Reply To: Paint colors

[William H. Rolapp]

Go to your hardware store and get 5 or 6 sheets of galvanised steel (very thin) and prepare them with primer as you would your car. Then have your painter paint and buff as he would a final coat for your car. Try 4 or 5 shades of the colors you like best. Try primers in BLACK and WHITE. The results may be surprising. Some paints are cheaper because they have less pigment in them, however the result may be better than the more exspensive paints. PPG bought all the formulas and color chips from the early masters and can ‘read’ your old color chips and recognise your formulas, if you are trying to hit original colors. Be sure to get the pin striping correct. Many restorers won’t use pinstripes. Too bad as they bring back the true style and age of the car. If you use lacquer you get a very shiny paint, but it forms small cracks over time and you will find yourself constantly waxing and polishing. Enamel used with certian colors can be long lasting and beautiful, but will not be as satisfying with certain colors or pigments. Two stage will generally be the best choice but your painter has to be willing to do it right, lots of coats, each one sanded down like silk until the last one, and then only two coats of clear coat. More coats than that may crack and peal. The stripped metal of the car must never ‘see’ gasoline or any oil. The paint primer won’t stick well. I am not a painter but worked closely with mine. I had 6 shades of blue testing my final car color. It is not an easy task, but more important than almost any other part of the restoration.