getting my 78 vette resprayed, whats exact correct base, primer, top coat, lacquer etc to use??

dave

 

need to answer lots of questions before answers. is car stripped to glass? what is the surface condition if stripped. or are you just going over original paint? how nice do you want the final product? who is painting it? going with base coat clearcoat? what's your budget? selling the car when done? just my opinion

 

Factory was acrylic lacquer, primers and color coat. http://www.corvettepaintcodes.com/

 

In the past 30+ years there have been a series of revolutions in paint systems, each an improvement on the previous. I really am not sure that you can even find the materials today to duplicate what the factory put on 37 years ago. That said, the usual advice is to strip the car (controversial - lots of opinions about how to do this), block sand the body straight, apply an epoxy primer (controversial - lots of opinions about applying gel coat or other formulation primers), block again, apply a primer sealer (some omit this step), and then apply base coat and clear coat. This brings your car's finish into the 21st century. (NOTE: Some substitute a urethane finish if they want a pigmented finish throughout, instead of a clear coat.

The PAINT & BODYWORK section of Corvette Forum gives a LOT of information (It is found within the General Corvette section. I have found members DUB and POARCHDOG to be helpful and authoritative.

Good lock with your research and reading! Please feel free to PM me if you need to discuss something (as with everything on the Forum, it is worth what pay for it!).

 

thanks guys, in answer to some questions

car stripped to glass - yes

nice do you want the final product? - nice as possible without spending mega money!

who is painting it? - local paint place, iam in Scotland UK

going with base coat clearcoat? - not sure??


selling the car when done? - nope

 

I am repainting part of mine and hopefully blending it in, sanded down to glass, good primer, sealer lots of sanding, then using a single stage acrylic lacquer, no clear, several Coats of each . Hopefully it will do the trick and match. If I was doing the entire car would go with a more modern system paints have improved so much

 

C3's never had gelcoat.

 

I don't believe that I said that they did, however, some express the desire to 'improve' their C3 and add a gel coat. Do a search and you will find these folks.