Has anyone here ever used Rustoleum paint on a car body? Would it hold up? At $26.00 a gallon it is real inexpensive. Thoughts? Obviously this would not be on a restored car just a driver.

From the archives here - https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/2331682/site_id/1

1. Rustoleum makes about 75 different paints, so which one?
2. In general, polyurethane (exterior-type, hardener should be MDI aka polymeric methyldiiosocyanate) will not fade in sunlight. Acrylics hold up well to sunlight too, but I don't believe Rustoleum sells those.
3. Rustoleum sells industrial paint (+ spray paint). Industrial paint is usually designed to go on VERY thick compared to automotive paint (like 40-120 mils industrial vs. maybe 5 mils automotive paint).
4. Industrial paints are very, very rough compared to automotive paint.....so it won't be all that shiny or have an automotive "luster" to it. Smooth = shiny (for glossy paints)
5. The big advantage of automotive paint is that it has a partA/partB (similar to industrial paint...lasts longer), is baked in a booth (lasts longer) and is applied in a dust-free paint booth (dust is EVERYWHERE in the air).

If I had to go cheap (I've seriously considered this), I would buy some automotive paint from a true body shop supplier, build a paint booth with plastic tarps inside a well-sealed garage, use a respirator (change cartridges every fender & only stay inside booth for one fender at a time....you need air after all), and try to set up some EXPLOSION PROOF heat lamps. Regular ones will "go boom" with the paint vapor in the air.

It used to be a little easier to paint your own car with lacquer paint (no part B), but those are all gone due to solvent limitations (VOC) in most states. They don't last as long, but they air dry and you don't need heat lamps.

Without a spray booth, you WILL get a lot of dust/dirt in your paint.

For me, I am doing all of the bodywork/sanding/metal etch priming/filler-type priming/trim removal/edge painting with rattle cans myself. I plant to let Maco or somebody cheap do the final tack-cloth/tape off/paint so they can bake it in a booth. That's about as cheap as I can figure to do it & have it turn out "decent". Oh yeah, I have a compressor & gravity gun for the primer coats.

I painted some fiberglass airplane parts with it. You can do if thinned correctly, and you have to use Naptha, or something like that to thin with.

You can get much better paint for a car for under 100 bucks. Buy some single stage kirker urethane, summit brand, etc.

Thank you very much for the link (all 900 pages lol). I think I will try it but with an HVLP gun not a roller.

Better have one with a big tip for primer

I did paint work on two firetrucks using Rustoleum paint. I used the Signal Red color. Looks very close to the 1969 R4 red.
Reduced the Rystoleum with only acetone at a 4:1 ratio.
The end result looked ok. I sprayed the Rustoleum with a Binks 18 gun.
Would I do another job with Rustolem paint again. Probably not.
As stated in previous posts, very good advice was given about using Kirker paints,Summit's paints. For a little more money go with real automotive paint.
This was the only time I used Rustoleum. All other paintwork I've done
has been with Imron, Omni, Centauri, etc.
Even Omni's middle priced single stage paint comes out really nice.

I had no idea that thread was still around...