Paint Types

[Brabham]

Does anyone know what kind of paint was originally used on zeds e.g. 2-pak, acrylic or enamel? I have seen a pic of the paint code sticker that says "amino alkyd enamel", is that what was used on all zeds? Also is there any difference between the type of paint used on the metallics and the non-metallics? I am painting my zed its original ice blue and deciding what type of paint to use.

 

I have heard 2-pak is pretty toxic, and acrylics tend to break down a bit. The enamel on my other car has held up really well. Does anyone know any good brands or suppliers in Sydney. If anyone has a pic of their paint code sticker that would also be very helpful. Cheers. 

[Sirpent]

Go 2pak,

 

The last manufacturer to use acrylic was Holden right up to the advent of the VB Commodore.

 

Acrylic was designed as a quick fix for the body repair industry due to the fact that it only used a thinner and required no other hardener component nor heat to cure the paint job.

 

Today it is only a very few rare hot rodders who still use it as you can polish the hell out of it and get a totally glass finish, but those days are also fading quickly.

 

Todays 2K enamels are designed to withstand the strong Ultra Violet radiation which is a paint jobs biggest enemy and are also much more resilient to acids from bird droppings and tree saps.

 

The 2 leading brands are still Glasaruit and Sikkens, but its not the base color thats that important as is the clear coat.

 

As far as the toxic level of 2K, dont think for a moment that acrylic is any better, it still containg isocionates and organic matter like 2K, the difference being that by the time you inhale it its more or less set while 2K is still in its pre-set form.

 

Invest in a good 3M dual filter mask and you will be fine.

 

If you are doing a respray over prepped old paintwork you have to make sure its a 100% lock up of the surface, as rub through to the old surface in re-paint prep can lead to a nasty shrinkage coming up later.

 

Then you have to also take into consideration how much material apart from the original enamel the car was painted in now exists on the body, if you are looking at a spray over, I would suggest hand blocking the car back and trying to get as close to the factory base color / primer as posible then sealing it off with a good high fill, this way you will limit the build thickness and use the existing material to level the surface

 

Cheers

 

John

[Brabham]

Hey John,

            Can you still get old school enamel paint these days the same as original? Cheers.

[Sirpent]

I believe so, just did a quick search and came up with a company called superior coatings that seem to produce it, but looks like its only for industrial use.

 

Honestly, even if you could find the stuff, question is could you get the color mixed, are there suitable base primers for vehicles available that it will work with, and why not just use paint technology thats 30+ years more advanced, you wouldnt know the difference anyway.

 

Just my 5 cents worth Brab.

[showtime]

go the 2 pack mate.2 pack has a much better finsh then acrylics paints and dos not fade as quick. The only thing is it will cost u more money but the end result is better. If u get it off the gun u dont need to do much color sanding brand to use would be (vic) ppg or baslac there are good stay away from protec there clear is rubbish good luck.

[XRQTR]

It all comes down to how you treat your car and how it is kept.

 

If you plan to leave it outside alot, then go the 2 Pak finish as it will outlast Acrylic by a mile, however if you plan to keep it in a garage most of the time and really only bring it out occasionally then the Acrylic might be a btter option. Also you mention I think you want to do it yourself, unless you hire a booth, I really wouldn't advise using 2K in an unventilated environment.

 

As for going with an enamel, they tend to need alot of maintanence.