Technical Can paint jobs be too beautiful ?

I've decided that 60's racecar level of finish works best for me.

I'll do my best or have someone spray it some Friday night in a back-alley shop off the books.

 

My system, get the car as straight as you can, take it to Macco or Earl Sheibs and pick your favorite color from their chart ask them to touch up any little nicks and have them paint it. If there are spots you don't like put some primer spots on them. You'll have a good looking car for about$300 to $500 . Drive around and have some fun, go to the drive in .
Here's my Macco green paint job for $295 in the mid 80's

 

A man after my own heart. Although the 2009 price for Macho was $900 in Missouri. One stage polyurethane.

Ben

 

No…no it doesn’t……it causes pride!

 

I love to watch some of the reality shows when they paint and sell a ruined 32 Vicky painted nasty green, oh yeah and they only bought it running and driving for 13 grand "Right", you may know the Netflix show. And sell for a firm 80 k and the paint looks like ass. Ever heard of wet sanding. I paint cars in my 1 car garage with a box fan in the window and crack the back door 6 inches and it still comes out nicer even before I buff them! Even my wife has noticed some of the paint jobs on tv , she usually helps me tape up she's really good at it.

 

Its just like any other form of art. The overall composition is what sells the vibes. Too much of a good thing in one area can create imbalance

 

I have said many times I like it all fully painted and upholstered cars, primer with Mexican blanket seat covers and even dare I say it, Patina.
However, there is a difference between a car with patina, and a car that is full of rot.

As far as the question "Can paint jobs be too beautiful?" think many times people are like Crows, they are distracted by shiny.

Such is the case with Nelson Dupree's 32, you can't believe the number of times I have seen people go crazy over the body and paint but never notice the incredible fab. work in the car!

 

If we’re bragging about cheap:

Zero dollar award winning paint

 

Beautiful and crusty, the best of both world's

 

That's a good looking fleet right there !
That black hemi C-dan is so badass! Do you have more pictures of it

 

Here's a couple more of the Hemi C-dan for ya. No show quality paint on any of them. Just FUN drivers.

 

That is so cool! I
s it ok if I clone it when I build mine? Sits really nice.Some serious exhaust too! You don't slide off the seat with that rake or does the torque hold you in LMAO!

 

A paint job too beautiful? Never. I think it's important for a guy to do his best on whatever he touches.

A paint job not necessarily appropriate for the car's intended purpose? I see it far too often.

And this goes both ways – Expensive, beautiful, deep show car paint on a show car? Absolutely. Dull, rough poorly applied paint with trash and bugs over wavy body work and poor panel fitment on a show car? Absolutely not.

I'd say there's a place for paint jobs at all levels of finish and perfection. It has to do with your skills, what you can afford and what you want the car to be in the end.

There's nothing wrong with building an all-out show car with a $100K paint job that will never be driven if that's your goal and you can afford it (think this year's Riddler winner). Just like there's nothing wrong with painting an old car with sealer just to keep out the elements and drive it every day.

I think the most important thing is to figure out what you want the car to be in the end and build and paint to that goal. Show paint for show cars and driver paint for driver cars.

 

Never been to Canada, but I think bugs tend to be a problem most places in the summer and fall. Can't imagine how a show car owner could deal with cleaning splattered bugs off an expensive show quality paint job..........and then there's the birds to worry about too.

I agree with what you are saying, those that want the ultimate shine should go for it. My point simply is that many of us always pictured our finished rod with a beautiful paint job and then realized we could not enjoy driving the car because of fear of damaging the paint and all the chrome and even wear on the upholstery......and bugs in the radiator.
I'm saying that I no longer desire having the ultimate finish on everything and maybe others should consider that if they build their car to too high a standard, they may not be able to enjoy the simple things......like hauling family members around and eating at the drive thru restaurant. Look at the pictures by Ron Funkhouser. Moments like those are worth more than some plastic trophy.....IMHO. So, I'm just pointing out the fact that my personal interests have gravitated to this type of car build and the people who own them, and suggesting that others might want to consider these things before dropping a fortune on a paint job. In the end, some want the show cars because thats what they like, and I don't begrudge them that. I just want people to think the thing thru before deciding.

 

It's actually funny how much more/less bugs you get in different areas at the same time of year when driving through Canada and into the states. I found the northwestern states to have less bugs than western Canada, for whatever reason.

 

Does a moose need a hat rack?

 

Many of them end up BEING the hat rack.

 

No such thing! People go to car dealers and buy new cars with nice paint every day. That new car gets used in all kinds of weather and ultimately gets used up. The only reason I don't abuse my nice paint is because I remember how much work it took to create it.

 

I had a Sanger Flatbottom drag boat, even my competitive trailer I did a immaculate black paint job on.
Arsholes would come up to me to look at the boat drool and step their nasty sand cover shoes on my nice painted fender steps and grind sand into my paint job and scratch the fug out of it, while drooling and yammering bull shit about my motor trying to be my friend or some shit..... Frickin' arsholes

 

Real Hot Rods are driven, and a anal worry about paint is not a huge concern. If a real hot rod is not used as it was intended, (cars are made to be driven), Then you simply have garage art. Ok, rant over!

 

Back in 1968 my Little League coach lived on the next block over and I'd occasionally catch a ride to a game or a practice with him. He daily drove a black 34 pickup and occasionally drove a 32 2 door sedan. Both had SBCs, nice stances and driver quality paint jobs. Those cars were cooler than the other side of the pillow.

His willingness to drive those two hot rods and having nice, but not too nice paint on both of them left an indelible impression on my 7 year old brain.

 

A couple of you guys have alluded to this idea. Making your own natural patina.

In the mid to late '70s, I'd see some of the local bikers with fancy paint jobs on their custom choppers. Think pink engine blocks. But they rode them. And the paint got fkd up here and there. But the majority of the beauty remained. And the result had its own look. And it wasn't a bad thing.

 

Nice

 

It's a 5 footer

 

I like it ,looks good and I hope mine turns out that nice. I’ll paint my car myself using SS urethane in my garage, I would love to have a show quality paint job but way out of my budget and I try to do as much work myself as I can for personal satisfaction.
Dan

 

I don't have any pictures of cars as examples, but it seems like overly shiny and deep paint and chrome could easily "overwhelm" (a good descriptor you used) a car's aesthetics, especially since they act as mirrors. I'm sure that indoor lighting can be part of the issue.

 

I couldn't agree with this quote any more.

And for those of us with the DIY spirit, we know that often our abilities/talent will fall short of result we desire. That's why by striving for perfection, often the end result will be short of that but still of such quality to be proud of. And it provides a strong foundation upon which to build for the next time.

 

Joe, you and I are on exactly the same page. The more a guy does a particular thing to the best of his ability, the better he gets at it. And there's one side-benefit we haven't mentioned that comes with the "do it yourself to the best of your ability" mindset. When you're finished, and the results are, perhaps less than what you pictured in your head, you'll still have an overwhelming, rewarding sense of pride in knowing you've taken no short cuts and did the absolute best you could. Some might even call it craftsmanship.

Oh and the paint on that Olds is beautiful man.