Paint & Clearcoat

[Bushwack]

The third brake light housing on my 1990 silver Reatta lost its clear coat awhile ago. The silver paint is slightly faded. I took the car to two shops to see about a re-paint and clear coat. Both wanted between $350 - $400 to do the job (no love for city living or they just didn't want to to the job).

Can anyone suggest a link regarding how to prep the housing for paint (and then prep the paint for clear coat)? Is it just like prepping any type of metal?

Also (as I have not done this before), can I get the paint mixed at a local paint shop and placed in a spray can? Same question for the clear coat (or is this an on-the-shelf item?).

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Ervin,

I have found the best way to get a small job like that done is to "bundle" it with a larger job. Most shops hate little jobs like that.

The most convenient way to do that job is to get a spare third brake light and have it painted so the car isn't down for two days while the paint drys. Marck and I both have convertible parts for sale if you need them.

[Guest HessLakeGuy]

To all:

Check out the APS Tower Paint website.

They have lots to choose from and might have what you need.

Tom

[Bushwack]

Ervin,

I have found the best way to get a small job like that done is to "bundle" it with a larger job. Most shops hate little jobs like that.

The most convenient way to do that job is to get a spare third brake light and have it painted so the car isn't down for two days while the paint drys. Marck and I both have convertible parts for sale if you need them.

Thanks for the suggestion Steve but that doesn't work for me. I have numerous other cars to drive. Not an issue if I can't drive the car for a while. And the last thing I need is another part I don't need to place on the shelf.

[Bushwack]

To all:

Check out the APS Tower Paint website.

They have lots to choose from and might have what you need.

Tom

Looks promising - thanks!

[NCReatta]

I've used the Duplicolor white on my '89 before. Not sure if you can get it for silver or not, but worth a trip to a good auto paint store. Around here, we have a local shop called Car Color (adequately named, huh? ). They have most Duplicolor cans in stock, and they can also mix your own spray can (I think) with or without clear coat.

You can buy clear coat in a can from most any parts house. You'll have to go over it with several coats until you receive the desired shine.

I had a problem with the auto parts store clear coat severely yellowing my Duplicolor white. I don't think you'd have that problem with silver though. As far as I know, it's only white that requires a special clear.

[KDirk]

My observations:

1. Silver (or any metallic) is slightly problematic as the "flakes" will not likely fall the same direction as the original paintwork, and in direct sunlight may look off due to the difference in reflectivity caused by the metal flake in the paint. That said, the piece you are repainting is small enough that it may not be an issue. It is also on the horizontal plane, while this effect is most noticeable on repainted doors (vertical plane).

2. No off-the-shelf clear coats are truly crystal clear (at least none that I have found and tried) and they will all take on an amber-ish hue after multiple coats (or fewer thick coats, which is not advised anyway). The only true crystal clear coat is that which is shot with an HVLP rig at a paint shop. Bottom line, be prepared for slight yellowing of any light color that you use a pre-packaged canned clear coat on. You might be able to get body shop grade clear coat mixed and custom canned, that would be my suggestion. The thing I don't know is if the yellowing is a byproduct of the propellant in the spray can.

3. As Steve pointed out, this is a very small job, and most shops won't want to be bothered with it. Since they have to mix paint, and usually have to mix a quart minimum, they end up with waste material. This is part of the charge I'm sure. If you have other pieces (side/bumper moldings or the like) you could add, it might make more sense to have a shop do it, otherwise you are stuck with a DIY job, or paying a lot for a little work.

KDirk

[Guest HessLakeGuy]

To all:

Those convertible third light housings were cast here in Grandville, MI by a company called Autocast.

After they stopped building our cars my neighbor dropped off the final third brake light prototype casting, complete with measurements and some technical data that was written on it.

He stopped it from going into the recycling bin.

Tom

[KDirk]

Tom,

That makes you the holder of an interesting, if not one of the most obscure, pieces of Reatta history. I remember seeing prototypes for the door and rear filler emblems on ebay a couple of years ago. They were cast (or perhaps machined?) brass, no chrome plate. Just proofs for the production castings that would be made of pot-metal and chrome plated. I thought about bidding on them, but chose not to. Kind of regret it now, but what practical used would they have really unless I planned on making reproductions? They weren't much to look at, being (and heavily oxidized) raw brass.

I wonder where a lot of stuff ended up. For example, the original artwork for the cutaway posters done in 88 (coupe) and again in 90 ('vert). If someone had the originals, that would be a nice piece of memorabilia to hang on the wall. I imagine they were stored somewhere at GM and are long since lost.

KDirk

[Guest Recian]

If you want to match a color take a sample or the color code to the auto store called Napa if you have one. They mix paints to match for automotive just like lowest does with house paint. You can get a clear or have them make a single stage paint that won't require clear just shoot it on the housing and done.