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Looks AWESOME

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Thanks! You know, I set the door up so that it's sitting like a door would sit on a car, and I think it looks A LOT better. I think that overhead flourescent light was not the right way to look at a test panel.

This looks a lot more like it, but I really want to get it outside for some sunlight shots.

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Hey 69 Charger, Thanks SO MUCH for posting this info and answering all the questions. I've read and re-read this thread and have taken notes!

On the paint thinning, I've sprayed non-automotive enamel with the older high pressure spray guns. Should this paint be thinned to a similar consistency for rolling as spraying?

Secondly, do you keep your orange VW in a garage most of the time?

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i would say you thin the paint just a tad thicker then you would if you were to spray. then orange vw beetle was painted in 1999/2000, and it does live in the garage, but it has been driven 35,000mi since paint. looks exactly as the day i painted it.

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Well here are my results. I am a bit mixed on my opinion, but I may need some high speed buffing tips from 69charger.

Can you describe how to get the best shine out of it with the cheap turtle wax? On the turtle wax container it says to use a wet rag (I used a 10" buffer polisher and sprayed some water down and put some wax on with another cloth, then took the buffer to it).

When I look at this head on (albiet under flourescent lighting probably not the best) it looks hazy to me, not much of a shine. Is that just how enamel is?

On the good side, there's no orange peel at all when viewed from the side. Looks like you could dive into it.

I'm going to haul it outside in the sun when I get a chance to see how it looks there.

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you'll poo your pants when you take it out in the sun. indoor lighting is probally the worst for how it really looks, espically flourescent lights. enamel paint does not have that "wet" look like base coat/clear coat paints tend to, but the "depth" of color i find is really true, looks very vibrant, espically in the sun, and twilight i find are when the paint really looks deep. as for the polishing, i used a 10" 3600rpm random orbit electric polisher, and the cheepest turtle wax "polishing" compound paste (white) NOT the rubbing compound. i would put about 2 table spoons of the paste on the buffer, then polish for a few mins, i would say after a 3' x3' area i would spray the bonnet with lots of water, then continue polishing-repeat. don't push on the polisher, just a slight pressure using the weight alone. for exapmle the trunk lid would take me about 20 mins to do, basically just standing there letting the polisher do it's thing. looks from you pics that you've got the process down pat, you'd be supprised how fast you do the whole car. your test area is a bit small, and probally would be harder to do than a larger one. i found that going over even 1000 grit took too long to wetsand, and polishing alot was eaiser and faster then wetsanding. i think i used 1500 grit as my quick "final" sand. also i waxed the paint right after the polish, again with the el-cheapo turtle wax paste wax. i really like that turtle wax stuff, i tried the 3M stuff, mothers, i have a shelf in my garage full of every imaginable wax and polish, turtle wax is the cheapest and the best. as for the toughness of the paint, honestly i can say that it is really scratch resistant, chip resistant, i like it. enamel is alot "harder" then any other type of paint. i wax my cars 2 times a year, once in spring, and once in fall. good job by the way, i'll let you answer all the questions from now on, you officially have the helm!!!

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O.K. Everybody!!Listen up!! 69 Chargeryeehaa pics just do NOT do justice to the paint job!!! I personally seen this car this past weekend and it looks GREAT!You have to see it for yourself in PERSON!! I had to go see for myself!! The shine and smoothness of the paint is impressive.Even my Brother in law who's not into cars liked the paintjob!!Looks like a professional paintjob.Better than what they did on the Dukes show!!Overall the car is a nice cruiser that can be shown.Like most of our toys,his still needs a few things here and there only if they are pointed out.To the local cruise night crowd this Charger can steal the most attention!(69......you can wire me the bribe money by Western Union )

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i wired the money to your swiss bank acount as we discussed!!!!

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you'll poo your pants when you take it out in the sun. indoor lighting is probally the worst for how it really looks, espically flourescent lights. enamel paint does not have that "wet" look like base coat/clear coat paints tend to, but the "depth" of color i find is really true, looks very vibrant, espically in the sun, and twilight i find are when the paint really looks deep. as for the polishing, i used a 10" 3600rpm random orbit electric polisher, and the cheepest turtle wax "polishing" compound paste (white) NOT the rubbing compound. i would put about 2 table spoons of the paste on the buffer, then polish for a few mins, i would say after a 3' x3' area i would spray the bonnet with lots of water, then continue polishing. don't push on the polisher, just a slight pressure using the weight alone. for exapmle the trunk lid would take me about 20 mins to do, bisically just standing there letting the polisher do it's thing. looks from you pics that you've got the process down pat, you'd be supprised how fast you do the whole car. your test area is a bit small, and probally would be harder to do than a larger one. i found that going over even 1000 grit took too long to wetsand, and polishing alot was eaiser and faster then wetsanding. i think i used 1500 grit as my "final" sand. also i waxed the paint right after the polish, again with the el-cheapo turtle wax "extreme" wax. i really like that turtle wax stuff, i tried the 3M stuff, mothers, i have a shelf in my garage full of every imaginable wax and polish, turtle wax is the cheapest and the best. as for the toughness of the paint, honestly i can say that it is really scratch resistant, chip resistant, i like it. enamel is alot "harder" then any other type of paint. i wax my cars 2 times a year, once in spring, and once in fall. good job by the way, i'll let you answer all the questions from now on, you officially have the helm!!!

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Thanks 69charger. It's surprising how easy it is to do, and the little specs of crap that fell onto the paint when it was wet, they all came out with wetsanding. I was worried about them.

I hope others will try this too, it really is a great deal and it's fun seeing what you can do by hand

Now I'll hopefully get off my can and finish up the bodywork!

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Thanks 69charger. It's surprising how easy it is to do, and the little specs of crap that fell onto the paint when it was wet, they all came out with wetsanding. I was worried about them.

I hope others will try this too, it really is a great deal and it's fun seeing what you can do by hand

Now I'll hopefully get off my can and finish up the bodywork!

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your very welcome. looks like you've done a great job listening and reading all the instructions. you mentioned one more important thing i totally forgot about and that was that any dirt, or hair you have in the paint totally disappear when you wetsand. i forgot to mention that. i would think you would get about 90% more dirt than what you expirenced had you have sprayed the paint on. that's one more thing i like about this process is the dirt is kept to a minimum, unless you have the luxury of having a paint booth. also you can see how easy the paint is to work with, and how you can wetsand the next day, polish and wax right after you wetsand, unlike auto paints where u have to wait 3 months!!!! that's why i like this paint soo much.

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Exit1965, does your helper have white paint on the end of his nose??

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Or is he getting ready to "clearcoat"?

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you'll poo your pants when you take it out in the sun. indoor lighting is probally the worst for how it really looks, espically flourescent lights. enamel paint does not have that "wet" look like base coat/clear coat paints tend to, but the "depth" of color i find is really true, looks very vibrant, espically in the sun, and twilight i find are when the paint really looks deep.

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i have to agree, with the enamel paint jobs that i have sprayed over the years the flourescent lights don't do them justice and i worked my butt off one time trying to get a haze that i thought was in the paint out because of the lights but when i took the car outside the paint had a really good shine to it.

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you'll poo your pants when you take it out in the sun. indoor lighting is probally the worst for how it really looks, espically flourescent lights. enamel paint does not have that "wet" look like base coat/clear coat paints tend to, but the "depth" of color i find is really true, looks very vibrant, espically in the sun, and twilight i find are when the paint really looks deep.

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i have to agree, with the enamel paint jobs that i have sprayed over the years the flourescent lights don't do them justice and i worked my butt off one time trying to get a haze that i thought was in the paint out because of the lights but when i took the car outside the paint had a really good shine to it.

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ya, it's hard to explain, i find enamel paint to be "warm" and not have that "wet" look like BC/CC. if you want that "wet" look pay the $5000 and get a BC/CC paint job. i personally really like the enamel paint, it looks different from all other modern painted cars, besides that is how these cars came from the factory.

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Well here are my results. I am a bit mixed on my opinion, but I may need some high speed buffing tips from 69charger.

Can you describe how to get the best shine out of it with the cheap turtle wax? On the turtle wax container it says to use a wet rag (I used a 10" buffer polisher and sprayed some water down and put some wax on with another cloth, then took the buffer to it).

When I look at this head on (albiet under flourescent lighting probably not the best) it looks hazy to me, not much of a shine. Is that just how enamel is?

On the good side, there's no orange peel at all when viewed from the side. Looks like you could dive into it.

I'm going to haul it outside in the sun when I get a chance to see how it looks there.

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i think the work that you have done with that door looks really good. i think you might be under estimatating the shine since you had a small area to work with plus the color you used.

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hey i said nice car right off the bat and you still havn't come over to paint my car.....

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sure i'll paint your car: price $3000-$5000