Paint Touch-up Renew

[TedG]

Purchased a survivor 1967 Buick Riviera recently. The original paint is flawless with the exception of where something had fallen in the previous owners garage and blemished the paint on the top section of the drivers door. Worst location from a visual perspective that needs to be addressed. Shops locally to me in the West burbs of Chicago won't touch it since it is the lacquer paint utilized by GM in the late sixties and early seventies. It will require a re-spray of that section. Hoping to source a provider that can blend or feather in the paint. Can anyone recommend a provider? Thanks! - Ted

[Walt G]

Find a paint shop that can mix the color you need and buy a quart or two. This way if you find someone to paint it for you they do not have to attempt a color match.  Depends upon if you can have a "break line" to possibly tape off /mask the area below that you do not want painted. . Deep scratches will have to be sanded smooth and if down to the metal have to be primed first. Most shops do not bother with lacquer any longer.

[TedG]

Fear apparently is the new paints available will not adhere or blend well with the lacquer on the car. It does have a break line and I've already sanded it down smooth ready for primer and paint. 

[Walt G]

That is why you have to use lacquer for the area you want to repaint, it will blend but is not applied like the current 2 part, hardener, clear coat stuff.  Acrylic lacquer should be available, even if you need to send away to buy it.  Do you belong to the Buick Club of America? They have club technicians for particular years and series, models etc. They may be able to suggest where to buy lacquer or have it mixed to the color you require.

[SC38dls]

Using Walt’s and others advice I found a paint shop that put a matched paint color of acrylic lacquer into spray cans when I rebuilt my 38 black Studebaker after an accident. I was able to paint it myself. I then used rubbing compound and buffed it out being very cautious not to burn thru the paint. It worked very well for a daily driver. 
dave s 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by SC38dls (see edit history)

[Buffalowed Bill]

I hesitate to get involved because there are so many variables involved with matching sixty year old paint. I would expect a certain amount of fading of the original paint. Because of this I would go to one of the few remaining paint stores that will be willing an able to do a color match to the panel that you are working on.

 

If we were talking about a newer car I would be more then comfortable using the following for a color match. I've used then three times for a match for three 90's daily drivers, with a perfect match each time. Caution, the pandemic has hit these folks hard and there work force was depleted so there has been a substantial wait time. 

 

 Exact-Match Car Paint | Premium Automotive Paint for Flawless Results | Easy-to-Use Auto Paint | Truck and Car Touch-Up Paint | AutomotiveTouchup

[F&J]

1 hour ago, TedG said:

Shops locally to me in the West burbs of Chicago won't touch it since

Another reason they don't want that job is trying to match a 55 year old factory paint that does get washed out over time. 

 

If you buy the correct exact paint, it will not be a match unless the car never saw sunlight, which is impossible.  A very talented painter can adjust the mix in trial/error, but that takes time and he would have to own the Acrylic Lacquer Mixing Toners and Polys to adjust the color. A light metallic color might even be adjustable to match a faded paint by adding a bit more metallic which is called Poly.  Poly came in many types as far as size/shapes of the flakes. 

 

TPC Global should have the paint mix available in Acrylic lacquer, (as well as AU).  They have also a page called Auto Color Library that you can look to see if they can do the paint mix.

 

One more tidbit on Lacquer "blending-in"; there was a product from Ditzler called Color Blender. It is used where you spot paint just a part of a panel, but not used when taping off to a body line.    It looks like thinner, but you spray it on the area to blend into, and then mix a bit of it in the new paint.  It melts them together.  I have no idea if it is still available, probably not.

 

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[TAKerry]

Try 'Automotive Touch Up', they are in New Orleans and sell paint to match for just about anything. Look up the phone no. on their website then call and talk to someone. I have bought from them and they are more than helpful. They sell from nail polish size to gallons. If they have the formula maybe you can get a small amount to check for match before ordering a larger quantity. I know its a much newer car but I got paint for my 79 trans am. I checked it with the original on the underside of the trunk and it matched perfect.

[TedG]

Thanks to ALL. I have a brush touch up paint already but this will require a spray to look good. What I had hoped for was someone schooled in this art and willing to take the car project as a challenge. Willing to pay above standard rates for a professional finish. It's a really nice car and fearful a botched job will destroy the value.

[Walt G]

My final word, reread my advice. If there is a Buick Club member ( or AACA , AACA region) near you that has had the same issue that you have and can suggest someone that they used or have seen the results of a paint match on a panel ,you have now possibly relaxed your fears a bit. I looked at photos of the Buick of similar year and model you need help with and yes you have a break line to work with. Spot painting in an area won't do it you need to do the top panel area. If you are in fear ( obviously are) of a no match. Get a piece of masonite , sand and prime it with lacquer primer, get some of the color coat matched and paint or have that painted. Let it dry and hold it next to your car to see how it looks - same or close match? to light , to dark?  Temperature has a lot to do with how paint will lay on the surface you want to repaint, 70 degrees and no humidity is ideal.

[supercub]

There are online sites that will color code paint and put it in aerosol cans. For a survivor car, I imagine it's not a show car and for $100 of paint and primer cans, some you tube vids, practice with some flashing and rustoleum can paint to get the technique down, you can finish what you started. You probably intend to use the car often, so expect door dings, tar stains,  scratches, etc. And just enjoy using it. You brought within your means, and probably will have to keep the car going as same.

At some point you can redo the whole car if you havent been nickeled and dimed to death in repairs, which can be the future with an original car.

[60FlatTop]

 have a quart of red lacquer for my truck and a quart of white lacquer for my '60 Electra to do some touching up in a few weeks. It is readily available from TCP Global online from their site or their Ebay listings.

From what I can glean the paint is basically Valspar and decent stuff. I am pretty sure Valspar now owns PPG. I am doing this under the guidance and recommendation of a friend who taught auto body at High School level for 30+ years.

A body shop is not going to want to do a small job on a collector car. The owner and every person who sees the car into perpetuity is going to judge the job. And because touch is the only sense that humans find trustworthy every one will touch the spot. I kid you not, how many people have already touched it? Anything a shop does to your car is a high risk to their reputation. They don't want the job.

 

If you but a quart of lacquer and a decent but inexpensive gun you can do the job at least 5 or 6 times until you get it right. For small jobs a hobbyist will rarely outpace the capacity of a small compressor. Develop the skill yourself. A professional is out there right now thinking up excuses he will sue tomorrow. He has some for you just as they did for me.

 

I see you have already attacked it with sandpaper. That happens a lot and it not a good thing. A broken piece of glass would be better to smooth the edges of a scratch. Then lay the touch up paint into the scratch, build it up, and buff it to a shine.

 

My son is 40 now. He learned early. See the inverted can lid, that where you roll the nice thick paint into your brush.

 

 

[TedG]

Good conversation and much appreciated. Was also told this afternoon an epoxy base coat can be applied over the old finish. Then prime and paint with the new paint blends. Has anyone had an experience with that? In desperation I actually considered a decal or a flag magnet over the blemish. It's about 3.5 inches around in size. Hope it doesn't come to that!

[Paul Dobbin]

 

On 4/25/2022 at 3:16 PM, TedG said:

Thanks to ALL. I have a brush touch up paint already but this will require a spray to look good. What I had hoped for was someone schooled in this art and willing to take the car project as a challenge. Willing to pay above standard rates for a professional finish. It's a really nice car and fearful a botched job will destroy the value.

 If you brush touched it, you may be half way done.  You may not need to spray paint it.   Since you didn't say how big the 
 "Blemish" was this answer may be to small for your blemish,   I've often seen small blemishes retouched and hand sanded to smooth and then hand buffed to a real shine and no visable signs of the original blemish.    You get more than one try at it too.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Paul Dobbin
spilling errors (see edit history)

[TedG]

Realize given the fact it's a hobby car I have the liberty to experiment with the paint defect. With summer hopefully looming the hope was for a quicker solution. Hope was to show it off without having to apologize for the ugly scar.  Tonight I will pray to the old car goddess and make a plea for inspiration! Having had other old cars I already know she is not likely to respond. 

[EmTee]

Maybe a picture would help...

[Buffalowed Bill]

I don't want to sound too critical, but I would have had my ducks in a row before I started the sanding process. Frankly you are beyond the point of no return. Good luck!

[TedG]

Sanding was a knee jerk reaction. The previous attempt at repair looked like one of those huge scabs that formed on our knees having fallen off a bike.

[60FlatTop]

14 hours ago, TedG said:

With summer hopefully looming the hope was for a quicker solution.

Sometimes when you are at a cruise in or show an obvious flaw will draw the attention of the self appointed concours judge and help them get along and on their way quickly.

This '67 Cadillac had small paint damage on the hood. The "professional" at a dealer body shop said he would use sealer to prevent reactions with the old paint. Each time it went back it was worse. He finally gave up. That was after removing the hood, painting it outside the booth, and having dirt all over the paint. He said wait 6 months and bring it back to have him sand the dirt out. That was in the late 1990's. He's still waiting.

 

This car has been brush touched annually since 2002 in a whole lot of places. There is even evidence of the battery blowing up at one time and spraying acid all over the fender. Brush touching has kept it looking fine. I guess you could say I was trained by professionals to stay away from them.

 

[TexRiv_63]

Following, I have a similar issue. If matching lacquer is available would an airbrush be an option?

[Buffalowed Bill]

Learning to live with the imperfections of a well preserved original car, is something we owners just have to live with, or not live with as the case may be. Each step one of us takes towards making that original cars more perfect is a step away from the car's originality. Sadly outside of the AACA there is little being done to celebrate the original car. Many people, even some car people, have a difficult time accepting that an owners goal is something other then having the shiniest paint on the show field.  Without the support of an organization like the AACA it becomes very difficult for some of us to just leave it alone. 

 

In my collection I have a number of original cars. I admit to have fallen pray to  my desire to have something better. For me there is still a fine line regarding how much is too much. My guidance is self imposed. If I have to ask myself if the course of action is appropriate or necessary I usually leave it alone, or tone it down. This has been my troth for the last thirty years. 

 

Each one of us has a little different idea about what is appropriate. Perspective is a must and impulsiveness is our burden, but hopefully common sense is part of the equation, but ultimately it's the owners decision. 

[TedG]

Problem is I am a perfectionist. I have owned a number of collector cars and have brought all back to better then average condition at significant cost. If no resolution on the obvious paint blemish on the drivers door will likely spin the car off. Will continue to seek a remedy because the car is way too nice to just give up. Appreciate the assist by all! Thank You.

[TedG]

Nothing to lose so I did hand brush prime and paint the blemish this morning. Looks much better then before but the touch-up paint appears darker. Left it to dry for 24 hours and will address it once again. Should I then apply another coat or go directly to the ultra fine grit sandpaper and polish. 

[Buffalowed Bill]

Ted,

IMO a perfectionist like you will probably not be satisfied by a hand brushed touchup. Whether you apply another better matching color or accept what you already applied, I think that you are still going to want to block it, so you can see where you are going to have to add more paint. You may not be ready for ultra fine yet.

[TedG]

Two coats of hand touch up and somewhat satisfied with the result. New water borne paint is dull in color needing a clear overcoat. Bitter to mask it off and apply or free hand it allowing over spray into the untouched area for blending? Either way apparently I can 48 hours later utilizing a buffing compound to even things out. 

[60FlatTop]

I am a perfectionist but, luckily, I am much better at prioritizing. Sort of like the actor who does the newsman when he says "When we come back", "After this", or the many other segues into a long list of commercials