I find the tremclad (rustoleum) stuff bullet proof, tough as nails, VERY chip resistant, and i have zero fade. but i maintain my stuff, wash it alot, and wax a few times a year. i guess any paint would fade, espically if you put a fresh paint job and park the car outside. right after you buff, wax the car, it'll look great and last.
EXIT_1965- i'd really like to see your pics in the sun, i think you'll be quite pleased, out of all the PM's and email's i've got, your job looks perfect from what pics i've seen. you've done all the correct steps, and seem to have a nack for it. i don't expect someone with absoultly no paint expirence to pull off a perfect job the first time. i can't stress enough that you should get a old hood or something and test the whole process like EXIT_1965 did. i'm sure there was a learning curve, but now that he has the tequnique down, i'm sure he's confortable with the process and see's how easy it really is once you know how to do it. and knowing what you know now, with a better prep than your test peice, and proper application of the paint, you'll have much less wetsanding, ect....and i'm sure you'll be happy with the results, and have a cool ride with cheap paint that you'll be prowd to say " ya, thanks, i painted it myself....you'll never guess how i did it....and the best part; how much it cost me....!!!"
be carefull who you tell or you may end up painting your friends cars!!! kind of like haveing a pick-up truck, all these friends come out of the woodwork, and want to be your "truck buddy" when they need to move!!! that's why i got rid of my truck!!! hey, where all my friends go.....

Post deleted by Ira

Post deleted by Ira

Post deleted by Ira

Thanks Charger! I don't have much of any paint experience, but there is definately a learning curve like you said. The first time I tried it the paint was way over thinned, and I just sat back and watched while it ran down..

Along the process, I did have to sand it down a couple of times if I thought it looked funny, too orange peely or whatever. In fact, I had done like 5 coats, and one looked too orange peely so I wetsanded it with 600 then took my foam sanding thing (like 150 grit) and went over it with that just to make myself sure the orange peel was out. After that I put 4 more coats before I was done.

The bottom line with this is to experiment, and the great thing is that if you screw up, just do some sanding until you're happy (e.g. I used a 150 grit foam block when I probably "shouldn't have"), then do your next coat. It sands really easily.

I too have experimented with rolling on paint, but never thought to thin it as much as suggested. I have found a paint called Rust Scat that is a polyurethane high gloss enamel I had tried with some success. There is also a liquid material that would thin the paint that is called penetrol, it makes the paint flow smoother when using a brush, so I think it would work as a thinner. I am still curious if anyone is trying the Rustoleum from the USA market vs the tremclad, to see how they like it.

Outdoor pic 1.

Pic 2.

pic 3.


I'm not used to staring at paint head on in direct sunlight. There is not a whole lot of shine head-on with this color, but it works for me!

A better reflection.

Wow, that looks pretty good! Why doesn't this thread have a sticky?

I think I'll try a chip resistance test on it. Like throwing a small rock at it. I can video it. Anyone got a better idea for chip or scratch resistance test? I know it's not very often a rock smashes into a car surface at a 90 degree angle, so I'll angle it a bit.

Should I "key" it?

nice pics, look at it in direct sun, it will look even better. as for the chip resistance, i was driving my 74 orange bug behind a pickup, and there was a pile of gravel on the side of the road, and the pickup kicked up a huge rock, i'd say 2" jagged crushed rock, and it hit my hood, and then my roof, i did'nt even want to look it hit so hard. when i got home, there was a dust crater but no chip, that convinced me that it's tough stuff. if you get a scratch u just buff it out. if it ever does get dull, again you could just buff it, and like new again. since there's not many "layers" when you compare for example a single stage acrylic enamel, where there is primer, primer sealer, and topcoat paint, there is less likley hood of chipping since there is less "bonding" issues with the paint, and in reality it is much thinner than a traditional paint job. another trick that i did is with my bug again i got a nasty chip when someone opened up a door on the car, i just touched it up, really thin about 3 times letting each dry properly, then i wet sanded really carefully with 1500 grit, and then buffed, totally gone, and it was really easy to do.

As an aside, I just got back from Lowe's checking on these paints. They've got a few colors of the Rustoleum industrial/professional stuff, but not a lot of selection. I asked the paint guy if it could be tinted, he said no. The only one he had that COULD be tinted in the industrial type paint was the Valspar Anti-Rust oil-based enamel. It comes in 29 oz cans, and is either a clear base or a pastel base. He said it could be tinted to any of the colors in the "color wall" under the Valspar brand, or he could do an optical match if I could bring in a sample. I wonder if they can fit my spare deck lid under the scanner?

Clair

Keep it going, nice tan!! that really shines!!

can we get this in the 'best of moparts' so we dont lose it?

I agree, this need to be saved.