Good source for car paint?? quart / gallon

[68LTD]

Anyone recommend a good source for car paint??  My local paint place has been semi helpful but seems to have high prices for the quarts/gallons. 

 

Thnx   TP in Va

[Larry Schramm]

1 hour ago, 68LTD said:

Anyone recommend a good source for car paint??  My local paint place has been semi helpful but seems to have high prices for the quarts/gallons. 

 

Thnx   TP in Va

 

Define "high prices".  Paint costs have gone through the roof recently.  $500.00 to $1,000.00 or more is not unusual in the new world of pricing from inflation & regulation.

[Reynard]

If you want cheap, Walmart and Tractor Supply offers enamels in gallon cans for around $50. for application on metal surfaces.I have no experience with these, but the price is right.

I've also priced a gallon of "quality" paint at automotive paint stores for over $2500. Should be lots of options in between.

Maaco paint shops might be your best alternative if you can do all your own prep work and then have them spray it.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 13 by Reynard (see edit history)

[Walt G]

Please define the type of paint - lacquer ( nitrocellulose or acrylic) enamel, 2 stage ,  base coat clear coat   ???

Not being critical nor a put down but that is like saying you want to buy some food - what kind of ...........................

[TAKerry]

I just picked up a gallon of epoxy primer yesterday from my local mom n pop paint store. It was $200 and they threw in the catalyst for free! I only needed a quart but the brand they had that came in that amount was $180. So for another $20 I got 3 more quarts.

[TAKerry]

I bought and will be buying some more paint from a company called Automotive Touchup. DOT COM. They sell a decent product and the colour match at least for my car was EXACT. You can get anything from an eye dropper for touch up to a gallon to paint the whole car. I just looked at their website and a gallon is about $500 and a quart is about $140. Really not that bad compared to a lot of places. I am very happy with what I have gotten from them. It still needs a clear coat though which I bought from my local supplier.

[Pfeil]

TCP Global Corporation - Quality & Service Since 1974

And they do sell lacquer paint too!

 

[GrumpyJim]

The old adage applies... "You get what you pay for" If you're flipping a car, go cheap. If you're doing a restoration that you plan on have the car for a while. Buy the best you can afford. I did a cosmetic restoration on my '66 Station Wagon almost 25 years ago with top-of-the-line DuPont products. It still looks the day I completed the car.

[RansomEli]

For Acrylic Lacquer, Acrylic Urethane, and Urethane Basecoat/Clearcoat, I go to TCP Global. They are friendly and very helpful. https://tcpglobal.com. They also have a color library going back to the 1900s at  https://www.autocolorlibrary.com.

 

For Primer, I go to TP Tools & Equipment. https://www.tptools.com.  They have an excellent 3-in-1 Urethane primer (2K) Direct To Metal (DTM). It etches, fills, and seals. Goes on nice and sands very easily. Been using it as the base for acrylic lacquer and I've had absolutely no problems.  It's $99 per gallon and $29 for the catalyst. 

 

I've found that buying by the gallon is much cheaper than buying by the quart. If I need 2 quarts I save $$ buying the gallon.

Edited August 14 by RansomEli
update (see edit history)

[Peter J.Heizmann]

I highly recommend Colours, Inc.  (correct spelling)  Check their website. 
 

[Tom C]

Colours is who I dealt with too Peter. I was new to restoring a car. I did do a lot of research before I started.

The staff at Colours were very helpful. I used PPG out of the vibrance collection. 
 

[Trulyvintage]

18 hours ago, 68LTD said:

Anyone recommend a good source for car paint??  My local paint place has been semi helpful but seems to have high prices for the quarts/gallons. 

 

Thnx   TP in Va

If you are flexible about color

try calling auto body/repair/paint

shops in the surrounding area

and ask if they have leftover 

paint in good condition for sale.

 

 

Jim

[68LTD]

Thnx all.

[ABear]

18 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

Define "high prices".  Paint costs have gone through the roof recently.  $500.00 to $1,000.00 or more is not unusual in the new world of pricing from inflation & regulation.

^^^THIS^^^

 

Last time I bought Automotive paints at least 15 yrs ago, a gallon of PPG Urethane one step paint (all in one color/clear coat) cost me $250 not including Catylist or reducer.

 

With all the newer EPA regulations that have been enacted since then, plus supply chain costs, increased labor and overhead costs I suspect the price of the same paint system is going to be at least $500-$750/gal..

 

That is not including Catylist or reducer so I wouldn't be surprised if the total cost would run $1K or better to spray a gallon of Automotive grade paint..

 

If you want cheap, Tractor Supply or Rural King still sells oil based tractor/implement enamel paints (optional hardener is recommended which also increases the gloss level some).

 

If you want Automotive grade paints, they do not come cheap now days.

 

I do like the PPG Urethane paints, sprays nice, covers nice, good results with DIY level equipment..

[The 55er]

I  painted my 95 Dakota shop truck a few months ago and was looking for some cheap paint. I tried spraying the cheapo Rustoleum tractor & implement enamel paint on an old fender with some acrylic enamel reducer & hardener, it covered well but just didn't have the depth and gloss of "real" automotive type paint. I priced several known brands of single stage acrylic enamel paint from three different local sources and they were all about $400 a gallon for red, plus the reducer & hardener. I'm sure the other colors are somewhat less expensive. I finally settled on Nason Ful-Cryl II acrylic enamel and it turned out fine. I usually color sand & buff my paint jobs on my collector cars but didn't bother doing that on the truck and it still looks pretty good. If there's a cheaper way of painting a vehicle these days than that and still have it look respectable I'd like to hear about it.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

2 hours ago, Tom C said:

Colours is who I dealt with too Peter. I was new to restoring a car. I did do a lot of research before I started.

The staff at Colours were very helpful. I used PPG out of the vibrance collection. 
 

I to did a lot of research in the correct shade, Tom.  This TR6 is Pimento Red and is the correct color that Leyland specified.  It is a bright red tinged with a bit of orange.  
 

I have a copy of the build sheet I obtained from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust.  Pimento Red is noted as well as build date, ship (Dispatched) date, arrival date at Genser & Forman in Union, NJ.  Colours, Inc. did a perfect job blending it.

Edited August 14 by Peter J.Heizmann (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

Stopped by the paint store this morning to get some 'Prep-Sol'. Well, I know they no longer sell prep sol but I was after the modern day equivalent. $168 a gallon!!!!  I walked out empty handed and will figure on something else. I did see Eastwood has a prep for about $50.

[Tom C]

On 8/14/2024 at 1:42 PM, Peter J.Heizmann said:

I to did a lot of research in the correct shade, Tom.  This TR6 is Pimento Red and is the correct color that Leyland specified.  It is a bright red tinged with a bit of orange.  
 

I have a copy of the build sheet I obtained from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust.  Pimento Red is noted as well as build date, ship (Dispatched) date, arrival date at Genser & Forman in Union, NJ.  Colours, Inc. did a perfect job blending it.

Beautiful TR6 Peter.

Here is my Chevy in Lemans Blue

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Very nice, Tom.  Certainly a popular color in the 1960 era.

 

Edited August 16 by Peter J.Heizmann (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

On 8/14/2024 at 6:12 PM, TAKerry said:

Stopped by the paint store this morning to get some 'Prep-Sol'. Well, I know they no longer sell prep sol but I was after the modern day equivalent. $168 a gallon!!!!  I walked out empty handed and will figure on something else. I did see Eastwood has a prep for about $50.

I was watching some of the Paint Society videos on Youtube and was introduced to Sprayway as a paint prep right up to the final stages. I found it at Lowes and it is the spray bottle for small jobs in my garage now.  will probably use it after a solvent wipe down the next chance I get.

[pre1939chrysler]

Don't  look for inexpensive car paint,  it «ain cheàp." YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. A GALLON OF PAINT IS FOR HOUSES , good car pain takes 2 parts To be mixed. Thereafter Manu kinds of paint mlxes.

[TAKerry]

1 hour ago, pre1939chrysler said:

Don't  look for inexpensive car paint,  it «ain cheàp." YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. A GALLON OF PAINT IS FOR HOUSES , good car pain takes 2 parts To be mixed. Thereafter Manu kinds of paint mlxes.

I have to disagree. Yes you get what you pay for however, the rts from Automotive touch up is really good paint. It does not take 2 parts.  I was a bit apprehensive at first but after using it I will use it again. The colour match was perfect as well to the original factory colour. I used a high quality clear coat on top so that is the part that takes the abuse. 

When I painted my black car I used paint from Summit. It was 'cheap' compared to name brand stuff at the auto paint store. 7 or 8 years later it is still holding up fine and looks great!

2023-05-01_11-38-34 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr

Eastwood Black

2019-12-30_10-30-34 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr2019-09-26_06-25-16 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr

Auto Touch Up RTS Silver and Grey

 

Should this paint be used on a Ferrari restoration? Probably not, but for someone on a budget it works just fine.

 

[ABear]

3 hours ago, TAKerry said:

I have to disagree. Yes you get what you pay for however, the rts from Automotive touch up is really good paint. It does not take 2 parts.  I was a bit apprehensive at first but after using it I will use it again. The colour match was perfect as well to the original factory colour. I used a high quality clear coat on top so that is the part that takes the abuse. 

When I painted my black car I used paint from Summit. It was 'cheap' compared to name brand stuff at the auto paint store. 7 or 8 years later it is still holding up fine and looks great!

I would have to agree with both positions.

 

Never used "RTS" brand, but I am sure it works fine and combined with clear coat most likely will last a long time. I suspect what you used was self-catalyzing paint which starts hardening the moment it is exposed to air.

 

However, I suspect pre1939 is talking about "urethane" style paints which require the use of a external catalyzing agent to be introduced to the mix which starts the process of the paint hardening.

 

Two different methods but yet both can result in very good outcomes with both types.

 

However with self-catalyzing paints you have far less control over setup time and is quality of the paint job is highly dependent on air temps and even humidity of the air.

 

I have used both types, hands down I really like 2 part Urethane type paints for being much more forgiving with air temps and humidity.

 

I have not tried the newer EPA water born paints, I suspect those might be a bit more fidgety since they most likely will be affected by humidity.

 

As far as paint lasting, I have several vehicles I painted with Urethane paints, 15+ yrs sitting outside, never waxed and yet a quick wash and rinse they shine right up.. Never got that type of results with non-Urethane paints..

 

Even my regular daily driver vehicles, I never wax them or had a need to wax them, wash and rinse and the paint looks as good as new even after 10+ yrs..

 

Old auto Enamels (which are self-catalyzing) had to rewax them often..

[TAKerry]

On 8/16/2024 at 7:18 PM, 60FlatTop said:

I was watching some of the Paint Society videos on Youtube and was introduced to Sprayway as a paint prep right up to the final stages. I found it at Lowes and it is the spray bottle for small jobs in my garage now.  will probably use it after a solvent wipe down the next chance I get.

Is there a 'Spray Way' cleaner? I searched online for what Lowes had and the only thing 'Spray Way' was for cleaning windows. I have 5 spray cans of that on the shelf. Last time I was at HD they had a sale. Wondering if you are talking about the same stuff?

[RansomEli]

Sprayway. It's one of the best glass cleaners I've ever used. It's mentioned in several threads on this forum.

Sprayway can also be used as a paint prep. Don't know as I'd use it in the early stages of priming, but I'd have no problems using it in the final stages.  

[60FlatTop]

The Lowes in my town carries this style. I like it lot.

 

Here is a good video where the cleaning start at about 11 minutes. It shows the foaming Spray Way. I thought it was good although I would not follow all the instructions exactly. The concept is key, the details more my choice.

 

[kramaton]

On 8/14/2024 at 6:12 PM, TAKerry said:

Stopped by the paint store this morning to get some 'Prep-Sol'. Well, I know they no longer sell prep sol but I was after the modern day equivalent. $168 a gallon!!!!  I walked out empty handed and will figure on something else. I did see Eastwood has a prep for about $50.

I have used regular mineral spirits. Smells like the old prep sol. Works for me.

 

[TAKerry]

20240828_192807 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr

I picked this up at Marshalls over the weekend. $3.99 I used it between sanding 220 and 400. Seemed to do the trick.

 

20240828_192803 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr

Also got a can of this, I think it was less than $20.

[RansomEli]

Be careful with the Sprayway multi-surface cleaner. It may leave a residue on your surface. This might interfere when you spray on your primer/paint. This may cause fish-eyes or  improper adhesion.

 

The Sprayway glass cleaner specifically states it leaves no film.