Using only Eastwood products for bodywork/paint

[J1]

I recently bought the Eastwood 135 MIG and of course I'm now getting all their emails and as a rookie in this kind of stuff, their marketing is pretty darn powerful and they seem to have a product for every step in the bodywork/paint process.

It made me wonder whether it'd be realistic to do bodywork/paint using ONLY Eastwood products. I assume that's what they do on their internet shows like Hands On Cars.

I know all you experienced folks have your favorite products already, but for a new guy, could this be a good starting point? It would certainly save me the headache of trying to learn and figure out all at once the right cocktail of products. Are their products "good enough" to give this a try? Is this just idiotic?
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1971 Ghia coupe. Assume I know nothing and you'll be pretty darn close to the truth.

[Air-Cooled Head]

Not an expert or professional. Just ~20 years of novice experience.

Yep, Eastwood has some powerful marketing skillz. So be careful, and do your research. They do sell some overpriced stuff that work no better than less expensive stuff. (for example; Dekote, to remove powder coat. Aircraft stripper works just as well at half the cost.)

I've used many of their prep products and tools, and find them satisfactory. I have never used paint or primer from Eastwood, only because I have more familiarity with other families of products.
Notice I say "Family of products". You want your paint/primer to be from the same mfg, as they are painting "systems".

That being said, I don't doubt Eastwood products will produce a satisfactory result.

Remember, at least 60%+ of a good paint job is in the prep you do before touching a paint gun.

Good luck!
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[raygreenwood]

They do have some really good products. ....mainly to my peraonal knowledge....their speciality rust control products and a few of their tools.

I have the MIG 135 and for the money....for sheet metal.....it is excellent.

As far as thei paints and primers I dont know. Ray

[buguy]

I wouldnt use them. Find yourself a local place that carries everything. They will have no trouble getting you what you need. Think of it this way. Your local collision centers/body shops dont use Eastwood for a reason. Stop at a couple and ask who they use. They will tell you everything you need to know. Its likely they are going to tell you PPG or Dupont. Which both are good. But there are plenty of others that are good too. You want someone local you can go to for materials and advice. Pick a system and stick with it. Try not to mix and match products. If your using PPG/shopline paint, then use their epoxy and 2 k primers. If you go with Dupont chromabase/cromax/nason paint, then use their primer, and their clear etc..

[Northof49]

Maybe the reason a local body shop doesn't use Eastwood products is because they have very different needs than a back yard guy. The local shop buys in bulk, needs and expects service, not mail order, stocks 100 different tints to blend a multitude of factory color matches, etc. If you buy paint from Eastwood, its all premixed as to color, and very limited in choices. Certainly no matching of factory paints for refinishing and spot repairs like a body shop absolutely needs.
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1958 Karmann Ghia owner

[Air-Cooled Head]

[buguy]

Well, we could go into it more deeply, but the point is you can buy better products for not much more money from a jobber. The right materials and the right tools will certainly make the outcome better and last longer. If it were me I would look into PPG's shopline products. They are reasonable and once they are sprayed, wetsanded, and polished you would be hard pressed to tell it from the higher end stuff. Plus there is likely a supplier near by.

[andk5591]

No personal experience, but just an opinion. Folks like Eastwood have geared their product line and marketing to the hobbyist. Pro jobbers are geared to the professional shops.

Most times I go into a "pro shop", they treat me like the little kids in those Nationwide insurance commercials....because I don't always know what I need and sometimes the guy behind the counter doesnt either - The customer is supposed to know, because the customer is suppsed to be a pro.

Can you buy an Eastwood-like or better product cheaper somewhere else? Probably. But it seems like Eastwood can help you put together a system to do your project at a reasonable price. Have seen plenty of magazine projects that use a lot of Eastwood stuff and the results seem pretty good.

I have something coming up in about a year and plan to buy a bit from Eastwood for it.
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
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There's more, but not keeping them...

[buguy]

I have dealt with some shops like that too. It really helps to have a good shop to deal with. But you can always come here and we will get you in the right direction if you decide to go that route.
I have thought about giving these guys a try. Read some good things about them. I dont like mail order stuff because if you need something quick in a pinch, you have no choice but to wait for the mail. Might have a look and see how they feel to you. http://shop.thecoatingstore.com/

[raygreenwood]

Jeez.....you guys realize that Eastwood doesnt, actually make most of their products right?.....many if not all are actually made by the same companies with the same ingredients as the supposed "pro-products" (dupont, PPG etc.)

I deal with chemicals, solvents and colorants for a living. You would be surprised how FEW solvent, binder and colorant/pigments manufacturers there actually are....and all of the companies buy the raw ingredients from the same places....so the quality in that respect is a wash. Its all about formulation, supporting products etc.

The difference is that in the actual paints department. ...Eastwood products are not always a fully integrated system like you might find layed out at a jobber. Thats all. Because of that.....the result can vary and can be harder to troubleshoot.

Does that mean that Eastwoods products are amateur versus proffesional? .....not in the least. It means that what they sell is not just paint and not as complete of a system. But...they have some unique products and some of their specialty/special effects coatings are better than what some of the big names offer......or have no comparable product in the big name lines.

Not being a fully integrated system.....actually makes the Eastwood products more suitable for professional people who really know what they are doing....because the cumulative trouble shooting knowledge of the big companies when using an integrated paint system... is not there to back you up.

So in that respect.....there is a ton to be said for staying with known main line brands from your jobber.......but to say that Eastwood products are not professional....IN QUALITY. ......is making an assumption that in most cases is probably incorrect. Ray

[Bobnotch]

[buguy]

I know it doesnt really help you getting local stuff. But I highly recommend using SPI epoxy. Its cheap, works great, and its more sandable than DP. Ive never used any of their other products, but I have heard good thing about their clear as well.

I have found (for me) that Dupont color match is really good. At least for late model stuff, but I think PPG color seems to cover better. If they were side by side, id grab for the PPG myself. Even with the single stage stuff I find I prefer PPG over Dupont. But thats just me.

When I first started painting, the local Napa was the PPG rep for the small town I was in. Now that im in Daytona Beach, there are several dedicated paint shops to choose from here. I still choose PPG most of the time. The PPG shop here brings me whatever i need within 20 minutes and there is a woman that has worked there for like 25+ years and she really knows her stuff.

[Bobnotch]