Painting my rear flares this weekend.
Which paint have you used that worked according to instructions?
IMHO would rather pay more and have it work, than to be disappointed with the results and have to do it over.
Appreciate all advice.
Plan on doing a base coat, then clear.
The flares are fiberglass.
Full Version: Best paint to use
QUOTE(Randal @ Sep 13 2012, 10:35 AM) 
Painting my rear flares this weekend.
Which paint have you used that worked according to instructions?
IMHO would rather pay more and have it work, than to be disappointed with the results and have to do it over.
Appreciate all advice.
Plan on doing a base coat, then clear.
The flares are fiberglass.
Well I like a 1 stage paint without the clear so I use DCC Concept from PPG. I am a lab guy, so I measure the stuff. Also, wear protective stuff like a high quality respirator, there are isocyanates in the mix! I personally use a supplied fresh air mask. My only complaint is the harder paints tend to chip on me.
Randal, I repainted stock bumpers with base and clear earlier this summer. I got aerosol cans of PPG paint from San Leandro Color in the factory color code.
The base is really thin and will run if you overspray even a bit. But not to worry - the runs flowed out to a great smooth finish.
The base will dry but will be soft and kind of sticky. If left in a dirty place, it will pick up dirt from the atmosphere and be discolored. It's water soluble, so if you touch it with water, it comes off in sheets.
You have to get the clear coat on in less than a day or it will dry too much and not bond. You can sand & buff the clear fairly soon.
Getting the paint on was easy, doing the prep took a lot of time, but the bumpers look good.
The paint store that you use will probably have a scanner which can analyze a current color and match it pretty well. I didn't do that so my bumpers are a slightly different yellow than the rest of the car. Maybe next summer.
The base is really thin and will run if you overspray even a bit. But not to worry - the runs flowed out to a great smooth finish.
The base will dry but will be soft and kind of sticky. If left in a dirty place, it will pick up dirt from the atmosphere and be discolored. It's water soluble, so if you touch it with water, it comes off in sheets.
You have to get the clear coat on in less than a day or it will dry too much and not bond. You can sand & buff the clear fairly soon.
Getting the paint on was easy, doing the prep took a lot of time, but the bumpers look good.
The paint store that you use will probably have a scanner which can analyze a current color and match it pretty well. I didn't do that so my bumpers are a slightly different yellow than the rest of the car. Maybe next summer.
I just watched my buddy lay down some water base. 3 coats at 15 psi, then 2 coats at 5 psi. Each coat followed up by a blast from and air diffuser (looks like a hair dryer but cold). I was impressed by the final product. Each coat was dry to the touch in 5 minutes. It was a perfect match to the silver factory enamel paint on the Honda he was repairing. The final step was a clear coat. Looked great!
Very little thickness like the old school lacquer guys like but the results were very nice and not likely to crack.
I may use this type when I get around to painting mine... California is tough on high VOC paints now. Water base seems like a good alternative. BTW, it still smells like it has VOC in it.
Very little thickness like the old school lacquer guys like but the results were very nice and not likely to crack.
I may use this type when I get around to painting mine... California is tough on high VOC paints now. Water base seems like a good alternative. BTW, it still smells like it has VOC in it.
ask 20 chefs what the best way to prepare a steak is.
Best Paint ??
Glasurit, Spies Hecker, Standox will be the tops, but they aren't cheap, and no matter how wonderful the paint is, the painter will make all the difference.
The biggest differences in cheap paints and expensive paitns break down into two things.
1: Cea paints use fewer pigments to create a colo. For example, to create guards red, Nason ( cheap ) may only use 3 pigments to achieve the final color whereas Spies will use 7 pigments to achieve the final color. Whereas the higher end paints will be a closer match to the TRUE color. This makes a difference in a high end high value job, and also in future repairs.
2: solid content. Cheap paints ( clears ) use a lot of solvents and binders that evaporate as the paint is applied and dries. The higher end paints use more actual solid paint. They take fewer coats, they set up better, they buff out to a better shine. I tell people it is like comparing skim milk to whole milk. There is a NOTICABLE difference in weight between a gallon of cheap clear and a gallon of expensive clear.
Remember with anything, the prep work and skills are the biggest factor.
Best Paint ??
Glasurit, Spies Hecker, Standox will be the tops, but they aren't cheap, and no matter how wonderful the paint is, the painter will make all the difference.
The biggest differences in cheap paints and expensive paitns break down into two things.
1: Cea paints use fewer pigments to create a colo. For example, to create guards red, Nason ( cheap ) may only use 3 pigments to achieve the final color whereas Spies will use 7 pigments to achieve the final color. Whereas the higher end paints will be a closer match to the TRUE color. This makes a difference in a high end high value job, and also in future repairs.
2: solid content. Cheap paints ( clears ) use a lot of solvents and binders that evaporate as the paint is applied and dries. The higher end paints use more actual solid paint. They take fewer coats, they set up better, they buff out to a better shine. I tell people it is like comparing skim milk to whole milk. There is a NOTICABLE difference in weight between a gallon of cheap clear and a gallon of expensive clear.
Remember with anything, the prep work and skills are the biggest factor.
Mike, it does have VOC in it. The label on the can that I got had a % of VOC, but I don't remember what it was. A lot less than the old paints, though.
Single stage should be fine for a race car. Even one as sexy as yours... 
QUOTE(scotty b @ Sep 13 2012, 05:39 PM)
ask 20 chefs what the best way to prepare a steak is.
Best Paint ??
Glasurit, Spies Hecker, Standox will be the tops, but they aren't cheap, and no matter how wonderful the paint is, the painter will make all the difference.
The biggest differences in cheap paints and expensive paitns break down into two things.
1: Cea paints use fewer pigments to create a colo. For example, to create guards red, Nason ( cheap ) may only use 3 pigments to achieve the final color whereas Spies will use 7 pigments to achieve the final color. Whereas the higher end paints will be a closer match to the TRUE color. This makes a difference in a high end high value job, and also in future repairs.
2: solid content. Cheap paints ( clears ) use a lot of solvents and binders that evaporate as the paint is applied and dries. The higher end paints use more actual solid paint. They take fewer coats, they set up better, they buff out to a better shine. I tell people it is like comparing skim milk to whole milk. There is a NOTICABLE difference in weight between a gallon of cheap clear and a gallon of expensive clear.
Remember with anything, the prep work and skills are the biggest factor.
I'm prepping the flares today and taking my time. And I picked up some really expensive clear and will follow the directions, so hoping the parts come out OK. It is a race car, but we all like things to look perfect at least once, before we go out and throw rocks at the part on a course.
BTW the tough part (painting) (for me) has been the chemistry. I worked in a body shop in high school, so got some (supervised) time behind a gun, but the water based paints present entirely new challenges.
Thanks for the advice.
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