Paint Brands Quality/Cost

[Mudbone]

I would like to hear from the do it your selfers out there about their experience with different paint brands and cost. I have used Dupont and PPG brands in the past but the cost is getting out of hand for these brands. I don’t mind paying top dollar for the best products but I am starting to wonder if I am just buying the name. I talked to an old friend today that has been using Martin Senour (NAPA) Paint for years and he has never had a problem with it. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks, Mudbone

[Larry Schramm]

A lot of the price increase has come from new technology in paints and environmental requirements.

[Matt Harwood]

I think that yes, you're somewhat paying for a brand name, but what you're getting for that extra cost is an awful lot of tech support and expertise. The higher-end paint brands will stand behind their finishes, offer you answers and solutions to problems when they arise, and tend to go the extra mile to make sure you get good results. Buying it at the auto parts store, no matter how good the paint (and Martin Senour is good paint), doesn't usually include that level of expertise from the guy behind the counter. I've worked in a shop where a rep from the paint company (Sikkens) worked overnight with us on a car that had to be done--there he was in a paper suit with his dress clothes underneath, sanding a Corvette so we could spray another coat of clear on it after the first coat got cloudy. No charge for that, and I was impressed as hell--he never once tried to make it "our fault," he just said, "Let's solve the problem." THAT's what you're paying extra for with the top brands.

On the other hand, I also remain convinced that the prep is vastly more important than the paint itself. Good prep can make bad paint look decent. There's no such thing as a paint that can mask bad prep, no matter how much it costs. Following directions is critical, especially when it comes to flash times, weather conditions, and using a complete "system" rather than mixing and matching brands and materials to save money. If you're on a budget, invest your time and effort making sure the prep is as good as it can possibly be, follow the instructions as if you were performing heart surgery on your mother, and realize that even the pros make mistakes if it doesn't come out right the first time.

I think your friend's satisfaction with Martin Senour paints is well-founded, probably because he's careful and knows what he's doing. That's what really matters. Go ahead and try the more wallet-friendly brands and see what kind of results you get. If you're happy, great! If not, well, it's just paint. Sand it off and try again.

[Restorer32]

Excellent advice

[NTX5467]

Sometimes, successes with particular brands of paint can depend upon WHO is using it. The way some painters work, some brands might work better than others, by observation.

WHO mixes the paint can be important, too, in some cases. In the past, some mixers have been blamed with trying to cut corners in some respects, so doing business with a known reputable paint store can be important. Checking to see that the "factory match", "custom match", or "custom blend" is what it is supposed to be is good to do, also. PLUS if it's a metallic (or what the paint people term "poly"), make sure the flakes are of the correct size and the correct amount of them.

Just some thoughts . . .

NTX5467

[Mudbone]

Thanks for all your input. Prep and application is definitely #1. My neighbor owns a body shop close by and he will most likely be painting the exterior of the car. He uses PPG Global system and quoted me $550 for the red. I think I will just have him mix up a quart to get the firewall done and then when the body is ready for paint all the paint will be of same brand and type. I guess it is foolish to skimp on the paint when you have spent hundreds of hours getting everything as perfect as possible. Thanks, again. Mudbone

[buick5563]

On a "driver" no less

Right Ken?

[Mudbone]

Of course, just a driver.

[Budd]

I just snarfed my morning coffee..... "Just a driver..."?

Sure. Right. Gotcha (wink, wink)

Budd

[NTX5467]

(Hope that coffee wasn't from the golden arches! Might have resulted in a caffeinated "steam cleaning" up there.)

Even the cost of "drivers" has increased . . . almost to the level where you have to be an oil tycoon (how's the price of dental floss holding up these days?) with investments in all of the "tiny oil companies" on the globe (who also own massive amounts of crude oil reserves others have forgotten about) that are about to be "the next big thing" in investments.

NTX5467