Technical Have any of you used Custom Shop Paint from TCP?

I'm seeing a lot of older threads regarding the Hotrod Flatz series, but I haven't ran across anything newer than 8-10 years.

A lot of those are mixed reviews, so I am just curious if anyone has used it recently and what the results were?

Some of the threads are from the early 2000's, so for it to still be on the shelf, someone has to be buying and using it.

 

I have not used the series you mentioned , but I have used the TCP global restoration series. I think it's OK but requires an extra coat or two.

 

Like joel, I have used the restoration series on my avatar truck. Its ok, but not like a premium PPG or similar brand. It didn't flow or cover as smoothly as the PPG I sprayed on a car years ago.

 

I have used it a bunch. It works fine.

They recommend 2-coats, I do 3.

 

I did engine work this late winter, new valve cover gaskets, fuel pressure regulator, rebuilt carb etc. The valve covers and air filter were looking sad so I scrounged around my paint products and found some Hot Rod Flatz red I had. So, I sprayed them along with a few other under hood pieces. Used my old siphon feed Binks gun at about 30 psi. It was around 60 degrees out but sunny. Sprayed easy, dried fast and looks good.

Two years ago I sprayed our 70 MGB with their “Restoration” brand urethane. I could not get that paint to lay down nice at all. Lots of orange peel and runs.

 

I have used TCP acrylic enamel. Color match not so good, but the product was good to work with.

 

Takes 3 coats but flows well. No orange peel for me. This was just practice on old fender and hood.

 

The Morgan in my avatar was done with it. It came out great and my painter, who normally does Porsches with Glasuerit or PPG, really liked it

 

I was considering their "Restoration Shop" single stage. The consensus from most I talked to is it is thin and requires more coats, and some damage in shipping complaints. Now going to try Tamco as the factory is only 30 miles and a nice ferry ride away. Twice the cost per gallon though.

 

most of your quality name brands will not ship to california [something to do with them prop things] i agree with the paints alright but there color's don't match there sample's, and who knows how it weathers

 

TAMCO is twice the paint that TCP is. So the cost is understandable.

 

I've used tcp global restoration shop single stage urethane and enamel. Have not shot a full car, used it for interior, underbody, frame, etc. Lays down slick for me with hvlp.

Tamco has good reviews, go for it. Able to pick up, get more, no shipping - complete score.

If youre looking for semi gloss black. I prefer to buy gloss black and add flattening agent by weight (digital scale) to the quart or gallon to get the desired sheen that I want. I don't like dead flat, just enough to knock it down from "shine to sheen"
That way I know the quality of the paint I'm using.


You're paint store can do the same, but adjustments are a trip back to the store.

 

I use water colors and finger paints. My Mom puts the pictures on the fridge.

 

I have no trouble getting things delivered.

I am 9-years deep on this paint, with some vehicles that live exclusively out in the California sun.

No reported issues yet, and that's better than some OEM paint, on new cars, over the same period.

 

The reason they don't ship to California is our state requires lower VOC's than others. Some brands manufacture low VOC paints, others don't. I'm about to order a gallon of this to paint my interior, firewall and jambs. We'll see how it goes!
TCP Global Firemist Green single stage

 

Ive used tcp restoration series paint on all of my cars. No complaints here.

 

I've used the Kustom Shop metallic with their flake a few times....coverage wasn't bad....3 or 4 coats. I don't use their clear though....I always splurge for a good PPG.

If you're looking for a good satin black try Standox Rallye Black

 

I put TCP Global Black Diamond Firemist on the tank of my Ducati.

There was no issue shipping it here.

It sprayed fine. Zero orange peel. No runs or sags. It cut and buffed to a high-gloss.

It looked perfect until I put the bike down.

If people are having trouble with paint, in my experience anyways, it almost always an issue with prep, air pressure, spray pattern, travel speed, and a host of other operator errors. Trust me, I have already made all of them.

I have seen guys that can lay a near concourse quality paint job with a purple gun from HF ($9.95/w coupon).

I have seem guys spray out what looks like the surface of the moon with an LS400 Supernova Entech gun ($850).

 

I have used TCP single stage urethane on some beater used cars that I have sold. I see some of the cars 4 or 5 years later. The cars that get a little love on occasion look good (washed and waxed). The cars that get neglected look like with a little care they might shine up again.

 

a few years ago i was in the 4 wheel kick and did a off topic CJ painted it some mail order white single stage paint, the jeep sat out side that paint always had like black mold grow on it . it would wash off but come back in a month or so, forget the brand

 

That doesn't sound like any paint problem that I have ever heard of.

 

It might come as a shock to some, but a whole lot of paint companies that are selling you products that you use, love, and swear by, did actually reformulate them for the 2009 California changes, and you did not notice.

Color is 3.5 pounds-per-gallon VOC max.
Clear is 2.1 pounds-per-gallon VOC max.

Both are as-applied numbers. If you have been buying paint in California, you have been using low VOC paint.

For many suppliers, California is their largest market, and the laws have been in-place for almost 13-years.

Every major manufacture makes something that can be sold here. Most are pretty good in the accounting department, and know very well that maintaining two SKU lines to support what would be essentially two different markets, or completely ignoring one huge market, are both bad ideas.

And it is not just a "California thing". As far as I know, the states that have adopted the same regulations are:

Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado and Ohio.

That's a huge market, when combined with California. For perspective, that represents 49% of the US population, or about 163-million people..

 

Same rules apply in Canada and Europe so the market is large.

 

I think that must be environmental. I have never seen anything like it. That's bizarre.

 

One of the threads I have read the posters said the TCP was PPG Omni. One had pulled the label and it had the omni label underneath it. Makes no difference because for many of us, there is no paint store close so they provide a useful service. As another stated, I use House of Color clear over cheap paint with good results. Cheap clear, not so good.

 

i used TCP global restoration series. single stage urethane , mixed my own concoction. laid it down think and had some orange peel. knocked it down then did SPI clear over it.

 

The “low VOC” boogie man. Ooohhhhhhhh
Paint is constantly being reformulated. I’d bet the reasons are to lower production costs, ingredient supply issues, then environmental.
A new line comes out, the old line gets bumped down, renamed or sold to another “manufacturer”
Lots of product numbers and names are gone from when I started 30+ years ago.

 

likely linked to PPG, not necessarily omni.

Here's what I've found from various threads and speculation. I found it all on the internet so it must be true.

Sherwin Williams
Valspar SW bought in 2017
Duplicolor SW owns
Krylon SW owns
Summit base clear

PPG
Restoration Shop - tcp global was ppg direct distributor, likely PPG formulation

KIRKER
Summit - Kirker single stage mixes 4-1
Eastwood - Kirker single stage mixes 3-1

Wanda
Owned by Akzo Nobel, also owns sikkens

 

Eastwood carries more colors than Kirker lists. I had assumed it was.Kirkers as I had read that, but if it is, they are mixing additional colors for them they do not sale under their name.

 

Let us know when you find out for sure - who makes Eastwood 3:1 single stage paint. I've never used it.