Candy Paint - Scratch or Damaged Paint Repair

[Pete&Scott]

Has anyone had to have their Candy paint repaired due to a scratch or other body damage on a Roadster? My son and I have been looking at some two-stage Candy paint options. However, we have been reading that repairing Candy paint can be expensive, as Candy paint is difficult to blend and often requires a full repaint.

[Dgc333]

That is exactly why I chose not to go with Candy paint. I had originally chosen orange candy over a gold metallic base. My painter told me about the difficulties with matching candies which made me change to an orange pearl base/clear.

[CraigS]

And on a Cobra body it is probably the worst. Unlike most cars there is a lack of crease lines, metal trim, and separate panels so where to stop your repair painting.

[egchewy79]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a true candy coat is a tri coat w/ a tinted mid layer. This is why they are hard to blend because of this additional layer. There are some really deep base/clear combos (ie painthouse paints) that look like candy. These shouldn't be any harder than matching/blending other base/clear systems, right? I know that metallics/pearls are inherently harder to blend/match as so many variables (pressure, flow, distance) can make big differences in how the flake/metallic lay down.
I'll shut up now and let the pro painters in this group chime in.

[jengum]

That is what I read as well...stay with a two stage system in case of future repairs. Painthouse has some nice color selections.

[Jeff Kleiner]

You said "two-stage Candy paint options" but as my friend Chewy mentioned true candy paint jobs are 3 stage (AKA tri-coat) with a base color, a tinted mid coat and finally clear. I've done them but generally try to steer customers away from going that direction...even though when doing so I'm cutting my own throat because I can't charge as much for labor!!!! As noted if repairs are ever needed they can be difficult... if not impossible. I did a tri-coat on a customer's roadster several years ago which later sustained front end damage. He brought it back to me and I decided to try to avoid a full repaint since the hood, doors and everything behind the cockpit was untouched. I sprayed it all the way back to the point where the rear quarters flare out, held my breath and said my prayers and was relieved when it matched--- but sometimes it doesn't go that well.

I've done several cars using some of the custom formulations from Randy Borcherding at Painthouse. They provide every bit of the same effect with a 2 stage basecoat/clearcoat process.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=196235&d=1709168979

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=217429&d=1754833507

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=217430&d=1754833507

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=196237&d=1709168979

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226219&d=1772255884

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227441&d=1774714698

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227442&d=1774714698

Although the paint is not inexpensive at >$3,000/gallon, when you factor in the cost of materials for a tri-coat candy (which requires twice the amount of paint) plus the additional labor (because the car has to be painted twice) it pretty much comes out a wash with the benefit of being certain that all of the panels match plus the ability to make repairs should they ever be necessary.

So now you know!

Jeff

[Pete&Scott]

Thanks for all of your information. I had read that the 3-stage Candy options were a definite no for the Cobra, but I have seen some folks like Painthouse and a few others offering Candy-like paint in a two-stage. But also reading that if those guys no longer carry the exact formula, then you may have problems repairing it. Painting is not my thing, but I like to learn as much as i can about something before jumping in.

What is the paint on your last pic? The blue one. It looks lighter than some of the blues I have seen on the painthouse site. Despite the just another blue cobra comment from some on this forum, my son and I are looking to find something in the blue family or colors.


You said "two-stage Candy paint options" but as my friend Chewy mentioned true candy paint jobs are 3 stage (AKA tri-coat) with a base color, a tinted mid coat and finally clear. I've done them but generally try to steer customers away from going that direction...even though when doing so I'm cutting my own throat because I can't charge as much for labor!!!! As noted if repairs are ever needed they can be difficult... if not impossible. I did a tri-coat on a customer's roadster several years ago which later sustained front end damage. He brought it back to me and I decided to try to avoid a full repaint since the hood, doors and everything behind the cockpit was untouched. I sprayed it all the way back to the point where the rear quarters flare out, held my breath and said my prayers and was relieved when it matched--- but sometimes it doesn't go that well.

I've done several cars using some of the custom formulations from Randy Borcherding at Painthouse. They provide every bit of the same effect with a 2 stage basecoat/clearcoat process.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=196235&d=1709168979

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=217429&d=1754833507

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=217430&d=1754833507

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=196237&d=1709168979

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226219&d=1772255884

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227441&d=1774714698

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227442&d=1774714698

Although the paint is not inexpensive at >$3,000/gallon, when you factor in the cost of materials for a tri-coat candy (which requires twice the amount of paint) plus the additional labor (because the car has to be painted twice) it pretty much comes out a wash with the benefit of being certain that all of the panels match plus the ability to make repairs should they ever be necessary.

So now you know!

Jeff

[Jeff Kleiner]

...What is the paint on your last pic? The blue one. It looks lighter than some of the blues I have seen on the painthouse site..

That's another one from Randy Borcherding at Painthouse. Not sure if he shows it on the website (he has lots that are not). It's one that the car's owner and I worked with him on with some tweaks to one of his "stock" formulas to get exactly what the owner was after. When it was all done he called it "Berry Blue". I know that he keeps the formulations for everything that he does. Here's a couple more pics:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180261&d=1676940464

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180262&d=1676940567

https://scontent-ord5-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/37029514_1605190419603660_1042797181632774144_n.jp g?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=13d280&_nc_ohc=YKE-bj6XDJUQ7kNvwHI-68Z&_nc_oc=Adodv-i9TvB37rJmVqcMdiJWpMrR2opBl_MVrJaJ_nWYRbi7mzBJxxDd 7c3d2IIGdpvsGxAoPiIHmFqe1XoKjAH-&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-3.xx&_nc_gid=oPPBknbbfTdRvI38tIr5jA&_nc_ss=7a3a8&oh=00_AfxUlcN4CfxuFm1oWTgjPaG0jQNSWyUhNFB1BqgddLc0 gg&oe=69F34A42

Jeff

[egchewy79]

IMHO the painthouse blues are very nice, but don't pop like the randyapple reds.
If you're interested in a dark blue, consider Audi Navarra Blue. Still expensive, but maybe 40% less per gallon. I tried loading a pic but like others, I'm having troubles uploading pics recently.
Jeff might have some pics though.

[Mike.Bray]

Has anyone had to have their Candy paint repaired due to a scratch or other body damage on a Roadster? My son and I have been looking at some two-stage Candy paint options. However, we have been reading that repairing Candy paint can be expensive, as Candy paint is difficult to blend and often requires a full repaint.

I'm not a painter although I have painted a couple of cars and a few tractors and trailers. My Factory Five is a true candy using a silver base with a tinted blue midcoat and clear topcoat. When we started the dreaded color selection other than blue we had no idea other than we wanted something that would pop. We looked at Jaguar Casuim Blue, Subaru Rally Blue, and a Tesla blue. They were all nice colors but none had the wow factor we were looking for. The shop suggested we look at House of Kolor for a candy blue. TBH, I remember my father panting his motorcycles with candy paints back in the late 60s but didn't even know HoK was still around. Being an R&D engineer I was off on a mission.

I had several calls with the main tech guy at HoK as well as the local tech guy. Learned a ton like their candies are tinted instead of pigmented but still a basecoat like any their automotive paint. Being a tinted paint what's under it makes a difference. We tried it over different shades of primer which would have been a basecoat/clearcoat deal but it didn't quite pop yet. So went to a tricoat with a silver base and my wife and I literally said WOW out loud when we saw the spray out.

Next I was also concerned about being able to do repairs and color match so I looked into this quite a bit. Spraying a candy over primer can be difficult to match as primer colors aren't controlled as closely as pigmented colors. That's what I was told and sounds reasonable, I don't know for sure as we didn't test it. Finish colors are very closely controlled and repeatable today. I bought a gallon of HoK candy paint and watched the guy mix it. It was a clear base which he added tint and effects. I found it interesting how he weighed the base and the computer told him exactly how much tint and effects to add by weight. I don't remember the accuracy of the scale but I want to say it was half of a gram. Remember 28g is an ounce so pretty precise weighing here and I'm guessing the mix is pretty damn accurate and thus the color.

The silver was a stock HoK pigment paint. Note, never mix brands of paint, long sad story as to how I know this.

Laid down a couple of coats of silver and then started on the candy blue. Since it's a translucent color the more you apply the darker it gets. Tried two coats, not enough blue. Three looked good but not quite. Four was the magic number. However, not all painters have the same touch so four coats might be three or five with another painter. But the point is, and we tested this against the spray out, you can match very very closely.

Jeff likes Painthouse and they are amazing colors in the connivence of a basecoat/clearcoat. Also $3500-4K a gallon. Two years ago I paid less than $700 for the silver and about $600/gal for the blue candy so a nice savings but probably not enough to completely cover the labor cost of spraying the basecoat.

In the end we absolutely love our color and wouldn't choose any other.


https://youtube.com/shorts/QzBncQ2gZjs

[Jeff Kleiner]

...If you're interested in a dark blue, consider Audi Navarra Blue. Still expensive, but maybe 40% less per gallon. I tried loading a pic but like others, I'm having troubles uploading pics recently.
Jeff might have some pics though.

Here are some Navarra Blue pics. Eugene's (Chewy's) with the ghost stripes and another recent one with a different stripe treatment:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227620&d=1775052230

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227621&d=1775052230

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227622&d=1775052230

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227623&d=1775052230

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227615&d=1775052052

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227619&d=1775052052

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=227618&d=1775052052


BTW, the gallon of Navarra Blue in PPG's top of the line Deltron that I purchased in December was $2,102 before my discount.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...Jeff likes Painthouse and they are amazing colors in the connivence of a basecoat/clearcoat. Also $3500-4K a gallon. Two years ago I paid less than $700 for the silver and about $600/gal for the blue candy so a nice savings but probably not enough to completely cover the labor cost of spraying the basecoat...



Uh, yeah! I remember you telling me what the labor cost was :eek: :rolleyes:

Jeff