Where and how to buy paint

[WissaMan]

I'm getting closer to being ready to paint. I had been buying my products--filler, primer, etc. at the local auto paint shop and was counting on their knowledge and assistance to help me get what I needed. However, when I went to their store a few days ago it was closed up When I look online the nearest paint shop is about 45 mins away which isn't very convenient. So now I feel adrift with no one around to help.

Can anyone suggest an online source/resource for paint? I'm going to need Turbine Bronze. I found an online cross reference of this color here. Would it be as simple as finding a reseller of one of those brands and ordering the code? i.e. if I was to order Sherwin Williams would I just give them the # 2490 and I'm good to go?

I also found some sites like this one "Express Paint", that specifically lists Turbine Bronze and sells the paint in various sizes up to a quart. But their paint seems to be a store brand so I have no idea if I should trust the quality.

Someone please bestow me with your automotive painting wisdom!

 

[WOT440]

Just about everything you need right here.

Restoration Shop

Auto Color Library - We will match ANY Car Paint Color!

 

[azblackhemi]

Just about everything you need right here.

Restoration Shop

Auto Color Library - We will match ANY Car Paint Color!

Yes, I agree. I used their brand Restoration Shop single stage Acrylic Urethane on my 79 300 and was very happy with the results. Your color is a metallic so I would not go single stage but they do have a Basecoat/Clearcoat system also.

 

[CBODY67]

Whether you go BC/CC or single stage acrylic enamel can be determined by what kind of "look" you are after. The BC/CC would be more toward the current OEM look whereas the single stage acrylic enamel can be more accurate for when the car was built. The single stage will not look "bad", just not quite like the current OEM finishes. It used to be that the acrylic enamel with hardener came out very well and lasted a long time. Looked very good when it was buffed-out after curing a day or so (in hot weather).

The whole BC/CC orientation started with less color coats and then used the clear coat to finish out the build thickness for durability and shine. Usually, current clearcoats have a UV filter to slow any sun-induced fading, as I recall.

DO use a very good facemask/filter when you spray the material. Some might require a hazmat suit for protection, too.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[Big_John]

I've bought from TCP Global also and was happy with it.

Their old website was much friendlier to use if you knew what the paint codes were. I haven't bought anything since they said "call us" but not for that reason.

 

[volksworld]

fwiw if you're new at this a basecoat/clearcoat is much more forgiving when painting a metallic color...if you get a run or sag in metallic paint the drip kinda separates into layers of metallic flakes and the translucent base color and looks awful ( just like runny spray can paint)...and theres really nothing you can do with it other than sand it out and repaint the whole panel... with B/C the basecoat shoots on with a flat finish so you're not as liable to get runs when trying to put on enough paint to come up with a gloss finish...you can build it up in light coats till it covers....then even if you run the clearcoat there's no difference in color and you can wetsand or buff it out....it takes skill and a good gun to get a good gloss finish as particles need to be atomized finely enough to lay out without an orange peel effect...with B/C if the finish isnt perfect some extra clear will give you enough material to sand and buff out without getting down to the basecoat....this isnt cost effective for a real shop but lets an amateur use lower quality equipment, some extra materials and labor to come up with a decent result...just be aware the clear needs to go on within a certain time period ...if the basecoat cures completely the clear wont be able to chemically bond to it so you have to leave enough time to do everything in one operation...you cant shoot basecoat one weekend and do the clear next weekend or it will wind up peeling off down the road...

 

[azblackhemi]

Yes, I agree. I used their brand Restoration Shop single stage Acrylic Urethane on my 79 300 and was very happy with the results. Your color is a metallic so I would not go single stage but they do have a Basecoat/Clearcoat system also.

Just to clarify I've made a living since 1972 doing paint and bodywork and I will NOT spray single stage metallic for all the reasons @volksworld mentioned in the above post.

 

[saforwardlook]

I also understand from my body/paint guy that single stage metallic paints can not be color sanded and buffed very well either.

One thing I like about TCP global at least from the information they provide is that they have a really complete color chip library and they even have very fine metallic additives for any color metallic you order. Most paint suppliers no longer have very fine metallics like used back in the early 70s on Chrysler products. One of my 1971 Chrysler 300s is April Green Metallic (GJ4) so I will be doing that one basecoat/clear coat because it does have a fine metallic appearance to it.

For my 1970 Chrysler 300 coupe, I have it currently in the paint shop and will be using the TCP Global single stage spinnaker white EW1 code paint on that one just as Chris did on his 1979 Chrysler 300 very recently.

 

[WissaMan]

Thanks this is all great information! Up until now I was thinking that for an amateur a single-stage would be the way to go but you guys have changed my mind. I do like the idea of being able to touch up problems with the BC/CC because...well...amateur.

I know painting everything at once is best, but I'm only doing work in the rear of the car right now. How well do you think the paint will match if I don't if it's still from the same can? What about a different can? How long can paint last in a can (one that uses an activator)

I did some cursory checking out on that site and the first thing I have to say is "WOW" I had no idea paint was that expensive lol! Actually, I did have an inkling because I've heard people talk about it being expensive but I wasn't quite prepared for the reality of $582 for a gallon of basecoat LOL. But it is what it is and after all the hours and hours I've been putting into it I'm not going to go cheap at the end. With this place, are the people at the other end of the phone used to dealing with people like me? Or are they usually talking to pros and shops that know all the lingo and exactly what they need?

 

[1970FuryConv]

$582 per gallon. Wow!

 

[saforwardlook]

My TCP Global acrylic urethane single stage paint cost me about $370 to do the whole car in spinnaker white. That was 2 gallons of paint, a gallon of reducer and 2 quarts of hardener. I didn't think that was too bad.

 

[Outsider]

I bought and used the urethane single stage from Summit. I liked the topcoat better than the primer, but overall found it satisfactory, a good value, and will buy again for my next project.

 

[WissaMan]

My TCP Global acrylic urethane single stage paint cost me about $370 to do the whole car in spinnaker white. That was 2 gallons of paint, a gallon of reducer and 2 quarts of hardener. I didn't think that was too bad.

Geez...I wonder what's up with that. I looked up spinnaker white on tcpglobal. I didn't take note of the pricing but it seemed to be in the range of what you paid. I had to find Turbine Bronze on autocolorlibrary.com, here's what I find:

I checked the pricing on some of the other 1968 Chrysler colors. Polar white, for example, is $266.99 per gallon. Many of the colors come in around $400. Bronze and the Gold are both $581.99. Must be real gold in them flakes!

 

[WissaMan]

I bought and used the urethane single stage from Summit. I liked the topcoat better than the primer, but overall found it satisfactory, a good value, and will buy again for my next project.

Can they mix factory colors?

 

[cbarge]

I ended up going base/clear with my car.
Dupont had the best match for the Turbine Bronze.
Not cheap but well worth it.

 

[Outsider]

Summit, no custom mixes. Though in my opinion, and others may see things differently; though I've seen some nice looking current paint jobs, none of the modern paints really look like the original factory paints from the '60s, as I doubt few people would seek out obsolete acrylic enamel paint, if they could find it. My least favorite paint jobs I've seen on old American made cars are the gazillion dollar paint jobs where they used the expensive European made paints; just weird looking unless your car is a mid-fifties Mercedes.

I have used Summit's urethane "hot rod black" and found it worked for matte black finish on tail light and grill surrounds and I painted my glass hood on my race Dart. This summer I'm thinking of buying some of their "sublime" and doing some test sprays to see what it really looks like.

 

[WissaMan]

I ended up going base/clear with my car.
Dupont had the best match for the Turbine Bronze.
Not cheap but well worth it.

Did you order the Dupont online or buy it locally? And was the price you paid about like tcpglobal's $582 per gallon?

 

[azblackhemi]

Did you order the Dupont online or buy it locally? And was the price you paid about like tcpglobal's $582 per gallon?

FYI Dupont is now called Axalta.

 

[73Coupe]

FYI Dupont is now called Axalta.

What's up with that?

 

[azblackhemi]

What's up with that?

Probably bought out by some foreign company.