How i painted my car for $50, with pics

[74bug]

here's how i painted my car for about $50, it's actually very easy and the results are amazing. First off, get a can of tremclad real orange (or what ever color u want) in the can, not spray, yes tremclad, it is a acrylic/enamel paint which is very durable. next prep your car as if was any other paint job, fix all the rust, ect....no need to prime the car since the tremclad allready contains elements which allow it to be painted over bare metal. next, after prepping the car get a small 4" professional FOAM rollers, it's tiny and has one end rounded off, and the other cut straight, and is a very high density foam. u also need a jug of mineral spirits to thin the paint. The thing i really like about this is that there's no mess, no tapeing the whole car, just key areas, and u can do it in your garage, since your not spraying there is virtually no dust in the air, just clean your garage first, also it does'nt really smell at all, dries overnight and it super tough paint. also it you decide to paint the car professionally later, just prep and paint, there's no need to strip the tremclad. i have done this to a few cars, and i can say it works amazing, u just have to be paitient. next u thin the paint with mineral spirits so it just about as thin as water, a little thicker. get out the roller and paint away, don't get the paint shaked when u buy it, enamel is stirred, otherwise you'll have bubbles in the paint for a week!!! after u do 2 coats, wet sand the whole car, then repeat, 2 coats, wetsand, 2 coats wetsand. i painted the charger using a can since your not spraying the car u use all the paint and not spray 50% in the air, use progressivly finer sand paper each time. it's not really that much work, cause u can stop and start any time, u can do just a door, or the hood, ect. do one panel at a time, and don't stop once you start. once your done the final coat, wetsand with about 1000 grit to a totally smooth finish, and then using a high speed polisher i use a buffing bonnet and turtle wax polishing compound. do the whole car with this, and i'm telling u, depending on the amount of time and paitence you have, the results are amazing. laugh if you want, but for $50 ($30 for paint, about $20 for rollers, sand paper, ect...) it really looks good. also you can do these steps overnight, paint one evening and by morning u can wet sand. i have personally done alot of painting, mostly single stage acrylic enamel, and i've sprayed several cars in my garage with really good professional results, just it stinks, it's a real pain to do, easy to make a mistake, messy, and expensive. The tremclad is awesome paint, the "real orange" is an amazing hemi orange, and almost looks like it has some perl in the sun, awesome color right out of the can. I used this technique on my 1974 beetle also, here are the results:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/Picture10.jpg
the car before:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/IM000475.jpg
another after pic:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC00164.jpg
here is a car i sprayed (71 beetle, midnight blue metalic):
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC00194.jpg
here is the car before (71 beetle):
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/Picture1.jpg

here's a few pics of the charger done:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC02764.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC02769.jpg

well that's my 2 cents worth, sorry for the long post. i was borred lol
i painted the orange beetle in 1999, and it still looks like the day i painted it, the 71 blue beetle i painted in 2000, and built the car for my dad, i used the same paint on my charger, maybe one day i'll spring for a good paint job, prepping is 90% of the work, stripping the car, sanding, ect.....painting is overrated!!!
So if you have TIME, then i'd say go for it, the worst that could happen is that it does'nt turn out and your out $50, but if your paitient, and expriement with lets say just the trunk pannel and if you like it do the whole car, if not just get it done by someone else for $4000. i don't know about you guys, but i would rather spend the $4000 on other parts like getting the mechanics sorted out and new chrome, cause when u have really nice paint and crappy bumpers, door handles it just sticks out more.

you can also check out my photo album here: http://photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/

and here: http://photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/paint/

[Matt K.]

Wow i guess i would have to see how it is done to believe it, but roll on paint?..........................sounds scary
_________________
This is my 23rd year in the Auto Body/Paint Game!
*Take a look at some of my custom paint: http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n119/mrpaint_2006/ .( NOTE: these are some older jobs but still neat.)

[Major Woody]

Story would be better with actual paragraphs.

[coW]

[74bug]

once again, here are the pics link of my cars that i've painted from my original post, tonnes of high res pics and closeup's:


I used this technique on my 1974 beetle also, here are the results:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/Picture10.jpg
the car before:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/IM000475.jpg
another after pic:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC00164.jpg
here is a car i sprayed (71 beetle, midnight blue metalic):
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC00194.jpg
here is the car before (71 beetle):
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/Picture1.jpg

here's a few pics of the charger done:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC02764.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC02769.jpg

you can also check out my photo album here: http://photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/

and here:
http://photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/paint/

[74bug]

[itlives]

I've done plenty of show cars and I'd put them up against your jobs any day. That being said, I think your paint jobs look VERY good . I also think for any driver, it would be good enough. Also, you can do the job without having to worry the neighbors about overspray or the EPA coming down on your ass. American ingenuity, you gotta love it! Good job dude!

[bastardbus]

So what is this TREMCLAD paint and where do you buy it? I have never heard of it. And does it come in other colors then orange?

[bljones]

the only downside i can see is getting paint into areas that a roller can't reach, like behind the louvers under the rear window on a beetle.
_________________
OG JHC
Author of Original Rant #1
"It stingd itself to dead... now that is control on you"

2%

[bastardbus]

AHhh now I see it is basically rustoleum. I have used this method on a couple vintage bikes of mine. It turns out looking great for what it is... rattle can quality paint (basically that is what this is...same stuff in spray can in liquid form rustoleum sells it same way in USA). I checked your hi-rez pics and it looks good for what it is, but on the mopar there is dings and dents all over the top driver door and it is kinda shiney but it does not have a nice deep gloss like automotive paint. Plus pics can really hide a lot on the internet at 72 dpi resolution. Not to knock it but you do get what you pay for.

What gets me is the amount of labor getting the car straight and involved in wet sanding and polishing the cheap-o paint. It may only be $50 in paint but how much in hours and hours of labor invested. My point being if I have a car worth investing that much time into labor wise, why not spend a few more bucks on a quality paint that will look 10x better on top of all that labor you just did. PPG makes a cheaper line called OMNI. This paint is not much more $$$ then what you would spend on a gallon of your tremclad or rustoleum. Maybe $100 a gallon plus for everything to do what you did. Do a search for Kirker also on eBay, they sell a complete paint job for about $100 I recall, and it is excellent quality product. The thing is I bet you could use the same roller technique with it also if you really wanted too. I bet with far better results and shine at nearly the same price.

But good tips none the less...

[74bug]

just to add to my last post, i'm not suggesting that this process is better than any professional paint job, but that it is a clear ALTERNATIVE to having your car painted professionally. if you have the meens to spray, then by all means do it. but for the beginner, and someone who wants a driver and not be embarssed to drive your car, and you not made of $, this is a good way to do it. the process is simple, and the paint is really easy to work with and not prone to all the fun stuff that for example single stage paints are prone to such as fish eyes, cracking, peeling ect.....i would suggest to anyone wanting to try it to get a old fender and try the process from start to finish and perfect the tequnique and if your confortable with it and are happy with the results, then do your car. i've got 6 years and counting out of this paint job, and it still looks great.

[Major Woody]

[74bug]

Major woody - sorry, it was me who misread your post, i though you said this story would be better with PHOTOGRAPHS. sorry, my bad, kiss and make-up? i guess i got a little jumpy with all the poeple that just piss me off on the other board, there were a few that were just there to piss me off. i've edited my other post, sorry.

[74bug]

[Major Woody]

Peace! Thanks for your contribution to the forum. Chris

[bljones]

[bastardbus]

[bastardbus]

For the folks out there interested, here is a quick link to a Kirker paint job kit, $160 includes primer and urethane paint, check their web site etc for pics of cars painted with Kirker...it is great stuff for the price. The paint itself is probably as cheap as 74bugs rustoleum if you factor in all the extra primer and goodies you get. Add a $49 (on sale every other week) harbor freight purple HVLP and for $200 total you can have a GREAT paint job.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/COMPLETE-URETHANE-P...dZViewItem

[coW]

73Bug, after you posted, I've been googling this stuff and people say that it is hard to get a shine on it - your cars look shiny so you clearly overcame that one.
Did you clear coat and/or wax?

I'll definitely get some of this stuff and try it on some stuff laying around. Unless it looks truly great, I might try it on stuff I don't care so much about. You did peak my curiosity.

I will soon be painting my frame when the weather gets warmer - how is this stuff for a ding (rocks, etc) resistant finish?

BastardBus, thanks for the suggestions. I've been looking for a good paint system and will check that out as well.

[74bug]

basterdbus - i must say that the paint is very inert, and really is not prone to fish eyes, blah, blah. trust me i've painted both, and personally shot 6 cars in my garage with a single stage paint and HVLP gun, so i know the difference between the two. the midnight blue metalic 71 beetle in my pics are done with duplicolor single stage acrylic enamel (primer, primer sealer, and color topcoat, and respective reducers depending on temperature). the BIG advantage to using the roller and tremclad is that you don't have to spray, no need for a compressor, respirator, mix exact reducers according to temperature, stink out the wife, kids, and nehibourhood (if you have any), not to mention that it is illegal almost everywhere to spray at home, ect... this is something anyone with patience can do in their garage with no special tools and the accompaning mess involved with spraying paint, even with a HVLP (high volume, low pressure) gun. tremclad paint is designed to be used directly over metal and fiberglass, among other things, so there is no need to use primer. all you need is paint. i do agree with your comments on prep, a paint job is as good as the prep, and that must be done properly. but if you have ever sprayed paint on a car, and don't have a booth, you know the battle you get with dust, hair, dirt in your paint, and this is almost avoided with rollering, if you clean each pannel as you go with a tack cloth. the ONLY reason why i did'nt spray the 69 charger was because the car is to damm big to fit in my garage, and comfortably move around it with a spray gun. and i painted the 74 orange beetle in the dead of winter so i rollered it on. so that being said, i'm NOT trying to compete with and single stage or BC/CC paint system, just offering a easy alternative for the average joe who wants to paint their own car on a budget. as for the other questions about durability, resistance to chips/scratches, this paint is almost bullet proof!!!! also you achieve the "shine" by wetsanding and buffing with a buffer and polishing compound just as you would with a single stage or BC/CC paint job. you could paint a oily gas tank with this paint and it would stick; ask me how i know? because i did it 15 yrs ago on a 1971 Kawisaki bike, and it still looks great.