Just got it running and would like to drive it for the summer before deciding if it stays. Very little rust and was stripped to metal then sprayed with a thin coat of ? primer. So what should I use to paint it so it is a little less ugly but won't involve a lot of work if/when I start the bodywork and get a cheap paint job. It will never be a show car but I also don't want an eyesore.
Roll on tractor paint (with hardner)-or spray if you wanna get fancy.
In reply to porschenut :
How nice do you want it? As someone said you can brush*. paint on. Roll it on spray it on.
Rolls Royce used to brush paint all of their cars. You can do that with Lacquer paint since it dries quickly and you can sand off brush marks, runs, etc. The real art of brush painting isn't the application but the sanding. Ask if you'd like details.
I love lacquer because it's not as lethal as modern paints tend to be. My first real paint job was done outside at the Navy hobby shop and I won awards for it. 47 years later the paint is still presentable. I can touch it up and probably win best survivor. You can still buy lacquer paint on line.
Spray cans teach you almost nothing. The pressure is always changing and it's nearly impossible to do a decent job. But you might get it one color.
Modern 2 part paints mean you need expensive and complete safety gear. Plus compressors and guns etc.
Do not attempt metallics petals, fades, hues etc. not only are those paints much more expensive they demand a great deal of skill and good equipment.
I painted my Miata a couple of years ago with Rust-Oleum through a $9 Harbor Freight paint gun
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:I painted my Miata a couple of years ago with Rust-Oleum through a $9 Harbor Freight paint gun
^ This car looked good and convinced me to do the same if I ever find myself in that situation.
In reply to ProDarwin :
Wetsanding and buffing....
Yhe blue one was straight out of the gun. Was a good 20 footer. Wetsanding and buffing makes it awesomer
I like the roll on tractor paint. What brands should I consider? It will be white, not changing color on the car.
If you are planning on doing a decent paint job on it at some point, and don't want to have to strip it down again, I would suggest painting it with some epoxy primer. If you just spray it on, and don't sand it, it is very strong and will block moisture etc (unlike traditional primer with will easily rust through). Once you are ready to paint it, just sand down the epoxy a bit and spray (or body work) away. I have had exposed epoxy primer on a car for years with no issues.
The one issue will be what it was primed with. Ideally you would want to sand it down as much as possible (which you will want to do if you paint it with anything).
Of note with straight Rustoleum: it is VERY soft paint compared with hardened auto paint, and will put up with very little abuse. If you use hardener (which has isocyonide in it!), well, you will have all the safety issues as car paint, so might as well go that way.
People have had success with this paint (if you decide to go that way): https://www.paintforcars.com/
The lacquer idea is interesting. Just be aware you cannot paint enamels over lacquer (I suspect Urethanes have the same issue?). If you use cheap paint, be aware you will need to strip it all off if you want to step up in the future (but hey, it is a small car).
I'm a big fan of rolling on tractor paint. You can see my journey with it here:
Still looks good months later. It met all my requirements.
Unhardened rustoleum sucks to remove.
I did a quick and dirty tractor paint job with a harbor freight $10 paint gun. Looked okay for a few years and then was easy enough to sand off and paint differently
Tremclad (Alkyd Enamel) and a foam roller, un-thinned, three coats. Cheap as cheap can be.
Rust-Oleum Farm and Implement Paint.
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