Editing Cheapo paint job

{{youcanedit}} Hotrodding forums frequently witness posts by hotrodders endorsing various (and numerous) "cheapo" methods of painting a vehicle. The overwhelming consensus of body professionals and experienced hotrodders is that, in most cases, "Cheapo" paint jobs simply aren't worthwhile. There are many clever and reasonable ways to save money while build a hot rod, and, overall, aggressively scrimping on the paint job does not seem to be among them. While "Cheapo" jobs may be good for "Cheapo" vehicles (beaters, work or farm vehicles, "practice" cars for learning painting, etc.), they aren't good for vehicles in which you have invested significant amounts of time, money, and effort. The complexities of the various painting products and application methods can make it difficult for an amateur to understand why scrimping on a paint job is, ultimately, not a wise decision. So, this article has been started in an effort to diminish those complexities. If you are an autobody professional, an experienced hotrodder, or simply someone with good information on the realites of the "Cheapo" paint job, please feel free to add to this article. ==What's a "cheapo" paint job?== See here for an excellent example of a Cheapo Paint job: [http://www.stylusscustoms.com/poormanspaintjob.html.com Rustoleum paint job] *Cheap professional shops (ie: Maaco). *Cheap, "easy-to-apply" products (ie: Duplicolor). *Rattle can options. ===Rustoleum=== Rustoleum does not have UV protection. It's use will result in paint that gets "chalky" and oxidizes ''(expand on this)''. *Paint rollers. ==Why is the "cheapo" paint job so tempting?== *The learning curve: selecting equipment and learning how to use it, choosing finish products, getting a few screwups under your belt *Automotive paint costs a lot. People who have never bought car paint are used to paying "house paint" prices for paint, so hundreds per gallon seems very high *The satisfaction of a "do it yourself" project completed. ==Why not do a "cheapo" paint job?== *Time invested in mechanical aspect of job. *Deterioration of finish over time. *Value of paint job relevant to value of rest of vehicle is disproportionate. AKA, using this method to paint a show car or rare automobile. *Time required to remove cheapo paint if a high-quality finish is ever desired. ==When is a "cheapo" paint job appropriate?== *Work truck. *Beater. *Vehicle that will see farm or utility use. *Learning basic paint techniques. ==The "right" way to properly paint a car== Put basics in here, and see: [[First paint job]]. ==Articles describing "cheapo" paint jobs== *[http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/body/hrdp_0707_1962_ford_falcon_budget_paint_job/index.html $98 paint job] -- Hot Rod Magazine

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