| Tracker | -- 08-07-2024 @ 1:09 PM |
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My paint job is beginning to flake in places so I pose this question : Is it better to paint over the existing paint that has lasted 70 years and just address those few spots that need attention or go the route of full sanding & prime or go to bare metal -prime -and start all over again. Either way, my plan is urethane/clear coat replacement but man thats a lot of work for one man. Appreciate your thoughts & experiences . Thanks Tracker
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| ford38v8 | -- 08-07-2024 @ 1:54 PM |
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Your 70 year old flaking paint is better than anything available today, especially clear coat, which will look terrible on an early Ford from day one, and that's just the good news. Alan
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| nelsb01 | -- 08-07-2024 @ 2:11 PM |
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Since you probably do not know what type of paint is on your vehicle............prep work is the secret here. Touching up spots is easy if you know what your previous paint is. No matter what, it will be better to strip the whole area and start fresh. Some new paints do not like old paints and you will be worse off. I thought I knew about painting until I had my bodyshop guy do my truck. Sandblast, seal, prime, sand, fill, sand, re-prime, sand, clean and then paint. Be prepared for more than a days work. But, the results will be worth it.
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| Tracker | -- 08-08-2024 @ 5:48 AM |
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Thanks for your reply. I contacted Sikkens direct and thats what they recommended was urethane /clear coat. IF not that combination ...do you have a recommendation for an alternative ? The paint on it now looks like it may have been enamel. All the enamel re-paints I have seen look too heavy if that makes any sense. The paint is too old to color match and several attempts have failed using the color spectrometer. Thanks again.
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| Tracker | -- 08-08-2024 @ 5:56 AM |
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Thanks ...I feel much better now ! Kidding of course ...not looking forward to spending 10 grand or better to have the car blown apart and re-painted. The Du Pont paint that was originally used on the car is no longer available but the tech I spoke with thinks it was some form of enamel. When newer, it looked more like lacquer. None of the shops I would trust to re-paint this car discuss anything other than Urethane /Clear coat. If you know what it was...would appreciate further inputs . Thanks.
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| TomO | -- 08-08-2024 @ 11:33 AM |
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You can test for lacquer paint by buying a small can of lacquer thinner and rubbing a inconspicuous spot with a cloth dampened with lacquer thinner. If the rag show signs of the color of the car, your paint is lacquer. If the paint is flaking off, you have a serious paint problem that can only be solved by removing the paint on the car and then repainting it. If the paint is chipped from road debris, you can touch up the spots. Why don't you post a couple of close up photos of the failing area. Most shops prefer the base coat, clear coat painting process as it is easier to get good looking results. If you do not like the 2 stage paint look, you can ask a paint shop to paint your car in a single stage paint and they should be able to do this. No modern paint will look the same as a 70 year old paint. The newer paints have a much higher gloss. Tom
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| Tracker | -- 08-09-2024 @ 3:45 AM |
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Thanks for your reply. Did as you suggested with the lacquer test...definately is not lacquer. The Du Pont paint on it now is a 70 yr 0ld enamel formulation according to Du Pont. Sikkens can duplicate the original color in primer and top coat. Waiting on samples now to make a decision..repaint entire car or try to salvage whats on it now. Its a big decision ( read as 11 grand with an Austin , Tx custom shop to dismantle the car and go thru the multi steps they tell me are required ) versus a Houston shop that specializes in high line car spot repairs for BMW-Mercedes. I will report back what happens. Thanks as always for your spot on advice.
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| kubes40 | -- 08-10-2024 @ 9:49 AM |
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I have restored 17 cars to high point (997+) status. I have always used high quality base / clear. I would not even consider painting over old finish. Way too many things can go terribly wrong. Yes, a lot of work regardless of which route you chose. Hey, if it was easy, anybody could do it. Mike "Kube" Kubarth
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| carcrazy | -- 08-10-2024 @ 11:45 AM |
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If you want to have the car painted as inexpensively as possible, you can check with your nearest Maaco shop. They can give you an estimate for all of the work required and the paint/clearcoat you want applied.
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| Tracker | -- 08-11-2024 @ 3:12 PM |
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Thanks ...the high quality paint shops around here agree with you..base coat/clear coat is the way most shops do a car ..old or new. Single stage they will not discuss...only the older shops wil do that I am told. At any rate , its now a moot point. I had the areas in question air brushed and the result was amazing. The guy that did it airbrushes designs and guaranteed the finished result or there was no charge. He sanded, prepped , mixed the color in his van, and air brushed the areas in need for less that 1/3rd the price I was prepared to pay. When it was dry he did something to blend the finished coat and polished it to blend in almost undetectable to all but the experienced critical eye. I cant elaborate .. I did not see what the process was because he asked me to just judge the finished result. In other words, stay the h*ll out of my way. Fine by me . All I cared about was the finished result anyway. It was 10x more than I expected so Im happy with the finished result.
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| Tracker | -- 08-11-2024 @ 3:22 PM |
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Thanks to everyone who contributed input to my question on painting. I got an education on dealing with paint shops and the costs involved to re-paint a 73 yr old car. Most advised not to re paint at all and just repair the few areas in need by spotting in the blended paint. The problem with that is that nothing came close to a color match. The Vassar yellow that came on the car is faded to several shades lighter than original. The airbrush mechanic mixed his own colors in a van and used the fender skirt as a color template. It was a near perfect match and good by me. Thanks again ...this is the best site on the net to get knowledgeable answers and solutions to any thing on Mercurys and Fords.
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