This is very true. I've only painted 2 cars for money in my entire life, well.. aside from getting payed to do it at a bodyshop a few times.. but I will NEVER.. EVER.. do it again. It is just too time consuming and costly even if they're buying all the supplies. My tools also get worn and depreciated in the process too. On the other hand.. I just came back from the autobody supply and they had gallons of clearcoats all the way down to $49 bucks. Still need the $35 catalyst for it.. but I was shocked at how many lower budget "knockoffs" are being stuffed onto shelves these days. I had my 69' Cougar painted by Earl Scheib and it turned out great. But.. knowing their reputation for the previously mentioned hack jobs, I was already a pro-painter by then and did all the paint-prep myself before driving it over to their shop. Wiped it down with Naptha.. then taped most all of it off except the drivers door/jamb, and then final solvent wiped/tacked it right out in the parking lot. Tech drove it into the shop blind just off hand signals. Not 1 hint of overspray and last I saw that car 7 years later it still looked great. Cheap crappy single stage acrylic was chipping off the valance here and there.. but I was amazed at what that $400 bucks got me and the next owner.
You'd be surprised with the quality some of the lower priced clears. SPI is relatively inexpensive and I've seen them on some high $$ cars which should say a lot. Don't forget to add good tape, paper, sandpaper, cleaning products, mask, filters, etc when rounding out your budget. When I was doing my comet I had to buy tools here and there to make the job easier. I probably have more in the tools than the actual material I used.
Excellent points. That's good to know and restores my faith a little when it comes time to shop for final paint supplies. Those guys think I'm a little silly in the head because I buy a lot of stuff just to finish and polish engine parts rather than actual autobody like everyone else standing in line is. For now all my "bling" is on the inside of the motor. lol The consumables you mentioned, especially the premium 3M stuff, are PUH..RICEY! Running my own paint business through the years conservatively speaking I have spent more than 30K on that stuff. Always hated paying the higher prices but investing in the premium stuff allowed me to be more efficient and improve quality so my bottom line could more than make up for the extra money spent.
Check them out when the time comes. They also have pretty good primers. They just don't have many options on basecoats or single stage. Really nice guys to talk with as well.
This is a Matrix basecoat and SPI clearcoat. Painter wiped it down with original windex and swears by it. No matter what he is painting it gets original windex instead wax and grease remover.
You have to watch out for the cheaper products especially clear ,they usually lay down good but are not as durable as the good stuff. They are alot softer witch is good for buffing but bad for scratches, I know a guy who used that entry level clear and every time you wipe over it you leave scratches.its OK for a quick flip but I wouldn't use it on a good paint job that you want to be durable and last.alot of body shops use it just to make more money normally the high end shop won't touch it.
Yep, read reviews that are more than a year old. Every clear will shrink but the cheaper ones will shrink a lot more and those 320 grit scratches you didn't want to get out with 500 grit will start to show
yep.. you guys are spot on. With the most expensive premium products.. you're buying durability against chipout and longer term gloss retention. The plasticizers are of considerably better quality and they don't go away(harden) as quickly as the cheaper stuff. Thanks for the headsup on the SPI stuff. Will look into it when the time comes. Until then.. I have about 20 rattle cans from walmart set aside to make it a solid 8 footer. PS. I had thought about making a short vid about using cheap spray paint to help those people with lower budget builds get by for an interim paint job.. but I can only imagine the flack I'd get around here for that. "That will peel and chip off immediately". Probably wouldn't be as bad as making a video about "tuning an engine" would be though.
restoration shop paint- tcp global- Ebay 249.00 kit Gallon high build polyester primer gallon 89.00 stir sticks cups bondo clear coat 100.00-sandpaper another 100.00 sealer another 100.00 say another 100.00 maybe for glazing compound and misc supplies 850.00 total in materials- your own labor Priceless -850.00 versus 4000-6000 if someone else does it it is a no brainer for me anymore I'll keep the 5 grand in my pocket do it myself and buy new tires and wheels and a lot of other neat stuff The restoration shop paint lays down nice and the clear is House of Kolor you can't get a good deal on paint at the local Napa store the interweb is the only way to go if you got the money pay the money but I got a kid in her third year in College high dollar jobs by someone else isn't in the budget anymore I work cheap for myself
That quote was for my Premium paint job ''scuff and shoot'' is way cheaper 35.00 paint mixed at local napa- spray bombs 500.00 Mercury Monarch- new paint-2000 profit
Actually, I did not pay near that. But that's the about what he said mine would be worth. Not perfect but I didn't pay for perfect. He's in Weatherford and looking for more work.
I don't know about Earl Scheib, but I've had the same Maaco Shop do a Cherokee and a Comet; both exceeded expectations for the price. Considering a wrap with affixed graphics when the Maverick is done. I've been observing various shops and have spoken with several customers on durability. Decent reviews, so far...
Yes I wouldn't use it either, don't be cheap and spend a couple extra dollars and get the right stuff,Wax and grease remover not Windex.
