Technical Is it still OK to paint a car with Acrylic Enamel?

It's been many years since I painted a car, but when I did Centari acrylic enamel was what we used along with some PPG products. It always flowed out nice for me, and looked great after it was cut and buffed. Never shot Urethane, and it doesn't look as good to me. Looking for HAMB opinions. Bob

 

see my avatar....Nason acrylic enamel, shot in my shop at home by me a couple years ago, on the cover of Hot Rod mag this month. I guess it's still OK to do it

 

I am not a painter, but I find single stage urethane just sprays way better for me. But I can't take the poisoning effects it seems.

I don't color sand or clear anything. I spray and go for a good flow-out. I don't believe in the cut/buff on a normal build. It just sounds like a guy can't paint very good but is good at sanding and buffing LOL

If you were closer I'd give you a bunch of PPG mixes of AE and SS urethanes to fiddle with
....or some vintage dulux straight enamels

 

My A sedan was Centari back in the 70's. It was great and held up well. I just never liked to clear anything. Lots of new stuff out there today. You need to ask tb33anda3rd

 

My 32 5W that I painted last year and my 27 T that I painted 20 years ago is DuPont centari I prefer single stage vs base/clear on hotrods.

 

PPG single stage , works very well for me the non painter

 

If they made perfume that smelled like Centari I'd buy it for my wife.

 

Thanks for all the replies so far. I forgot to mention I'm only interested is solid colors no clear coating. That base coat clear coat deal just looks like crap to me. Bob

 

Agree!

 

Had it on my coupe for 38 years including years out in the weather, has some patina but has held up well. It will outlast me, go for it.

 

Acrylic enamel still works like it used to, go for it.
If you like PPG, Check out PPG Delfleet in your area for pricing, attached pic is asphalt angel's with a stock delfleet color.

Contact Paintguru as well, resident paint chemist. His wife has retail stores.

 

Use Centari only if you want a mirror shine that looks like you can reach into it, but otherwise nah, use that new waterborne stuff it's supposed to give it that watery fresh look

All the best,
Tim

 

urethane enamel single stage offered locally at high volume body/paint shops in Calif

 

Wow I would love to see all your paint jobs jeeZ. You know you can still buy acrylic lacquer. That's always my first go to. If not lacquer you should use and only use DuPont centari. And if you like crappy paint don't cut and buff it. The wonderful thing about most single stage paints is the fact that they can be color sanded and polished out to a high gloss/luster deep looking paint job. And if and when you scratch it deep you can do a quick spot repair and repainted. Color sand and buff it out to blend it right back into the old paint. Good luck. Get the right stuff take your time and you should be able to lay down a nice shine. Thinner paint will lay down better but take longer to cover. Make sure you paint on a day that you can say ok today is all about painting. Do nothing else but take your time and paint your car on that day.

 

Currently having a blast and great results with the PPG Shop Line Acrylic Enamel. Very much reminds me of Centari.

 

Is acrylic enamel what they use at MAACO? Just curious?

 

I agree with you about solid colors without clear coating. My Deuce is single-stage Victory red done 5 years ago. I wanted to be able to repair scratches with relative ease. Years ago clearcoat didn't offer protection from ultraviolet rays, and the paint would practically boil under it then crack and look like shit. The new clear isn't suppose to do that.

 

no they used synthetic enamel.

 

I'm wondering, is acrylic enamel cheaper or easier to spray than acrylic urethane ? Your paint job looks really good in the photo.

 

Thanks. What's the difference between the two and any upside or downside to either? Referring to the synthetic vs. acrylic enamel.

 

No reason not to use it, for solid colors. It shoots easily, cost effective, and looks like the old enamels used on Ford and Mopar cars in the past. Just be sure to use a good hardener with it. Makes cure time faster, and touch ups/recoating easier.

 

i don't know the differences chemically but i think the synthetic enamel was the cheapest paint they could make to get the job done.
in my opinion, and some nuclear chemist may prove me wrong, but there is not any better paint than the modern urethanes that are available now. they are great in every category; shine, hold out, coverage, ease of use, durability, touch up, etc.... not saying the acrylic enamels are not good, just a step down.

 

Used acrylic enamel with a high gloss hardener. Picked up some orange peel but nothing color sanding couldn't fix.






Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I agree. I hadn't painted anything major in about 25 years - recently used some PPG Shopline urethane (2 stage - not their best line by any means). I used it to patch in some new paint onto a 75 year old cheap-ass enamel paint job on my 32. I was very impressed with all aspects of it - will not hesitate to use it again. With that said, I sprayed a shit-load of lacquer back in the day - was what I preferred for all the high-end work that I did . . . lots of black, red, silver, metallics, pearls, etc.. - I love the new paints of today (except for the prices . . . paid over $200 for 1.5 gallons of PPG primer - high build, great stuff, just expensive).

 

Keep a clean work area. No matter what hardener or what the labels say, still picks up dust or debris some 10hrs later. Still soft 2 days later so don't lean on it or try to push it outdoors from the painted surface. If it's the look you want than SS Urethane is a better choice. I'd bet dollar for dollar, not including "internet brand X" variants, 'thanes are still less $$$ especially considering solvents, hardeners, etc. Shop-Line Single Stage Urethane is quite user-friendly to both your time (effort) and wallet. Paint Guru's stuff sounds promising too and the tech support should be a call or email away. Worth a PM. Good luck.

 

I'd have to say that Centari is just as good as it ever was.
If I were going for a perfect black paint job it would be Centari, because I had one and parked my car amongst many a black car.

Defining the goals first, then figure what's best to reach them

 

My avitar Is Nasson single stage. Garage done I don't buff either. Shoot it 3 coats and it's done.

Do painters intentionally mix paint too thick, with the wrong reducer, so it orange peels to make cut and buff a profit center??

Nothing finer than Centari #99 Black.

 

I've been shooting flattened TCP global restoration shop urethane black (underbody, suspension) and PPG shopline enamel dove grey (inside trunk) on my current OT project.

Like using them both, really no complaints, both lay down and cover well, react as I expect them to. Either they are user friendly, or I just don't have enough experience to know the difference.

 

I look at cars a bit differently than most, perhaps? I have 3 cars that I've got to look decent in the past 10 years, all have Nason acrylic enamel, not sanded or buffed. They all have orange peel, some worse than others. But they also have a "normal" look to them, you can tell they aren't a high dollar paint job, they're within reach of the common man. Which I think is an important part of the whole "traditional" thing.

 

"Is it still OK to paint a car with Acrylic Enamel?"
Why wouldn't it be?

Hell paint it with latex house paint if that blows your skirt up. Anything is better that a RIP (rust in peace)job.