Paint – perhaps the most divisive topic?... But I do have a question.

[Randy's]

I am just under the two-year mark with my build and my car is registered, licensed and street legal. I can’t tell you how much I’ve loved and hated, looked forward to and dreaded, enjoyed and despised the process. Sound familiar? But I can see the finish line! I’m down to paint. Other than putting in a stereo, the topic of painting the car seems to divide us in to two opposing groups more than anything:

SIDE ONE: Leave it to the professionals. Why would you put all that work into your build then go with an “inferior” paint job? It’s too difficult and requires skills you don’t have.

SIDE TWO: It's “Built, not Bought” so why buy a paint job? You can save a ton of money doing it yourself. It’s not that hard to do. It won’t be perfect, but nothing on the car is.

I have waffled back and forth and, right or wrong, I’m committed to paint the car myself. I have the hood, trunk and those damn doors fitted. I am finished with the body filler (Rage Gold) and am about to spray the Feather Fill. I will do this in my detached garage but am renting a near-by professional spray booth to spray the primer, paint and clear coat. I intend to use high quality paint (House of Kolor), which is not cheap. I do not want to run short on paint but, at the same time, I do not want to have $400-$500 worth of excess sitting around unused. I realize the color of the paint and the number of coats applied determines the amount you need but how much should I buy to insure I don’t run short?

Thanks again to all the support provided by the members of this forum.

[Jeff Kleiner]

... It’s not that hard to do...


Right, any monkey can do it.

I always use a gallon of body color, quart for stripes and a gallon of clear. All of this is before reduction AND making the assumption that you're putting it on the proper shade of undercoat (i.e. if it specifies a G7 and you're putting it on a 3 you may not get full coverage and require more material).

Jeff

[KDubU]

Well the decision to let a pro do it for me was, paint is the first thing you and everyone will see. So I opted for someone who has down the bodywork and paint on a lot of roadsters. I would agree that one can learn to paint but like many things, there is a ton of technique and experience that one will not have when they attempt it. Nothing wrong though with doing it yourself, cudos to anyone that does.

[Joel Hauser]

My roadster is the third car I've painted. I found that that one gallon of primer, one gallon of base coat and one gallon of clear was plenty. I did not do a stripe because I knew I would screw it up. Of course you need to also buy reducers. I spent $550 at the paint shop, which was a shock to me. I painted it in my garage, after setting up a bunch of fans to provide exhaust ventilation. I had my son (an adult) help me by making sure I didn't accidentally drag the hose across the wet paint. In the end, my paint job turned out barely adequate, with more runs than I have bothered to count, some thin spots, and a little overspray where I didn't want it. But most people just see a very cool yellow sports car and most hot rodders are politely complimentary about the paint. Only once has someone made a rude comment about my painting skills, but he also first said to me "nice MGA". In the end I'm glad I painted it myself, just like I'm glad I rebuilt the motor myself, successfully dieted the mustang wiring harness and even put the tires on the rims myself using old fashioned tire irons. But I certainly understand and appreciate why others have their cars painted by the pros, who will give you a perfect paint job, not just an adequate one.

[cob427sc]

I have painted most of the cars I have built over the years, but have had sveral done by pro's when I chickened out. I've never had a perfect paint job thta I did myself, but mostly small issues that I could touch-up. Amount of paint mentioned above seems about right, if applied properly. I would be cautious if you have never sprayed a car before. It is not as easy as many will say to get an acceptable looking finish. 2 step ( clear over color) can help with correct problem areas. I would suggest before you tackle your car with the color, buy some cheap paint and practice on something else to learn the charachteristics of the gun, air pressure, etc. I learned to spray on old freezer and refrigerator cabinets. Also gives you insight to your own technique issues and your dust protection/spray booth. I know lots of guys attempting to spray the first time and either gave up or paid lots more for a pro to correct after the fact. With all that said, it can be done and give great results, but a little upfront learning before you spray the expensive paint on the car you've worked on for so long is invaluable. I have probably painted in excess of 60 cars over my life and am currently painting my 33 roadster, using a candy paint system which is all new to me and has caused several problems. I will get it done in an acceptable form but just takes some new technique and practice. Good Luck!

[GoDadGo]

Well the decision to let a pro do it for me was, paint is the first thing you and everyone will see. So I opted for someone who has down the bodywork and paint on a lot of roadsters. I would agree that one can learn to paint but like many things, there is a ton of technique and experience that one will not have when they attempt it. Nothing wrong though with doing it yourself, cudos to anyone that does.

I'm 100% inline with KDubU because bodywork is 100% foreign to me.

Bodywork Video:
https://youtu.be/6UK6K2jcwTU

Installing A 383 SBC Chevy Style Engine Was Easy!
Installing A ZF 6-Speed Transmission Was Too!
Modifying Shoenfeld IMCA Adjustable Headers, Not A Problem!
Shortening The Wheelbase To Better Center The Wheels Was EaZy PeaZy.

Gel Coat Driver Video:
https://youtu.be/CaRlqMmKIzk

My concern is that all of that hard work to leave the Ford Family Reservation will be lost if my body and paint work aren't up to snuff.

[Papa]

I grew up in a body shop and although I'd watched my dad paint countless cars, I still wouldn't want to do it myself. Yes, with enough time and effort, I could have done it myself. I would have likely had something that looked decent, but the work that is required to get it right would be double for me compared to a pro. I felt the same way when I finished my basement. I did all the framing, electrical, plumbing, etc., but left the drywall to a pro. The pros know all the tricks to make things look "professional" and like has been said, it's the first thing everyone sees when they look at the finished product.

Painting a car isn't the same thing as turning a wrench. Body & paint is, to a great extent, an art. Some people have that artistic aptitude and others don't. There isn't any one right answer to your question. If you want to take it on and feel you have the aptitude to produce the results you'll be happy with, by all means go for it.

[silver_pilate]

For me, it was as much a question about desire as it was skill. As to skill, I don't have it in the paint and body work arena. And as to desire, I had no desire to figure it out or be covered in sanding dust or have to retouch or respray where I screwed up. Huge props to those who do it themselves and are able to get it looking good. And bigger props to the pros like the Jeffs who do it at the highest levels.

I loved and looked forward to the mechanical side of the build. This I had experience with and could figure out or fix if I screwed up. Paint, on the other hand, I've ways viewed as an art. And while I have my artistic side, I was perfectly happy to let an expert do the work and don't regret the money spend a single bit.

[NiceGuyEddie]

125493

I was told the biggest difference is 15 years later a professional paint job won't be bubbling up and/or flaking off. 15 years and my paint by Jeff Miller looks the same, although it's cloudy in some areas.

[karlos]

Same here. Coincidentally, same painter. Jeez Miller...


https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=125494&d=1585867374

[Kmcallahan]

OK This thread has made up my mind i will get professionally done.

[TMartinLVNV]

For me, it was as much a question about desire as it was skill. As to skill, I don't have it in the paint and body work arena. And as to desire, I had no desire to figure it out or be covered in sanding dust or have to retouch or respray where I screwed up. Huge props to those who do it themselves and are able to get it looking good. And bigger props to the pros like the Jeffs who do it at the highest levels.

I loved and looked forward to the mechanical side of the build. This I had experience with and could figure out or fix if I screwed up. Paint, on the other hand, I've ways viewed as an art. And while I have my artistic side, I was perfectly happy to let an expert do the work and don't regret the money spend a single bit.

This made me laugh is it is exactly how I felt. I can't spray paint a piece of metal without runs appearing in the paint. I don't have the patience to apply slow even coats multiple times. Of course first is the body work! It is a lot of money to have someone else do it, especially with the big names on these forums. However, when I watched Jeff Miller do his thing when I dropped the car body off, I knew right away that I made the right choice. The speed at which he worked and the things he did that I would have never thought of were amazing.

Jeff Miller and I are currently in negotiations to have me supply all of his toilet paper needs for one year in exchange for him putting my car in front of Bob the Builder's car :p

[GFX2043mtu]

Can you do it with some guidance, sure. The question is how much patience do you have. Painting is easy, it’s the prep work is 99% of a paint job and is 99% of the time. Body work is nothing more then a systematic approach with some improvising. You do certain steps in a certain order using certain techniques and tools to get the desired result. There is also a feel aspect to the work as you can’t usually see how it will look rather you feel the car with your hands. This is what takes years to develop. A small dimple in the wrong spot no deeper then a sheet of paper sticks out like a sore thumb. I’m not trying to scare you rather I prefer you know what your getting into before you start. If your new to it there will be some blemishes as there always is even in a professional high end job. It’s just the first timer blemishes tend to be bigger. Just set realistic expectations here because if you change your mind mid stream a lot of shops won’t want to touch it or it will cost more then if you did nothing. The time it takes is usually reflective of the quality as that is why you can’t paint a car in a week unless you have a crazy team of pros doing it. Your probably in for around 100+ hrs for a ok job or more depending on how far you want to go with it. Pros charge a lot not because of the materials rather the time to apply and work them properly. If you go a pro route as you indicated don’t be surprised if you hear lead times of 3-6 months as that’s what it takes some times. I spent 6 months on mine but then I covered ever square inch and did things normal body guys just don’t always have time for. and when done I still have two small spots that probably I will only see, but they are there and This was with a dad that’s a pro with over 40+ years doing this stuff that was helping out. In short if the guy is good and he wants $10k for a good job, pay the man knowing you got the better end of the deal.

[glastron351]

I have bought a few salvage vehicles in the past and rebuilt them including the bodywork and paint aspect. I too thought 'how hard can it be'. I'm patient and I not in a rush...surly I can handle a little body work and do a bit of spraying....again how tough can it be? Well after copious hours doing the bodywork, and re-doing the body work I was fairly pleased with the primered result on one of my first rebuilds and thought the color part can't be that tough to spray on. Well as it turns when it comes to spraying down color I have as much talent as a dead armadillo....probably less. Complete disaster!! It looked absolutely horrific....my daughter used to do finger paintings that turned out better and with less runs and ripples. Thankfully a neighbor who knows a thing or too about paint came buy after I had done a few coats....following his recommendation we wiped off all the paint I applied (using some unknown chemical that he supplied) and he resprayed the car for me....actually turned out fairly decent after he was done. Lesson learned, yes painting is more than a skill...there is a certain amount of artistic talent to it which I obviously don't have.
Now If I can only get one of the Jeff's to migrate to Canada....:D

[KDubU]

All I got out of this thread was that Jeff K. called Jeff M. a monkey. ;)

[Real time recon]

125521 125522125523 This is what a 16 year old "professional paint job" looks like...No defects of any kind... And the only wax its ever seen :D

And, the hard top was wrapped w/ 3M 1080 to match the body.

[Jeff Kleiner]

All I got out of this thread was that Jeff K. called Jeff M. a monkey. ;)

It's been worse...from both directions :)

Jeff

[TrevorP]

When I built my car 18 years ago, my father in law at the time painted custom cars. It wasn't his day job, but he had quite a few projects always going through his dedicated garage/paint booth behind his house. It took me a year to build the car, that was my strength. Then the body wok started and panel fitment. That took a ridiculous amount of time. I was over at the garage 3-4 days a week after work and on the weekend. Finally the body work was complete and ready for paint. We went to the paint store, I remember spending over $800 for all the materials. He shot the car over the few days. After assembling the car, it looked incredible. Lucky for me, I had all of his experience and skill and hours and hours of my labor. My car still has (or what is left of) the original paint job. After 10 years on the race track there isn't much paint left on the nose! But it still looks pretty good.
I will probably never do major body work or assist in painting a car again. I'd pay the money to get it done by a pro in a heartbeat.

2005
125525

2016
125524

[GoDadGo]

It's been worse...from both directions :)

Jeff

Is That When The Rum Is Being Hoisted In Your Pirate Mugs?

[rich grsc]

Is That When The Rum Is Being Hoisted In Your Pirate Mugs?
No, something to do with a tranny!

[RBachman]

Knowing how a car is painted is not the same as knowing how to paint a car. I'm putting a lot of money into this and I wanted a professional job. Jeff Kleiner was one of the first people I called when my car arrived so I could get on his (long) wait list. Jeff is credibly the most experienced and proven with these cars in the Eastern USA. Body work and Painting takes training, practice, experience and a natural ability. It's artistic. You cannot apply paint or perform body work like you assemble parts.

[bobm488]

This made me laugh is it is exactly how I felt. I can't spray paint a piece of metal without runs appearing in the paint. I don't have the patience to apply slow even coats multiple times. Of course first is the body work! It is a lot of money to have someone else do it, especially with the big names on these forums. However, when I watched Jeff Miller do his thing when I dropped the car body off, I knew right away that I made the right choice. The speed at which he worked and the things he did that I would have never thought of were amazing.

Jeff Miller and I are currently in negotiations to have me supply all of his toilet paper needs for one year in exchange for him putting my car in front of Bob the Builder's car :p

Real funny :)
I could offer a years’ worth of rum but that would cost more than my paint job.

Bob the Builder

[Gumball]

Did my own bodywork, but then turned to a friend with a body shop to do the paint (although he let me help).

But, same problem..... cloudy surface..... sheesh - these pros are something else.

[Gumball]

And here it is.... seven years later.....

[Jeff Kleiner]

But, same problem..... cloudy surface..... sheesh - these pros are something else.

Well, on my own car I only have that cloudy surface in the stripes.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=125571&d=1533058873

I'll try to do better next time.

Jeff

[Papa]

Well mine was done professionally by Jeff K. and it only has a small amount of cloudiness. There does seem to be a lot of snow in it though.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=123262&d=1582751182

[Avalanche325]

Here's my crappy, imperfect, amateur, cloudy DIY garage paint job.

125574




Those foam rollers work great, I don't care what DaBat thinks.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Those foam rollers work great, I don't care what DaBat thinks.

No foam for Brother Bat; after looking at all of his options he chose the sponge ;) AND...he's old school and ain't gonna' give up his Hudson sprayer until you pry his cold dead fingers from around it. :)

Jeff

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Mans gotta know his limitations & painting a car is one of mine.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=119933&d=1578073929

[j.miller]

No foam for Brother Bat; after looking at all of his options he chose the sponge ;) AND...he's old school and ain't gonna' give up his Hudson sprayer until you pry his cold dead fingers from around it. :)

Jeff



dAMN sTRAIGHT sKIPPY.... The HUDSON 2000 with 1/4 twist unclog, 4/1 pump ratio , ergonomic handle and built in 280 Micron strainer. They have yet to make a better unit. Hell! all the ones now days are plastic....and don't get me started on them ferrin knock offs...da Bat

[KDubU]

dAMN sTRAIGHT sKIPPY.... The HUDSON 2000 with 1/4 twist unclog, 4/1 pump ratio , ergonomic handle and built in 280 Micron strainer. They have yet to make a better unit. Hell! all the ones now days are plastic....and don't get me started on them ferrin knock offs...da Bat

He came out of his bat cave finally!!!

[rich grsc]

Don't be too sure on that. My guess is he's living in a house made with all the disposed paint and dust respirator masks.:eek:

[silver_pilate]

Was wondering when you'd show up. Hope you're staying reclused and healthy up in the hills.

[Boydster]

I'm a good enough mechanic that I know what I dont have the time, patience or knack to complete correctly. I paid the pros, and am 100% happy that I did.

[Randy's]

Avalanche325, you did a great job with your paint/body work. Very nice. Proof that it can be done.

[Randy's]

Well it's been awhile since I started this thread. If anyone is interested in how it turned out, I've attached a few photos. Is it perfect? No. Was it a ton of work? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Without hesitation.

[GoDadGo]

Is it perfect?

Yes Randy; It Is Perfect Because It Is Yours!
Bravo Sir Randy, Bravo!
Congratulations!

[BadAsp427]

That looks fantastic. Great job...

[Jim1855]

I think it looks great.
Jim

[nucjd19]

WOW!!! Amazing job!!

[RBachman]

Looks great!

[CraigS]

Congratulations on a fantastic paint job. I really like that color.

[Lidodrip]

Well done, looks great!

[FF33rod]

Looks great, gorgeous color, what is it?
You should be darn happy and proud
Steve

[Randy's]

Thanks for reply's. I am very pleased with it. This is what I used:

U-pol Raptor on underside of body
U-pol Raptor on exterior facing aluminum panels
Rustoleum hammered look silver paint on all internal facing aluminum panels
Powder coated all mounting hardware, hinges, etc. (Eastwood gun, powders and oven)
Rage Gold body filler
3M marine grade fiberglass filler
Feather Fill - 3 coats, sanding between each.
House of Kolor Epoxy sealer
House of Kolor Apple Red Candy Basecoat - 7 coats (It is not a candy but looks like one. Much easier to spray and touch-up)
House of Kolor Kosmic Urethane Show Klear - 3 coats

[GWL]

Now, wait a minute guys, I see a bunch of yellow stripes and a bunch of something that looks like shingles in his paint?? ;)

George

[Florida Dave]

These all look great! They are an inspiration. I would like to do all the body work and paint myself, but I am a good enough mechanic to know that someone else will lay the color down when the time comes. At least the color...

[j.miller]

YEP !!! Cloudy paint....ya done good son !...da Bat

[TMartinLVNV]

YEP !!! Cloudy paint....ya done good son !...da Bat

Jeff, I tried to get some pictures of your paint job with clouds but we recently set a record of over 200 days without rain here :p