Has anyone here on the H.A.M.B. used Kirker Automotive Paints. There catalogue is pretty impressive and at those prices very reasonable. I have always used single stage stuff. They have everything and I mean by their listing everything.Metallics/pearls / etc. just looking for someone that has used their stuff.
I painted a car of mine with Kirker many years ago (27) and it still looks fine. Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk
I used Kirker paints when I was just learning how to paint because I didn't want to spend HOK money for beginner quality work. Never had a problem with the paint itself, but the clears are not real good if you want to shoot candies. UV protection was lacking and would fade super quick. I now use Tamco clears for better UV protection while remaining wallet friendly.
I've used it for 10 years. All single stage fades out in the sun. If you put good clear on, it will be there for a real long time. My stuff sat outside 24 hrs a day. It faded in a few years as single stage.
Have been using their primer for the last 10-12 years with zero issues, builds good and sands nice. I plan on using the topcoats in the near future , but plan to top coat it with PPG clear urethane.
Mine didn't sit outside 24/7 but never any indication of fading and it was shot in 2007,I used the truck a lot. HRP
I used it one time. I used everything the supplier recommended for the.single stage system. It faded out in a year, the paint rep looked at it and made a few excuses then told me when you buy cheap stuff you get cheap stuff. That done me on their products.
Summit brand paint is private label kirker. I like it. It's not expensive so don't expect it to be capable of miraculous hold out, fade resistance, or durability. But it's good stuff I've gotten from summit.
I painted with that Summit/Kirker paint on a daily driver , did everything like it said and it turned out like shit . I can truly say that it is the worst paint I've ever used . I sanded it off and went to Napa got new paint (cheap) and the truck turned out perfect . I then had to fight Summit to refund my money . Lesson learned never again .
Thanks for the input guys. I was wanting to know the good the bad and the ugly. It’s about the same as the synthal /cheap equipment enamel we get around here ( price wise ) and I’ve have used everything from DuPnt to rustoleum/Lowe’s to some extremely expensive stuff. Seems prep is usually the key and read the directions. Yep I learned that the hard way. I don’t think I’ll clear this time. I will use the standard hardener / dryer etc. This will be usd on our race cars that when not at the track will be in the cave out of light /weather. I simply require it to be slick /shines and /in this case red. It is a race car and know that even though I want it to look good -the nature of the beast -it will get scratched -if it gets raced. ( so I need it to also be easy to touch up. Again just needed to know what some of you guys had experienced before I ventured to something other than centuri acrylic /implement enamel which I have used in the past for no other reason than that’s all I could afford. Think I am gonna give it a whirl.
Buy the way that’s a sharp truck Hotrodprimer. If my Prefect and Willy’s turn out that good I’ll be happier than a altered sliding down a guard rail giving a peace sign.
In the past 4 years I have painted quite a bit with Kirker paint. The only issue I have seen is if you buy a gallon now and a month later you buy another gallon it might not match. Make sure you keep the batch numbers so you will get the same color. Had to completely repaint a truck because the batch to batch match is not good. Kirker would not step up on the labor , but did send me a thousand dollars worth of product after talking to their rep. I shoot mostly base/clear, but when I shoot single stage it get's clear over it to help prevent UV fade.
I like running a progressive clear reduction with single stage Kirker also has an adative for their single stage paints that converts it to base/clear operation. Handy for stripes and stuff like that
I have had the fade problem with Kirker. If you want cheap paint kit try this guy. https://www.ebay.com/sch/hotrodautopaint1/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from= I have painted a couple beater cars with it. I have one 3 years, No wash, no wax. After 3 years it looks like it should be polished. It seems it will polish ok after a quick test the other day.
Kirker and other "mail order" paint usually does hold back on the more important chemicals and solvents/solids. I've been told by a couple PPG reps that the element which provides UV protection is one of the highest costs involved in producing auotmotive paints. The reality is that there's only so many resins, solids and solvents available to make paints. While each proprietary "recipe" may be exclusive to the manufacturer most of the elements are universal. PPG or DuPont don't have a unique form of toluene, esters, japan (for colors), plasticizers, etc. So, now that we covered that... "Bargain Basement" paint can be no bargain at all. Marketing, hype, paid testimonials, all serve to get the stuff out the door. PPG was making paint in the early days of cars (under the Ditzler brand name), DuPont was as well, likely even more cottage blenders were employed to make up the volume. Generations of experience. HOK was it's own cottage industry blender with a success rate that's easy to understand, now they're a Valspar product. You do indeed Get What You Pay For with low-buck finishes. I use production level color and top line clears. Not too many of the carsI do are going to spend 40hrs a week in the parking lot at work, but the line I use often is made for that too, but perhaps not for 30 years worth. This work is already a bitch to do, I wouldn't risk material failure over hundreds of hours of body/prep work. Racers and dump truck boxes? Go for it, get Tractor Supply paint if you wish. Good stuff? Use good stuff.
I've used a little bit of everything/ and painted about everything from a D 7 dozer to a what was left of a 32 Bantum. I am no expert I promise you / but we do everything in house and do the best we can with what we have. ( I still use a siphon gun in certain situations( yep I can hear the laughter)- why because I learned that first/ yes I have and do use HVLP guns also ) I've had the same issues that many of you have spoken of with everything from Dupont / and more expensive stuff to hardware( Brand X )Enamel.I have also managed some super nice jobs form the same / in my open yard where I sprayed the grass down with water and shot it in the yard after it was masked off to. ( yep we still do that in our part of the world- My neighbors / and even the town mayor doesn't care) I am using this to find out as much as I can about this line of products for two reasons. ONE -we have it( Lots of it- . TWO_ simply wanted to hear from/ and learn those that have actually used it / and get the pros/cons straight from the one Eyed Horses Mouth .( Forget the Crow you are seeing on its back). Ive used clear twice / one was great the other ( probobly something I did- but turned a really nice acrylic job to (XXXX). You guys are giving me a lot of useful feed back - you are not going to hurt my feelings.
Bobscogin, the single stage from Eastwood and Summit was Kirker. I haven't investigated for a year or more so that may have changed. The Summit mixes 4-1 rather than 3-1 but it's different activator. Summit sells a full gallon instead of 3 quarts like some of the others. I started using the HOK show clear but my paint job is only 2 years old. It maybe too soon to see if that will give the desired result.
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