what kind of paint was used from factory in 57?

[lancemb]

My 57 convertible has paint that is on the fence between too good to repaint and too shabby to keep. (Note I am not a fan of excessive "patina"). One door was poorly repainted at the bottom, there is a large damaged spot on the trunk, and some large areas on front rubbed off.

Right now I am leaning toward repaint, but if I can get the original type paint I may try to touch it up and blend it in on the really bad spots and keep the paint 90%+ original.

What is the original type of paint used and can I get the equivalent today? Thoughts?

Thanks

[buick man]

lancemb, the factory original paint was acrylic lacquer.  A simple test can be performed by using a rag and a small amount of lacquer thinner.  Find a out of the way area or even an area where you are thinking about touching up and apply a little lacquer thinner to the rag.  Then gently rub in a very small radius circle on the spot you have chosen.  Just rub about 4 swirls or so.  If it is indeed acrylic lacquer it will come out onto the rag.  If however, it is a catalyzed paint such as enamel, urethane enamel or even a clear coat, the color will not transfer onto your rag.

 

Now if it is indeed the original paint and as such, will be acrylic lacquer then the question remains where to purchase it.  The stuff that is available today is acetone based but is still good.  PPG has a line still available.  You will have to use non catalyzed filler compound if you need to fix any dings or such.  Use acrylic glazing compound, non catalyzed.  

 

The blessings with working with lacquer is that touch ups are very, very easy to perform.  Blending is very easy to match original.  The paint will look like your classic cars original paint.  The new lacquer will melt into the existing paint as applied.   Do not use a HVLP gun when shooting acrylic lacquer.  The HVLP gun will throw globs of paint on the car because HVLP guns by design cause orange peel and runs until the user has clock numerous hours retraining himself to satisfactorily use the gun to minimize the orange peel and runs.  Therefore, use for example a Binks 7 siphon gun.  Yes you will have some overspray, but it is almost impossible within reason  and the most minimal painting experience and aptitude to botch a lacquer paint job. The Binks is a high pressure gun.  This equates to a very fine atomization of the paint spray and thus the ease of application and finish. Lacquer dries very fast by evaporation.   You will have to gently rub out every other coat of the 7 coats you will be applying and blending the last 4 coats but the results will be deep and stunning.

[old-tank]

Acrylic lacquer is available, but not probably not locally since suppliers will not have the tints (for the lacquer) to match yours.  Ordered paint would be close enough for a total repaint, but not for patching.

The old lacquer on the car will not like to get hit with new paint and solvent and will usually later crack at the blend interface.  Blending metallics with lacquer is extremely difficult...best to do the whole panel (or car).  While easy to work with, today's lacquer is not durable even for a car leading a sheltered life.

Willie

[lancemb]

Thanks, I am going to try to touch it up I think and if it comes out well will keep it. I am okay with the paint not being perfect from age but there are a few major areas of damage I want to address. If it doesn't come out well I can always get it painted but I'll try to save it.

[buick man]

Acrylic lacquer is available, but not probably not locally since suppliers will not have the tints (for the lacquer) to match yours.  Ordered paint would be close enough for a total repaint, but not for patching.

The old lacquer on the car will not like to get hit with new paint and solvent and will usually later crack at the blend interface.  Blending metallics with lacquer is extremely difficult...best to do the whole panel (or car).  While easy to work with, today's lacquer is not durable even for a car leading a sheltered life.

Willie

lancemb:  Just pick up some PPG lacquer and practice on a junk yard hood or door before going for it on your car.  Rub out and feather well the transition areas.  Paper and tape every area off that is not going to receive the spray.  Lay down a couple heavy coats allowing plenty solvent flash time to expire. This will allow the old paint to melt and blend. Then let the painted area set out in the sun for a day to evaporate the residual solvents.  Never speed things up by trapping solvents from each coat this will cause shrinkage and cracking later on.  Then rub it out paying special attention to the transitional areas. Then respray using thin coats and pausing after each coat to flash the solvents.  Each additional layer walk your way up into the existing painted surface area each time so as to properly blend.  

 

Yes, they are now using an inferior carrier agent which is acetone in todays lacquer but if sprayed in a cool enough environment this can be controlled.

 

Cracking and shrinkage at the blend interface is the result of two fold faux approaches.  The first being laying down too heavy of a layer in mil thickness per coat without rubbling out that coat and the second is not allowing enough time to properly flash the solvent for each coat.  Not doing these two simple steps has earned lacquer paint jobs a bad rap but due to the bone heads who apply it improperly not the paint system itself.  Look at all those field cars with original lacquer paint still on them from the factory.  Yes you see the chalking as the upper ml layers of  the lacquer system will powder but the layers below those are protected and can be brought back with buffing.  Lacquer melts when hit with solvent and goes back to it's fluid state.  That is why blending lacquers is easy IF you know how to do it with a little practice, certainly a lot  easier than any other paint system out there today hands down in my opinion.  No blending agents needed here.  

 

On another note, if you are painting the car completely, one can achieve a lacquer looking paint job using a catalyzed urethane.  One simply needs to over reduce the last finish coat.  This will allow you to color sand the finish out to look almost as deep and hue rich which is the benchmark or a lacquer paint job.

Edited June 30, 2015 by buick man (see edit history)

[Buickborn]

         Acrylic lacquer in any original color, for any car built since the 1920s, can be ordered from TCP Global in San Diego.  On their website, autocolorlibrary.com , you can pull up color charts for your car's year and make (just follow the prompts); but, due to the limitations entailed in scanning old color chips, the colors usually appear darker than they should.  In any case, if you have a fair idea of the color you're trying to match (or better yet, its name), you will be able to find its product number on the charts and order accordingly.

          Although TCP Global carries PPG paints, I have had very good results with their private brand,  "Restoration Shop," priced considerably lower than PPG -- the lacquer cost savings, however, slightly mitigated by a lower recommended reduction rate for the private brand than for PPG (i.e., 1:1 vs.1:1.5).  Still, their thinner is considerably cheaper as well.

          In addition to being satisfied with TCP's lower-priced lacquer, I have found these folks extremely knowledgeable and helpful on the phone -- which, last time I called them, was the only way to order.  Couldn't do so using the website.

          By the way, I use a HVLP gun on my lacquer jobs with no problems (even with blending, which I do by applying successively reduced coats as I progress further into the original paint) -- or at least no problems that I have attributed to the gun.  But, then, one of the reasons I prefer lacquer is that it is completely idiot-proof.  Doesn't matter if I drool it, fuzz it, orange-peel it, or drag the hose through it . . . in no time the evidence can be wet-sanded out and re-shot, and no one's the wiser. Except, of course, anyone reading this.