Paint Selection

[Steve M.]

I have a 1969 convertible in Riverside Gold with a hard top that I will be restoring. In reviewing paint, there is a company, TCP Global, that offers acrylic lacquer. Their brand is Restoration Shop at $ 229 and PPG is $ 867 per gallon. Has anyone ever purchased paint form this company and is PPG worth 4x the cost? Thnks for any comments. Steve

[Dick W.]

Re: Paint Selection

You get one shot at a paint job. Material is the cheapest part of the job. Labor and prep is the biggest part of the cost. Do you want to take a chance of a no name brand?? The best lacquer available is lacking in quality. At $229 a gallon, I would guess that material is lacking somewhat.

[Alan S.]

Re: Paint Selection

Hi Steve,
I agree with Dick.
Once you decide to use acrylic lacquer at this time I think you need to be assured that all the prep work is done with acrylic laquer top coat in mind, and that all the materials be of the highest quality available.
It's also important to verify that all the materials you'll be using are compatible with each other.
Acrylic Lacquer, NICE!
Regards,
Alan

[Doug F.]

Re: Paint Selection

i painted a 62 using tcp global lacuer a few years back, of course it's thinner and didn't cover as well as i would have liked, [ read extra coats ] in other words it is the same as most current lacquers available today, face it, this is not the same stuff we painted 40 years ago, when you factor in that the modern day ppg paint probably has the wrong sized flake, i would be temped to use the tcp

[Bill W.]

Re: Paint Selection

I remember painting that color when those cars were new and it didnt match . I would have each company mix a small sample ( about 1/2 pint ) and spray a test panel and see how they match . Pay close attention to the metallic size .

[Dick W.]

Re: Paint Selection

i painted a 62 using tcp global lacuer a few years back, of course it's thinner and didn't cover as well as i would have liked, [ read extra coats ] in other words it is the same as most current lacquers available today, face it, this is not the same stuff we painted 40 years ago, when you factor in that the modern day ppg paint probably has the wrong sized flake, i would be temped to use the tcp

I would question the UV stabilizers, etc in the cheaper paint. Lacquer never covered in one or two coats. Sebring Silver would take eight to ten coats to properly cover red oxide primer. Black was six to eight coats minimum, if you wanted a real knock out paint job, 15-20 coats of hand rubbed lacquer.

The high quallity thinners you used to get are not available today

[Ray K.]

Re: Paint Selection

Steve

I bought all my paint from TCP Global ( Tri City Paint ) based out of San Diego back in 2004. They were knowledgeable and helpful. At that time I was able to secure all PPG lacquer for somewhat reasonable cost. I lived there then and it was a fifteen minute drive over to their store. However, as I finished my Nassau Blue project, the tints/ toner that were originally lead based changed to a synthetic and did not produce quite the same effect as original. However, we had no choice, so my painter and I made the paint work. The results turned out well.

Ray

[Ron G.]

Re: Paint Selection

I am not a painter, but can tell you from my personal painter that does all my work, is that the key is to put it on wet. Again, I do not have enough experience to accurately give you advice, but you may want to relay the "wet" factor to your painter.

[Tom N.]

Re: Paint Selection

I think it would be worth it if you can buy a quart from TCP Global( the lacquer] and paint it
on a test panel, which you can get from a bodyshop and see how it works out for you.
If it looks like crap,no lost, if it looks great ,go for it.

[Domenic T.]

Re: Paint Selection

Steve,
As said earlier 90% is prep then why don't you usa a good paint that will last and look like acrylic laquer, Not straight laquer as there IS a difference.

This is what acrylic laquer looks like after it ages these are interior pieces out of my 67.

There are MUCH better paints out there that will out last us and are cheaper that can look as bad as acrylic laquer if you have a good painter that can spray out of tune.


Putting to many coats of laquer on without sanding in between coats WILL cause it to crack.

When we did a multiple coat laquer job back then we sanded most off to get the surface we wanted then buffed it out only having the thicknes of a few coats.

When guys piled it on and didn't sand it , the paint would crack within a few years.

The old laquer primer was to soft and would have the eggshell effect causing the top coat to chip very easy. Thats why guys put 20 coats of lauuer on to get the surface, Laquer was harder than primer, BUT if you didn't sand 15 0f those 20 off it was crack city a few years later.

There was a definate reason acrylic laquer was not used any more and others took its place that had longevity.

DOM


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[Steve M.]

Re: Paint Selection

I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. In one of the post it was suggested that it might take 6 to 8 coats of paint. If that is the case, How much paint should I purchase to paint a convertible with a hard top?
Thanks

[Domenic T.]

Re: Paint Selection

Steve,
1 galon of acrylic laquer actually does it but we always kept a extra qt for dings. The mixing ratio to reducer lets you get about 2 gallons of mix and a cup gun will do a wet coat without running out and they hold under a quart so you can do a lot of coats.

One important thing is to have the base primer all one color because any change in base primer color will require extra coats to get an even look.

I havent used acrylic laquer in years and have thrown most of it away but as I remember it covered in about 2 passes and 3 for sure with a 4th for good measure.

I doubt that that the factory had more than 3 good coats on because thats why factory jobs lasted a little longer as acrylic tends to check (spider crack) when to thick.

A gallon should do and you can always buy acrylic clear to top coat the color and save $$.

I didn't throw away my clear as I use it on model airplanes over a laquer that they call dope.It is available for aircraft today and it is laquer. The last time I bought it it was about 20.00 a gallon and thinned with 2 gallons of thinner.

For C-1 cars that do not have metalic the laquer is cheap and the metalic can be added. I would guess about 30.00 a gallon and it is called nitrate dope Aircraft Spruce.

Punch up Aircraft spruce & specialty and look for DOPE. Celulouce dope is laquer and butarate dope is a less flamable form of laquer.
It is still used today because of the dried weight. Buterate is not what is on cars and needs different additives to thin it, laquer thinner won't do it but buterate thinner will thin laquer.

There are blush retarders (Aircraft Spruce)that will slow the drying process down so the trapped moisture will evaporate before the paint seals and get a shiney finish.

Aircraft paint is a area that the grade school level law makers can't mess with to much.

DOM