Paint choices

[vht]

Been thinking about what color to paint my 51. I'll be painting the inside, dash etc, and I need to decide soon. Went to a car show Sun and there was a 50 GMC there that was painted the semi flat hotrod black. That was a sharp truck but that is being done a lot now. What produces the best results, base coat clear or 1 step urethane? Looking at Eastwood, the urethane is cheaper but several yrs ago when I painted, I used the base coat. Anybody got any pics of different hotrod flat colors?

[Denee007]

You have a big decision to make! My truck was painted already and left me with few choices of what color I wanted the interior to be. So you have to decide the exterior I would think before painting the interior. I think lighter is better as it opens the cab and makes it appear larger, cooler. My interior was originally the same color as the exterior and that didn't look right!
What are you thinking?
dne'

[vht]

I like yours Denee, I've been debating on painting the dash a different color than the exterior. I think the red looks real good on these trucks but last april at somerset rod run there must of been 10 of them red. I don't want black or something dark because I might of missed a few little dings. I think I fixed a couple hundred so far. I did consider a bright white, it'd really make any chrome or alum wheels show up good. I'll keep thinking on this. Yours turned out great Denee, glad you got the rear end worked out.

[Highsider]

My two-cents is I keeping the current (some kind of) red interior and the outside goes a creme/cream/off-white. I know what it is when I see it.
Mine sits out unless it is the dead of winter and I want the cooling properties, easier to keep clean, fade-resistance, of a light color.
Sorry for the crappy phone photo.

[Denee007]

Since I've been dealing with my exterior paint making the interior so hot, I see why a white roof was probably so important for non air conditioned vehicles!

When I painted my 67 Mustang, I used Eastwood's single stage paint and epoxy primer. If I had known I was going to end up with a nice looking paint job, I would have gone with a clearcoat too! The Eastwood paint was definitely a lesser cost paint product (120 per gallon?), but on the dash of my truck, I went to Ken Brault auto paint store nearby and used their ppg products, epoxy primer, color coat, then clear coat, plus I painted the engine compartment the same. The salesman talked me into a lesser glossy clear coat for the dash so it wouldn't be so blinding, or producing a hazardous irritating glare. So that was good!

Since you're doing a full paint, knowing what I know now, I would have gone with a much better paint and use the full system of epoxy, building primer as necessary, color coat then a clear coat, but what kind of look are you looking for. A white truck, your year model would look really nice, but this is an opportunity to really look at others trucks and come up with whatever you'd like.

However, I don't think I could spend 1300 a gallon for paint. The lady I bought my truck from said that's what the paint cost~ that's just the paint, and I know that's not the most expensive either.
dne'

[_Ogre]

having never waxed a truck, not my 58 or any of my daily drivers over the years
i can say that since they started using bc/cc, running it thru the car wash brings out the original shine
not so with urethane, especially if you leave them outside in the elements

[vht]

I'm going base coat clear. Alot easier to correct mistakes. Friend of mine just told me about kustomshop.com. they have a large choice of colors on there. I'll decide on a color shortly. Thanks
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[Kabwe]

If you are thinking black, I prefer single stage blacks. Solid or a non metallic you can go either way. You can also clear coat single stage paint.

If you are going with a Metallic no question about it base coat/clear coat don't even think about a single stage metallic.

[mr48chev]

Color choice has to be yours alone or yours and your families and not ours.

One thing though, If you think red is common just go to a major event and count the sea of flat black belly button rigs. There are also a million shades of red, so you can still be a bit different and still have it be red. The original factory colors and color combinations always look good even if you have done custom work and run custom wheels.

The last time I painted my truck my wife and I cruised the new car lots during the day and in the evening to see colors under different light to find a color that looked good both in the daylight and under street lights.

[vht]

Thanks Kabwe, no I'm not thinking black, to many small dings in this trk. I've blocked the crap out of the cab and hood, hopefully they done. Next will be doors.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

having never waxed a truck, not my 58 or any of my daily drivers over the years....

What?! Heresy! HERESY I tell you!

Ha ha, I can't relate to NOT waxing my truck....if I ever get "real" paint on it. It kills me that I can't wax my current, crappy Rustoleum rattle can job.

Sometimes I think the only reason I build nice old cars is for the opportunity to "fender fondle" them and baby them.

[_Ogre]

you probably don't want to hear that i take my 58 through the car wash either

[62lwbc10]

I would definitely go base/clear. Im partial to two-tone interiors. I did mine in red and white and am very pleased. I posted this pic also in the recent interior thread.