Cheapo paint job
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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 auto body professional, an experienced hotrodder, or simply someone with good information on the realities of the "Cheapo" paint job, please feel free to add to this article. | 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 auto body professional, an experienced hotrodder, or simply someone with good information on the realities of the "Cheapo" paint job, please feel free to add to this article. | ||
| − | + | ==What's a "cheapo" paint job?== | |
| − | + | ===Cheapo application methods=== | |
| + | ====Rattle cans==== | ||
| − | + | ====Brushes and rollers==== | |
| + | Often referred to as "powder puff" paint jobs, because, historically, hotrodders actually applied paint with powder puffs used to apply makeup. | ||
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| + | These methods typically leave visible marks indicating that a cheapo method of paint application was used. | ||
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| + | However, when viewing photos of paint jobs (in a magazine, on a website, etc.), there is a crucial understanding to keep in mind. The brush or roller marks can be hidden when photographed. This could be done unintentionally, or with "selective" photography methods. Note the two photos below. | ||
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| + | {| | ||
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| + | |[[Image:Cheapo_brush_job1.jpg|thumb|none|400px|A brush-applied paint job appears to look good in a photograph.]] | ||
| + | |[[Image:Cheapo_brush_job2.jpg|thumb|none|400px|Another photograph of the same paint job, with different lighting and perspective, reveals clearly visible brush marks.]] | ||
| + | |} | ||
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| + | To properly assess a paint job, you need to look at it in person. | ||
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| + | ===Discount paint franchises=== | ||
| + | ====Maaco==== | ||
| + | While Maaco shops follow corporate Maaco guidelines, they are all independently owned and operated. So, depending on the management, your local Maaco shop may or may not do quality work. | ||
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| + | However, in general, when speaking of Maaco, horror stories abound. ''(Research and expand on this specifically, and give examples and proof)''. | ||
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| + | *Horror story #1: | ||
| + | I took my car to Maaco to have it painted and once I got it back it had overspray all over a well taken care of engine bay, all over all four of my wheels and tires, paint drips on my rain guards and more! They even painted something I did not ask them to! When asked to fix it they began to do a very poor job right in front of me. I immediately told them to stop and just drove the car home. | ||
| + | All in all my paint job cost me $600 and it began to flake off one year later. I will never visit a Maaco again. | ||
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| + | ====Earl Scheib==== | ||
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| + | ===Lacquer-based paint=== | ||
| + | ====Dupli-Color==== | ||
| + | Dupli-Color is a lacquer paint product being sold by Sherwin Williams. It's marketed to the lower end of the skill and experience spectrum, as an easy-to-apply and inexpensive option for hobbyists. | ||
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| + | Lacquers are the other "family" of paint products (the primary choice being enamels). While lacquer paints used to be commonly used, they have given way to the more modern enamels. | ||
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| + | Lacquers literally "dry" -- the solvent evaporates. For this reason, lacquers will re-dissolve in their original solvent. By comparison, enamels "cure" by chemical reaction. If you apply lacquer thinner to a lacquer paint job, the paint will become a liquid again. Other solvents can have the same effect. Lacquers also have minimal UV protection. Lacquers are also "hot" when applied and often attack existing enamel paints, even well cured factory paint. | ||
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| + | While you can paint over a lacquer paint job, the lacquer would likely be the weak part of the paint job. | ||
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| + | Dupli-Color describes lacquer as "durable", and enamels as "very durable". This is, at best, a generous description, and at odds with what professionals are saying. Marketing aside, lacquer paints are not considered durable. | ||
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| + | A Dupli-Color paint job would likely be fairly easy to apply, and look good when completed. However, it will not have the durability of more modern paint coatings. | ||
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| + | You can't directly price compare a quart of Duplicolor to a quart of say, single stage traditional auto paint. Car paint must be "reduced" (like adding paint thinner) before spraying. At about a 50-50 ratio. Therefore a quart of such paint will make two quarts of usable paint. Duplicolor comes "ready to apply". Therefore we can say that it is only half a quart of paint and half reducer. Therefore you'd have to buy two to seemingly equal a quart of single stage paint. To carry it further, it's a fair estimate that you need around a gallon of paint to paint an average car. Plus a gallon of reducer, of course. Painters have noted that it takes quite a bit more lacquer to provide coverage equivalent to that the more usually used automotive paints. So the equivalent amount of Duplicolor needed may well be as much as sixteen quarts. If you want clear coat also that alters the equation a bit but Duplicolor still tends to come out as not such a bargain as it might first appear. | ||
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| + | Some experimentation has led some to believe that what Duplicolor is selling in quart cans is basically identical to what they are selling in their spray cans as "touch up" paint. Just different packaging. Better results will always be obtained with a good spray gun but the curious can generally try the spray can versions to get a fair idea of what this paint is like without investing in any painting equipment. | ||
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| + | ===Oil-based machine paint=== | ||
| + | ====Rustoleum==== | ||
| + | Rustoleum does not have UV protection. Its use will result in a paint job that will fade, chalk, and peel. Keeping in mind that low end automotive enamel paint is subject to the same problems. And these problems can also be observed on neglected older cars that came from the factory with enamel paint. Key word "neglected". Rustoleum can resist chalking and weathering almost as well as factory enamel paint if taken care of. Many people tend to judge Rustoleum by how it weathers on outdoor equipment and its other more usual applications. But no one buffs and waxes the wrought iron railings on their steps or outdoor oil tanks, so yes the paint tends to suffer. | ||
| + | Rustoleum frankly can not compare with a "catalyzed" or "two part" automotive paint for durability and hardness. Also there are no viable Rustoleum metallic paints for auto painting. Rustoleum enamels also lack the "depth" of color that many other types of paints have, though some people like the look as it compares well with many 1960's factory enamel paint jobs in appearence. Durability doesn't compare though as OEM enamel paint is "baked" after application. Such baking requires a pretty darn big "oven". Until the early 1960's, many OEM's used alkyd enamels to paint their cars which were quite similar to what Rustoleum has for sale today. Some import manufacturers continued using alkyd enamels into at least the 1980's. For example a 1981 Isuzu pickup will have a buck tag underhood clearly stating "alkyd enamel" as the OEM paint. Dupont's website has a small history section that makes mention of their alkyd enamel automotive paint, "Dulux". | ||
| + | Rustoleum has been successfully applied by spraying, rolling, and foam brushing. The last two methods are accompanied by rather a lot of sanding. Also when rolling or brushing to get good results one should expect to put down up to ten VERY thin coats of paint. Decent results can be gotten by all three application methods. Rolling and brushing are popular with people who could never spray paint a car because of where they live and/or where they can park the car to work on it. Another plus is that unlike a base coat-clear coat type spray paint job where things must be done within certain time frames, a Rustoleum roll and brush job can be started and stopped at the painter's convenience. Users of stock color Rustoleum report that repaints and color matching touchup repairs after accidents are very easily accomplished. | ||
| + | One last plus to Rustoleum is that it is "cheap" and widely available. If you are considering using it, it is highly recommended that you expend a few dollars on some to experiment with first. Take it home and apply it to something like a garden tractor or spare car hood in the same way you would to your car. Sand it, polish it, wax it, the whole thing. Then study it very closely and decide if this is something you indeed want on your car. | ||
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| + | ==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 screw-ups 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. | ||
| + | *Forum posts often show cheapo paint jobs that appear to be high-quality. | ||
| + | *There are many examples that have started after the Moparts.com post that show completed work done over the years. -- '''show examples here''' | ||
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| + | ==Why not do a "cheapo" paint job?== | ||
| + | *Time invested in mechanical aspect of job. | ||
| + | *Deterioration of finish over time. Looks great at first, but can take years to deteriorate. | ||
| + | *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. | ||
| + | *Down the line, if you want to do a professional-quality paint job, all of the underlying cheapo paint will need to be removed. Stripping the paint, doing the filler work, priming, blocking, and removing trim or panels can take hundreds of hours for a hobbyist, or cost thousands of dollars if done professionally. When modern finishes are applied over cheapo finishes, the differing chemical make-ups cause problems. This removal is very time-consuming and labor intensive. Cheapo paints are often very soluble, and when modern finishes are applied over them, the solvents will get under the old paint and make it peel. | ||
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| + | Cheap Paint Job? | ||
| + | As a novice don’t even think about painting your car to save money. Do it for a quality job you can count on with better results than an economy paint shop would give you. Don’t think you can beat the $299 special on price though. I spent that in primer. Remember this is just an opinion and you know how those go. You can look at the pictures http://vintagebus.net/red/index.htm to see the extent I went to. I have over 10 hours in the color sand and buff which at $65 an hour shop rate, would have cost $650 alone. | ||
| + | The first step was to grind out all the rust and weld in any new panels. It has been going on for so long that I can only begin to guess at hours, but I would say close to 25. | ||
| + | Step two was to tape off and prime. The primer filler alone was over $100 a gallon. I would say block sanding and priming took about 40 hours. I should have done a lot more to truly get a flat panel worthy of painting flat black. Don’t forget I have another $100 in sandpaper, masking paper, and tape. | ||
| + | Step three was to paint the entire car white. This was done not only for the two tone effect, but also for a white base to highlight the green. I bought cheap enamel offline at $50 for a gallon with hardener. With taping and spraying I would say about 6 hours. | ||
| + | Step four was the green. This was another $50 and about 3 hours of masking and spraying. | ||
| + | Step five was the clear coat. This cost another $50 and about 7 hours worth of masking and praying the 5 coats. | ||
| + | Step six really sucked. The final coat of clear yellowed because of some type of garbage in the paint. I think it was juice from the million bugs that seem to land in the paint the minute you start spraying. Yes, I did use pre cleaner before every coat. So now I have to re-spray the white after sanding. There goes another 5 hours. | ||
| + | Step seven is another coat of clear. One hour for start to finish. | ||
| + | Step eight is the color sanding and buffing. Color sanding took about 5 hours and buffing took about 5. Don’t forget the rubbing compound and swirl remover with pads costs another $125. | ||
| + | So what was the grand total on my cheap paint job? | ||
| + | Miscellaneous supplies like thinner to clean the gun and pre-cleaner $80 | ||
| + | Total hours 97 at $65 an hour $6305 | ||
| + | Primer $100 | ||
| + | Sandpaper $100 | ||
| + | Paint $150 | ||
| + | Buffing $125 | ||
| + | Total without labor $555 | ||
| + | Total with labor $6860 | ||
==When is a "cheapo" paint job appropriate?== | ==When is a "cheapo" paint job appropriate?== | ||
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