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Same painter I had just did a truck it's not perfect but nice. I like the forum but sometimes I don't understand replies. I'm taken yours as helpful. I hope it was.
Same painter I had just did a truck it's not perfect but nice. I like the forum but sometimes I don't understand replies. I'm taken yours as helpful. I hope it was.
Please no ill intent whatsoever. I am a newbie painter and trying to decide whether to paint a 69 Vette silver or another color. The pros tell me silver is difficult to paint along with black so I was curious as to how it comes out and if there were any tips or learnings to share so it might help me minimize my chances of messing up.
Your truck came out great! All the best with the silver Vette!
I am a newbie painter and trying to decide whether to paint a 69 Vette silver or another color. The pros tell me silver is difficult to paint along with black so I was curious as to how it comes out and if there were any tips or learnings to share so it might help me minimize my chances of messing up.
My '67 is a silver-blue lacquer (Elkhart) that shows some banding in different light along the back roof. That's the issue with silver - not sure why black would be difficult but it must not be due to the same reason. The car was painted by a professional some 40 years ago but even an experienced pro had difficulties in my case. That said, I repainted my wife's silver Honda's rear bumper (base/clear) and had no issues with banding at all. Perhaps modern paint characteristics are better at addressing this than in the past.
Before tackling a full car, try your hand with silver on large flat panels like a salvage yard hood, truck canopy, etc.
Please no ill intent whatsoever. I am a newbie painter and trying to decide whether to paint a 69 Vette silver or another color. The pros tell me silver is difficult to paint along with black so I was curious as to how it comes out and if there were any tips or learnings to share so it might help me minimize my chances of messing up.
Your truck came out great! All the best with the silver Vette!
Here's my take on a DIY paint job, doesn't matter how it turns out because you did it. If there are a few mistakes here and there no big deal. If you have a lot of mistakes again no big deal, re-sand and shot again. The cost savings will overcome any mistakes.
In my mind, Gold is a more difficult color to paint ...of the non-pearl paints. Tips to getting silver to lay out well with no streaking is to 1) use a good gun and the right tip, and right viscosity & correct temp reducer. 2) I try to avoid painting in straight lines (length with the car) ...and paint each coat (at least from the 2nd coat on) in 30 degree or 45 deg angles different than the previous, to avoid dark streaks. Don't do 90*, or you could create a checkerboard look! lol. 3) You still need to fog or 'mist' the last coat of silver ...while the last coat of base is still 'wet' ...to get *even* metallic lay-out. And that's the real secret ....is to fog it 'right' w/o getting a build-up of dry paint.
If you do those things a guy can get nice, even, metallic lay-out with silver, or metalflake gold.
And how many you tube videos you watch before going nuts with you harbor freight paint gun... OP and anyone else thinking its out of reach...
Dont let anyone discourage you into thinking a decent looking paint job needs to cost 10 grand. Looks like you already have the hardest part out of the way with the body and prep work which is 95% on the deciding factor on how the paint job will look. I learned of the first car I did before this one which was my old 84 c4... color changing chamleleon is not very forgiving to mistakes.
Last edited by augiedoggy; Jun 30, 2022 at 12:08 AM.
Would also like to know what you end up spending, a lot of threads on here about how much painting a c3 should cost vs what it actually costs.
it cost me just over $800 to do the body work including quarter panel repairs and for the 3 types of primers, base and clear to paint my car but I wont lie, I spent 2 years stripping paint with a razor, doing the body work and painting it.... when it was done the satisfaction was worth every minute of it. Ive had people at cruise nights flat out call me a liar when I tell them I did it at home in my garage after watching lots of you tube videos. I used a $120 craigslist air compressor and harbor freight paint guns.
it cost me just over $800 to do the body work including quarter panel repairs and for the 3 types of primers, base and clear to paint my car but I wont lie, I spent 2 years stripping paint with a razor, doing the body work and painting it.... when it was done the satisfaction was worth every minute of it.
You spent $800 including the base/clear?
If you were to guesstimate, how many hours into it?
