I will be painting soon. I checked at Sherwin Williams Automotive because they can computer match factory codes which is convenient. But their low/mid tier single stage will cost me around $200! I guess I will go the ACE route. Has anyone used it for dune beige or something similar and know the code.
Most of the threads are about rolling the paint and I will be spraying. If you are spraying, do you really need to wet sand? Also, I was wanting a flatter look w/ not much shine. Are most people clear coating? Will the paint hold up without a clear coat? And will the clear coat make it too shiny?
Clear will be needed IMO. This paint is not hard enough for a DD type rig. Shoot over it with a satin clear that is auto grade and hard. Some guys dont worry about the hardness, as they will simply sand and re-do the paint.
Yea, yours looks great. I want something with a little less shine though. My body has some imperfections and I figure the less shine the less noticeable, plus I kind of like the flatter tones. Can you mix something in the paint to harden it instead of clear coating?
I have used an enamel hardner with ACE paint and it didnt harm the paint. However, it didnt harden it that much as far as I can tell. Its def an improvement, but not auto grade hard.
Go to your Valspar dealer and ask for LIC-30 clear. Ask them to put in a de-gloss agent. I dont know what it's called, but my guys have done it for me for clearing areas you want dull, or "satin". LIC-30 is VERY hard stuff, and is compatible with ACE. I used it for clearing my rig (glossy) and its as hard as any auto paint. (prob harder) The guy at the paint store had me use a screwdriver and try to scrape some off a sample can. Tuff stuff. You could also just shoot the whole rig with LIC-30 color and clear. Its pretty low cost stuff. About 40-50 for a gallon of binder. (clear), color is about the same.
BTW, any enamel with a HIGH SOLIDS COUNT should work with ACE paint. By high I mean 50% + solids by volume. LIC-30 is 54% and some of the HIGH END PPG enamels are ~60%.
Greek, do you think it would be possible to use the clear or hardener if you are rolling the ace paint? Also do you have the code on the ACE can that they matched the paint with?
