how do you maintain your flat paint job

I have low gloss black from Tractor Supply, and I use Armour All for semigloss surfaces, after washing with Dawn. It doesn't streak, and it has UV protectant. And it's still faster than wax.

 

Nothing wrong with flat black, especially on a truck that you use! Nice ride........

 

This is what my brother put on his 54 F600. He asked me what to use & I suggested this to him, I didn't know how long it would last but we'll see?
If it holds up good, for the price I might paint my Henry J this color.

Butcher's Shop Customs, how long has your's been painted with the Valspar Tractor supply paint? How does it look?

 

No, not really.

I buy my ball peen hammers, duct tape, trash bags and blood remover at the $1. store as well.

Why?

 

I used semi gloss industrial paint on my truck, stuff made for offshore oil rigs type paint. Not flat but not shiny.. I haven't done anything to keep it up.. I probably won't wash it for ten years. Of course it's military Olive drab green not black.

 

Mine's been in John Deere flat black about five years now. Just recently though, chalky spots have started to show up over areas with filled trim holes, door handle holes, and such. Any suggestions for that? This stuff held up pretty well but it's weird.....water spots get rainbow lookin', wax and grease remover destroys it, and it has it's own special thinner........but it was $20 to paint the whole car and it's all the same color now. That's what I could afford.....
The roof is in Rustoleum and I did some scallops in it too......all getting very chalky.

Any suggestions for making my combo as presentable as possible?

Thanks,
Johnny

 

I know I will probably catch shit for this, but my suggestion for making your combo as presentable as possible is nice shiny paint. In my opinion it is the best thing for cars and probably why (gets ready to be proven wrong) why most cars have come off the production line covered in it since day one. The car in your avatar deserves it.
Paul

 

If you sprayed your vehicle with SEM hot rod black, you can actually wax/wash it as normal without disturbing the flat look. We restored a 69 mustang mach 1 which usually has a flat black (or trim black) hood design stripe and you would normally have to use windex or dawn. But since we used the SEM product Hot Rod Black the owner can now have the car washed and waxed without any worry about ruining the flat paint. Great stuff the SEM product is, it is also highly scratch resistant too.

 

Thanks Rocky!

 

Good thread. And I still say, FLAT is acceptable, COOL and trad.

I kind of like the CONCEPT of a car pulling up with all the Mechanicals PERFECT, yet still looking -- somehow -- like a project IN PROGRESS.

Trad? I think so. NO, I don't expect judges to award trophies.

Besides,if you want to drive your car long distances, a perfect paint job will get stone dings. Flat black or gray is way easier to touch up and forget.

(The day will come when everything is right asnd you just HAVE to do the 600- and 1,000-grit thing, tack it and put the best paint job on it you can. What's the hurry?)

 

Matter of fact, I'd like to SEE guy's cyrrent rods that are in primer. As long as that's not somehow subverting the thread, okay? I just thought it might help illustrate both points of view (?).

 

Mine wasn't flat black, but it was satin black. I just used the regular concentrated automotive soap to wash, and then dried it with a towell. Never anything more needed.
Mine was temporary to get it looking decent last spring so I could drive all summer. It's coming home soon from getting shot with shiny paint, so I wont have the issue of satin or flat paint anymore. Not my cup of tea personally. I'm getting tired of seeing so many satin/flat black cars at cruises.

 

funny I LIVE in LA and have never seen that "LA's Cleaner" at the dollar store

 

Do you have a tire coating that just looks like a new tire not the overly shiney finish that seems to be popular?

Sorry about the hijack.

Bill

 

I used some stuff called Black Magic - Tire Wet on my OT car recently. I hate it because it's not near as shiny as I like, but I would say it's the equivalent of a new tire look.

 

Yes, as a matter of fact, we do. It's not the messy, greasy stuff -- just a nice natural matte look that is dry to the touch. Makes a dirty tire look new again.
http://www.wizardsproducts.com/store/product.php?productid=93&cat=0&page=1

 

Quote:
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset" class=alt2>Originally Posted by LongT
Do you have a tire coating that just looks like a new tire not the overly shiney finish that seems to be popular?

Sorry about the hijack.

Bill
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Great point. I agree: Lo-miles tires that get driven -- and driven (hopefully, not trailered) -- to a show should just LOOK like new tires, new rubber.

Shame on judges who like the unnatural ultra-shiny look.

 

I like the rustoleum flat black (paint) maintained with a WD40 wipe down every now and then. I also have rust with clear (paint) over it maintained the same way. I have one with very shiny paint. All my cars get lots of compliments , attention , thumbs up , etc. As most of you may guess which one sets in the garage most of the time. "Shine is Fine" but "Flat is more fun" . Thanks my nickels worth

 

Hey paul,
Nice shiny paint costs more in time and money than I have right now.....Believe me, a $20 paint job is definitely not what I WANT, it's what I could afford at the time and can't do much better now! She still needs a lot of body work and I'd like to french the headlights and do some other custom work as well. But that too will have to wait a while. She's been waiting to be a "finished" car for a long time and I'm sure she can hold out a little longer! I'd just like her to be the best she can be for now.
And for anyone that is inclined to chime in with "if you can't afford paint, you can't afford the car"......it's a $200 car. They don't make them anymore, and when I can afford nice paint and interior etc. it won't be a $200 car anymore. If I waited till I could afford it all instead of jumping on this deal when I did 5 years ago, I probably would never have the car! The way I see it, enjoy it in the meantime, and it will be that much better in the end.
Johnny

P.S. Anybody have tips for removing the chalky spots and water stains without repainting? This blitz black seems to be a little different than regular paint.

 

Don't get me wrong man, I was in no way criticising you just voicing the opinion that the car in your avatar deserves shiny paint. With the plans you have outlined for it it will be one bitchin' car when it's done. Good luck with her.
Paul

 

All good points, and I really appreciate that when the HAMB is at its BEST, these conversations are constructive, not adversarial.

On the other hand, I have strong (old-days) feelings, and I hope guys will hear me out before kicking me out of the bar:

 

I haunt all the junkyard and abandoned-car threads.

People (who were probably born in the '70s and '80s always ask "HOW COULD ANYBODY JUST LET THIS ROT?" Well, back when, nobody wanted the cars everybody's now craving, that's why. Hell, few guys had the means to do anything more than SAVE them and put them somewhere so that they wouldn't wind up in the blast furnaces of Japan, India or China.

It sure would have been NICE if the same "junk men" who saved the cars you still see sitting in junkyards NOW had the MONEY to keep all of the cars INDOORS for you and, barring that, at least have sprayed them with PRIMER.

PRIMER is what guys of limited means do (or at least DID) to preserve steel, until they could AFFORD the dough to paint them the way they visualized.

It's always BEEN that way. Thanks to older guys who could primer their "dreams," the cars they had eventually fell to younger guys who had THE MEANS to continue the process. So, don't look DOWN on primer. Primer IS trad, IMO.

Any day, I'd rather see a car on four wheels and in PRIMER than sitting two feet in the ground.

 

I used Eastwoods epoxy primer on this cab cause I got to park it outside for a while..This stuff has a nice satin finish and leaves a smooth finish..$89 gives you 2 sprayable gallons,,you could paint the whole fleet,,good coverage! I use epoxy on any bare metal asap