Paint question...

[Mike S]

I am going to do some touch up painting on my 60 (Freeborn Red) and am uncertain whether to use a acrylic enamel (one coat) or a base and clear.

I will sand, but not strip, the panels (lift gate, hood, DS door) to be painted. I have a DeVilbis gravity fed HVLP sprayer and 35gal./5HP compressor. I will set up a deoiler - filter and a step down pressure valve.

Any help or opinions from those of you who have done this before might be helpful.

Thanks.

M

 

[Doc]

Hey- I just bought 12 cans of 'Moss Green' spray for my "spring fling" as I'm calling it. I'll probobly need 24 cans of the green, maybe 10 cans of clear.

I've got nothing of interest to add though.

 

[honk]

Use the acrylic enamel but with a hardener. It's what Toyota used. Use the best (read costliest) version offered by whichever brand name you prefer. It'll shoot easily, cover easily, and dry to a gloss that's similar to what the truck had when new. If I was in my shop I could read you the specs off of a can I used for the same thing you're going to be doing, in the same color. Later I'll come back and edit it in if you like.

 

[Mike S]

Thanks, HONK. I will paint this truck inside my garage in pieces - and rig up a 'paint booth' with plastic sheeting, etc.

Shops around here want $2500 just to touch up the paint... and I'd rather spend the money on lockers, trips, boats, etc.

M

 

[honk]

OK, I used an acrylic uerothane as it turns out but acrylic enamel will give the same result.

It was PPG DCC75445 reduced with DT870 and with their DCX61 hardener. The hardeners vary a little depending on temperature. The mix from the can is 4 parts paint, 2 parts reducer, and one part hardener. As I best recall from about a year ago the paint was $65.00 a quart to me, maybe getting 20% off, maybe not. I've never really figured out if the place I buy from is discounting for me but they act like they are. Acrylic enamel of the same good quality will be less, but I can't say how much less.

Anyway that paint was the easiest I've ever sprayed. It was nearly impossible for me to do a run and the result is that rich, thick, and deep look that you see on Spector's museum trucks. I really didn't see a need for the usual buffing out, but partly that was because I was matching it up with the rest of a '65 cruiser.

 

[dd113]

All 60 series were painted with base and clear not AE. It is worth while to go ahead and do it in B+C rathyer than AE to make it all match. AE gives a deeper colour with a much thicker application. B+C is easier to do, allows you to fix it 1/2 way through the application and also shows you imperfections in the surface peior to the gloss coatingl

 

[jjbodean1970]

All 60 series were painted with base and clear not AE. It is worth while to go ahead and do it in B+C rathyer than AE to make it all match. AE gives a deeper colour with a much thicker application. B+C is easier to do, allows you to fix it 1/2 way through the application and also shows you imperfections in the surface peior to the gloss coatingl

correct! 40s and earlier were painted in a one-stage painting process while 60s and newer had the really nice shiny paint with clear coat from the factory

 

[Mike S]

Yeah. The clear on my hood is starting to craze and get milky. Just a lot of little spots that need touch up. The tail gate and DS door will get painted too. I hope I can make all this stuff match...

Thanks for the suggestions and info.

M

 

[Tinker]

Mike -
Get a 3M "disposable" respiprator - about $25 from a good auto paint store. It'll last you a lifetime of these kind of projects, & you'll live for a few more (all the newer paints are really nasty)

 

[Mike S]

Right. I planned on that.

M

 

[toddslater]

My 02...if your just touching up some spots, I'd just use acrylic urethane that has clear in it. Wet sand and buff it out. She'll look marvelous. If you are going to do a whole respray...then a base coat clear coat in arcylic urethane would be my first choice. Also keep her ventilated and take yourself out into the fresh air between coats....I know it's tough not to stay in there and admire your handwork....but give it 5 at least.

As far as sanding your panels...feather edge any spots where you have gone thru layers (paint/primer) good. Build it back up with three coats of compatable primer. Hand sand/block this primer to remove the "edges", seal (non sanding primer) the whole door, lift gate etc...and then apply the paint. Make sure you wash it down good after your last sanding with prep solv/pre kleeno and get a tack cloth and go over the areas with it lightly justg before you apply the paint.

 

[Mike S]

Thanks. Todd. I am looking forward to the project. Due to start as soon I I finally complete the dual battery install.

M

 

[honk]

All 60 series were painted with base and clear not AE. It is worth while to go ahead and do it in B+C rathyer than AE to make it all match. AE gives a deeper colour with a much thicker application. B+C is easier to do, allows you to fix it 1/2 way through the application and also shows you imperfections in the surface peior to the gloss coatingl

Hmm, I would have thought that the solids like the red, white, and earlier blues were single stage, but I guess I gave Toyota too much credit. It's clear that the metallic colors of some of the later 60 series are two stage, and I really like the grey and dark metallic blue but if I have my druthers all two stage paint would be done away with. Nothing is as good as the sort of paintjob found on '50s vehicles with solid colors and loads of product to rub out.

But repairs should be made with like kind product.

Mike..........Repaint the entire truck!!

 

[mattlock]

Just my two cents, but I went through a similar situation when I was getting ready to sell my 98' Taco. I had managed to f-up the rear quarter panel in my first week of ownership and I knew when it came time to sell I would have to get it fixed. So after getting a couple of $2500 quotes from some local body shops I deciced I could do it myself for way cheaper which was true. However after I bought the paint, life got in the way and a couple of years went by. When I finally decided to sell it I started getting some things together and talked to several knowledgable people and they all urged me to have a pro do it. So on a whim I took the truck to Macco and got an estimate. To take out the large dent and repaint the driver side of the truck using a high quality Du Pont paint the owner quoted me $400. Needless to say I took him up on it since it came with a one year warranty and I needed to get top dollar for my truck. Wow, was I impressed with the results! I could not tell it had ever been damaged and niether could the guy I sold the truck to. He lives in my neighborhood and have seen the truck on several occasions and it still looks perfect a year and a half later. In my opinion Macco provids a quality service at many different price points. Maybe give them a call you might be surprised at what they can do for you.

 

[toddslater]

No offense Mattlock...but I'd take a brush with latex to my truck before I'd take it to Earl Scheib, Maaco etc...

 

[mattlock]

Have you ever actually had them work on your car? If not, why do you think they are so poor? Don't they use the exact same machines to fix your cars body as the small body shop man? Is it not true that they can use ecxactly the same paint mixture as your OEM body man? Then why I ask why are you willing to pay outragegous prices for what is really pretty straight forward stuff. You are letting marketing control your decision making process more than you need to. Like I said they do an awsome job. Many body shop guys try to pretend that they are master craftsmen. Some probably are, but most just have the equipment and very little else. People that invest in frachises such as Macco or Earl Schieb are expected to hire professionals as part of their franchise agreement, so it would be in their best interest to hire competent employees. One thing that should also be considered is the fact that these companies have been around for years and s***ty products have a way of failing. Depending on how much you want to spend you can get appropriate solutions for almost any need. l

 

[polarweasel]

You get what you pay for. My Subaru WRX is in the body shop right now getting two doors replaced (courtesy of the other driver's insurance company!), which involves repainting that whole side of the car. They've removed the windows, windshield, trim, roof rack, antenna, lights, etc. to get a "factory finish". That costs a ton of money. Your typical repaint job will not involve all that extra work. For my 60 that's all beat up, I wouldn't care, and I'll probably get a Maaco paint job done on it next year. But for the WRX, quality matters.

 

[Carpe Discus]

If not, why do you think they are so poor? Don't they use the exact same machines to fix your cars body as the small body shop man? Is it not true that they can use ecxactly the same paint mixture as your OEM body man? Then why I ask why are you willing to pay outragegous prices for what is really pretty straight forward stuff.

Two words: prep work. It's not the tools, it's how you use them. The time invested in prep work far outstrips the time for the paint. Even then, there can be vast differences in technique. It's the people that matter, and good people cost money. Even if they use the same machines.

 

[nuclearlemon]

prep work is the biggest thing...i had a friend that got her cruiser painted at earl schieb, but she and her dad welded in all new metal and did all the prep work...it looks great.

 

[mattlock]

You guys are right about the prepwork and the fact that you get what you pay for. that said I still think those places have their merit since you can do the prep work yourself to your specs. Plus for most of us the paint quality will be fine espcecially if it is sprayed over the same color or is has been stripped and primed. I think the guys that work in the shop in madison must be pretty good because I see alot of really cool cars going in for work. They ususally line them up out front during the day for curb appeal, the cars change daily and they all look pretty good, ocasionally you will see one that the owner must have did the prep work and it shows. Also I think most of their business comes from people spending their own money. In my opinion the fact that insurance companies pick up the check for most collision repair, has balooned their rates to outrageous levels.