Sounds like a dumb question ...I am going to paint my own car,a model A. I did a lot of sheet metal work ,welding etc. I will do the best I can with filler and prep but I am not a body man,just a old retired back yard mechanic with little funds. I do not want to paint it a flat color ,but a high gloss paint followed with a clear coat.. I anticipate visual flaws after completion.Just being honest with myself... My question -- the darker the color I chose the more the imperfections will show,black being the worst.Is this correct?? Gene
Correct,black will show every tiny imperfection,,yellow might be on of the more forgiving colors. HRP
Lighter colors in general are more forgiving. I lean toward yellow myself but I am not aware that is is more forgiving then white. This is an I don't know not aware not a someone else is wrong I am not aware.
White or tan are some of the most forgiving colors you can go with, the darker the color the more it will show the imperfections.
Lighter colours hide the imperfections on the panels better but really make bad panel fitment stand out like a sore thumb.
I would go with a solid color (not metallic or other fancy paint) because they are cheaper and easier to work with, especially just starting out. Reds are the most expensive. Other than that, chose what you like. I know black is supposed to show flaws, so what. Let it. Other colors show flaws too you just have to look a little harder. When new, a lot of twenties and thirties cars had black fenders and running boards and colored body. This may be the way to go. Black paint is cheap and easy to match. Start by painting ONE fender. If you louse it up too bad, set it aside and don't show anybody. Try another fender. By the time you get done the last fender and running board you should be getting the hang of it. Now the first one should be good and dry, you can go back, wet sand it smooth and paint it 2 more coats. If the other ones are not too hot you can do the same with them. I know this is a lot of work but it is the way to learn. There is a knack to spray painting. The big secret is NOT CARING how it looks WHILE YOU ARE PAINTING. If you try for a perfect finish you will get nothing but runs and hangers. You have to spray the paint so it looks kind of crappy, with orange peel. It will flow out as it drys. The secret is thin wet even coats. Strive to get the same amount of paint on all areas. If you get it too dry and sandpapery looking, stop, let it dry, sand it and start again. You can't bury dry paint without getting runs. I know good painters who take a couple of shots of rye before they pick up a gun. They do their best work half in the bag and not giving a hoot. If they try too hard they always louse up the job. Once you get the hang of it you can paint the body whatever color you like. Once again, if you louse up, don't sweat it. Let it dry, wet sand smooth, and try again.
Mary Kay Pink is always a good choice. Only girls and Gays will get close enough to see the imperfections. I once owned this. No I'm not gay but stupid!
if YELLOW please try to get a light and or yellow base PRIMER because a LOT of . . . NOT ALL of those YELLOW paint jobs come out with a green in the (under the) paint... funny looking look... i see very few done right.. HRP i know you've seen that, any other suggestions that he can try...(just in case he goes yellow...?)
I have discovered that yellow is one of those colors you either love or hate. Not too many people straddle the fence with yellow. I personally love it, its like springtime when you are looking out over the hood.
I like "Road sign" yellow, it is the more wimpy yellows that seem to get the green shading, look for a GM pick-up/Blazer color from the mid to late 70s
As others have said, light colors are best. Since you are new to painting I would either go with a catalyized Acrilic enamel or base coat followed by clearcoat. The Acrilic enamel flows easy but is slow drying. After about two weeks you can wet sand and buff it out. The problem with bc/cc jobs for first timers is they try to put on too much paint. You want to just cover the primer and at that point it will look dull and ugly. Allow the time to flash then come back with the clear. The color and gloss really pops after a few coats of clear. Any paint job is only as good as the prep work. Block sand until you can't see or feel any imperfections and wash it down with wax and grease remover before spraying. Painting is an art and there are reasons that those SEMA and Riddler cars cost $10k plus.
Solid colors are cheaper . I'm doing both my cars solid . Gives it a timeless look Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Idk what the big deal with yellow is , there are plenty of really nice solid colors Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I second that. I painted an OT Maverick with a color called sunshine yellow. First two coats over light gray primer had a green tint to them. After two more coats and two coats of clear, it finally lost the green tint and turned out bright yellow, about the same as the 56 Chevy above /\. I was using cheap acrylic enamel from www.paintforcars.com . The clear really made it stand out. And yes, it had some runs and minor imperfections in it, and in the bright sun, were hard to see unless you looked close. I'm not a professional, nor do I play one on TV. Just your average garage/driveway painter.
Yellow it is.. Thanks for all the replys !! Appreciate the tips especially about the primer showing through the color yellow giving it a green cast, if one doesn't use a very light grey primer to begin with.
I don't mind pale yellow but, I agree that one car was good in bright yellow and lots of others it's too much. Here's my Cheby And also a gratuitous picture of my sons favorite political button from my collection "these are my two favorite people in the world Dad!" Yeah, so. My six year old likes Nixon and Agnew- you got a problem with that?
Have you thought about doing it with tractor or industrial enamel? If you got at good spray gun, a good brush an, 3 gallons of paint and 3/4 gallon of clear. Spray chassis primer on, brush paint first layer of paint. Let dry. Give it a ones over with 200 grit. Spray with a coat of paint. Let dry. Scuff it with 400-600 grit. Spray last coat with 10% clear in it It will look almost a survivor, but without patina. And you should be able to go dark'ish, with out engaging your minor flaws and dents. I would go dark blue, looks traditional and doesn't highlight bodywork.
It's an urban legend that light colors or white will hide bad body work. Light colors will cast shadows under bad prep work. Those over sanded filler spots, waves in the panels, and as was already advised, door, deck n hood gaps stand out as if the bad fit was intentional. In fact the only thing that looks worse than a shitty black finish is a shitty pastel or white finish. The flip side to that is how a near perfect white or light finish looks like magic when it's done right. That's some fair advice about the yellow and how the shadows appear green as you progress. Keep a bright light handy and don't check for shadows as you go. Your eyes will "see" the green tone even if it isn't there. Look away as soon and as often as you can so your eyes can readjust to their ability to distinguish colors. Yellow does funny things to your vision. It's much like wearing yellow tone shooting glasses or amber sunglasses. When you 1st take em off things look odd, as if the color adjustment on an old TV was too low. You need to go back with the bright light afterward and even then your eyes will get tricked into seeing the green shadows if you gaze at it for too long. If you know about that effect it's easier to deal with, so I guess now you know...
If i were you I would spend more time and effort in the prep and then you can paint it any color you want. There's plenty of info/youtube/books on body work - Use a good high fill primer and keep blocking it back until you are happy. I just wouldn't settle for visual flaws in filler etc, if time is a commodity that you have since you are retired, then use it. You will be much happier in the long run.
Paint it any color you want. Go back out to the garage and take one panel at a time and red oxide it and wet sand it with 600 or 800 and spray it off with water and you will see the imperfections. Fix them. Block and fill, hammer and weld, whatever you need to do, till its perfect then move on to the next panel. Shitty body work under white or yellow is still shitty body work, Yes it will take you a couple of weeks to fill and block, but I guarantee you, It will be worth it in the end. The first time someone asks you who you hired to paint it, you'll forget all about your sore fingers.
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