer.

I am in the process of having my FJ40 painted right now, and 100% of paint shops and supply houses said that all the energy/technology in paint development is in base/clear products, and not in single stage.

Single stage is viewed/sold as a low-end product for minor body repairs and quick fixes, and not a product for full, quality repaints. You may not agree with this, but every shop and painter (many) said this. I would have had to beg them to use a single stage paint.

For matching purposes, I had a half pint of single stage Spies Hecker paint custom mixed and had a shop test-shoot it, and they said 'this is crap'. It was quite thin and couldn't be reduced much (which may not be a thing), but the shop was not impressed.

The reason I wanted SS paint was for lower gloss and shine and ease of rubbing out scratches. I painted my FJ40 in 1991 with SS paint and had no issues with it, but that was then, and this is now. The shop where my truck is being painted is using Axalta products and paints both old/resto jobs and new repairs.

 

[pbgbottle]

This is single stage one gallon one coat no doors no hardtop no interior except the dash. Sprayed 20 years ago. No wet sanding no polishing , The day I sprayed it and how it looks today. I needed a ton more paint. It it was all I had
Some paint just different lighting. Maybe a touch of rattle paint on the fenders over the past few years.
One gallon doesn’t go far I would have loved a few more coats plus to paint all the rest of the parts.
,.

 

[jim land]

Single stage is not an inferior product, It is not less glossy and is perfect for solid color.
PPG delfleet essensial and Dupont Imron are high quality industrial paint that resist to scatch and chemical, ideal for an fj40

Base and clear is good for metalic color .
Or to waste money and double the shooting time

 

[macdaddy59]

Tamco single stage paint is exceptional. When painting with base coat it covers easily and you don't have to be perfect with it as it is not the final finish. The clear coat is what takes the time and you have to get it right or you will be sanding and reshooting. Also, you should probably put on at least 3 coats of clear which means a whole lot of extra time and variables and possibilities of dust and runs. Single stage takes a little bit mor experience as it is the final product and what you lay down is what you get so you have to get it right. I bought single stage as I am going to apply 2 to 3 coats so it will withstand small scratches and you can always buff out to a nice finish. Most painters get used to a particular product line and get really good with it and do not want to change to another product as the learning curve is to steep and they will lose money.