The one thread that MUST be read is THIS one. Start at post #9, and look at all the pictures! It's currently 170 pages long.

 

Yep - I'll read more carefully in the future.

And I do like low-gloss finishes, just not the really flat ones that look like coloured primer. I've even put low-gloss finishes on motorcycle pieces and parts, but I still use a spray gun and put a clear coat over the colour coat.

But like you say, as long as the owner likes it, that's all that matters.

 

i personally prefer matte clear coats vs just primer or flat paints too

 

That VW is awesome. I really like the last one with that blue color. But the wheels on the first one look absolutely amazing.

 

i like flat paint as well. i wouldnt mind getting the MINI done in flat black.

have any of you seen MTV's show "Rob & Big"? i love his truck! (the newer one that is flat black. the old gloss black one was nice too!)

 

He WAS going for low gloss... but they still look like hammered *** (nice term BTW) to me. It has that "thick" look that home jobs all seem to have. And the colors... Ugh.

I'm not a fan off the matte paint look but I have seen a few paint jobs in that style that looked really good. guess what? When I talked to the owners they all told me that even though it's non-glossy, the paint was still laid down professionally and sanded between coats for the thinnest but most-even coat.

Like everything else, there's a right way and every OTHER way to do it, it looks like.

 

i used to hate it as well. but i like it, but i like gloss just as good.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...5/Sideshot.jpg

 

some consider flat paint jobs stylish, others think it looks like "hammered ***"
some consider "underbody glow" cool, others think it looks cheesy and rice.
whaddayagunnado? eh? fuggedaboutit

 

I think all the haters need to step back and find something else to do. I am looking forward to seeing the progress on this project.

 

you most certainly are not, seeing as to what you post on Mininuts

 

As I have a lo-$ restoration (not a MINI) possibly pending, I've spent a fair amount of time researching the "$50 Paint Job" technique. It has merits. If you:

...live in an area where DIY spraying is frowned upon - Kalifornia for instance...

...have more time than money... as the prep and between-coat work is fairly extensive...

...have reasonable expectations regarding how well it will turn out. If you'll notice, many of the cars painted this way are done in white - which is great for hiding a multitude of sins. Darker colors - glossy or not - will still high-light imperfections.

The car I'm working with practically has one wheel in the crusher, so anything I do to it will be an improvement. I'm also loooking at the line of "Hardnose" paints by POR-15, which are apparently self-leveling and might be more forgiving. I still have a crap-load of rust repair to deal with, so it's likely this thread will be long buried before I think about paint.

 

I have painted my own motor cycles before... but dude... i wouldn't reccomend diving in and doing it yourself on your car, not with out good practice, on another junker or what not

bikes I have painted:

 

Any thoughts on what paint to use? I've been looking at this... http://www.tcpglobal.com/kustomshop/ksflatz.aspx

 

^^^
it looks quality??

 

From what I've heard from a few of my bodywork/paintshop buddies, that stuff is really nice for the flat effect

 

Before you go a-trolling, read my post again... The matte jobs I've liked were PRO jobs, with the required sanding and, I assume, the right application equipment. The discerning eye (IMHO) can tell the difference.

What made the pics posted look bad (again, IMHO), was the overall "thickness" and apparant unevenness of the finish, and the weak, pastel colors, which did not look good to me. In fact, I thought the white car was PRIMER - not good.

Of course, the thickness COULD come from the fact that he's repainted hos car half a dozen times ( ) but I don't think so - home jobs I've seen (rattle can specials especially but even thoose done with inexpensive paint guns) all seem to share this trait - I suspect it's more from the inexperience of the applyer than the equipment - painting, it has been said, is a real art form, and isn't something that an ameteur can expectto get great results with until they practice, practice practice...

PE - those bikes look FANTASTIC! See how smooth the finish is? How thin the paint seems to be? Nice work! Any special equipment used? The black/white paint scheme on the first one is very effective IMHO.

 

first off, im not trolling, i posted an example of what people like and don't like. my example was specifically and intentionally using underbody glow so you'd understand that some people like things with a passion and others don't. don't get too worked up about it and don't call me a troll.

your opinion on the car and the paint is pure opinion, you've never seen the car in person so you're judgment based on photos is out the window.

but thank you for Your Honest Opinion.

i completely agree with you that DIY paint jobs are not for the faint of heart... but at what point does one want to start practicing and trying this for themselves? this guy wants to try it, he should practice first as EVERYONE here has already said.

 

I'm not sure if this was intended for me or the OP, but if me... well... you need to see the car... most look at it and go, "you want to restore that?" My goal is a cheap driver for foul weather and as a beater-toy... we already have a much nicer version of the same car for "Sunday drives."

If not for me... then nevermind...

 

My basic thoughts on doing the paint job myself are:
-I want to learn how to paint and will have plenty of time over summer to do it.
-If it turns out bad, it's just paint.
-I pretty much just want to have a fun project to work on.

 

I wouldn't advise it. There are several safety issues with spraying that much solvent borne paint in a confined area unless the area is properly ventilated. Using a regular house fan to ventilate the garage is an explosion waiting to happen. If you leave the garage doors open you are either inviting every bit of airborne trash to land on your wet paint job or overspray will be floating out of your garage and landing on the neighbors car/house/cat...etc.

 

right on cartar, more power to you. i think with practice and a well thought out plan you'll be more than happy with the paint job. ive painted my classic oldsmobile several times using spray paint as well as 3 sets of wheels and i was extremely happy with the results.

id suggest getting a piece of sheet metal from home depot and try the different techniques already posted in this thread... spray, roller, etc.

have fun and post your progress/results

 

The discerning eye on the internet? That's funny. Having seen it in person I can tell you that the regular DIY qualities aren't apparent in his paintjob. He does the whole wetsanding and prep-sanding that any other painter does...it's not sprayed with a gun, but they're just temp jobs anyways. It seems rather mean to instantly jump and imply that the owner is inexperienced and that his paintjob looks like "hammered ***" without seeing them.

He removes the previous paint before every paintjob....I don't know what "thickness" you're seeing on these rather small pictures, but I can assure you, it's not there in real life.

lol inexperience??.....below you can find pics of the other car's that the group has painted in the last few months. It seems silly to start judging someone and their skills based strictly on a few images posted...silly troll, putting more people down without actually seeing the paintjobs



notice this isn't even an OEM color for VW....full custom paintjob

 

I'm only going on what I saw, which were not those photos, Rally. The other ones looked thick and a bit uneven - maybe it was a flaw in the car itself. If it looked bad(ish) in the photos, it probably looked worse in person, but maybe it was a bad series of photos or something (shrug).

In any case the ones you posted above do look fantastic!

Best of luck with the home job and do use protection Cartar - those are some nasty chemicals to breathe. I've actually wanted to learn to paint like this as well for quite a while, but the health concerns scared me off, as well as the fact that I know my already-cramped garage isn't up to the task. Most of the dozens of sites I've read suggest starting on a hood or door panel - something small and easy to practice on - good luck diving into a whole car.

 

Exactly my point...don't be quick to judge people and put them down until you can actually analyze their work.

 

Awwwww... but everyone ELSE does. I'm just trying to fit in.