Need a paint job? $50 will do it
click above image for a gallery showing the paint job's progression
I'm a big fan of the flat-black rat rod scene. A 1930s-era Ford with minimal aesthetic improvements contrasted with a beautifully-tuned flathead is my kind of thing. That said, however, there are some collector cars that truly need that glossy sheen to look their best. And as part owner of a 1965 Mustang in dire need of paint, I know how much it can add to the cost of a restoration.
The guys at Jalopy Journal also know about pricey paint, which is why they too were impressed by this guys' ability to paint his 1966 Corvair in his driveway for $50. The ingredients include two quarts of Rustoleum, mineral spirts, and instead of an expensive spray system, foam rollers.
Yup. Dude painted his Corvair with paint rollers. In his driveway. He said at first he worried about the bugs fatally stuck in each of the seven coats, but sanding took 'em right out. Step-by-step instructions encourage others to do the same.
The final product looks good in pictures, and an eight-month update from the owner shows the paint smooth and shiny even without the first coat of wax.
If anyone tries their own DIY paint job, let me know how it works out. The Mustang's red paint gets closer to pink and the bank account closer to red every day. You can check out some shots of the paint job's progression in our gallery below, or click the Read link to see the whole thing with captions.
[Source: rickwrench.com via The Jalopy Journal]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
giustivi 5:20PM (5/27/2009)
does anyone know if there is anyone who will do it for us for a good deal, let us know asap, thanks vito in so. california
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imtyz2009 10:56AM (9/24/2009)
RESUME
JOB Applied for: Auto Painter
Name: Imtyaz Ahmed
Father's Name: Gulzar ahmed
Address: House # D_155, Mohhalah Hijrat Colony, Civil Lines, Karcahi South Pakistan
Contacts: Email: imtyz2009@yahoo.com Cell# 92306-2315183
Age: 25?12?1982
Personal appreance: Slim/healthy, Hight: 5'.6", Weight: 55Kg, Asian Brown, Medically Fit
Educartion: HSC
Certification: Auto Painter from Mandi Wala Motors
Experience:
Total 18 years of Experience as Auto painter.
Worked with local workshops for more than 10 years.
Worked with manadi Wala Motors as Auto painter for 3 years.
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Avinash machado 1:58PM (7/03/2007)
Wonder what Nader would think about this?
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Jhon 2:37AM (7/04/2007)
see http://hotshadow.com/Need_a_paint_job_$50_will_do_it.aspx
MCS05 2:03PM (7/03/2007)
My uncle painted the roof of his '64 white Corvette with a spray bomb from the auto parts store, it came out great. I suppose if you are patient enough you could pull off about anything.
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Jay Evans 2:08PM (7/03/2007)
"but it turns out they pretty much vanish during wet sanding."
I don't know about others but that's a lot different than "took 'em right out."
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bmoredlj 2:08PM (7/03/2007)
The grilleless face of the corvair always unnerved me...like staring into the eyes of an automotive axylotol.
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Chris D 3:39PM (7/04/2007)
Hmm...a fellow biologist? Btw, that's axolotl ;) That connection is somewhat funny though, but I DEFINITELY see it now that you mention it.
Mike 2:09PM (7/03/2007)
I know someone who did this when i painted cars, it actually looked decent. I know of another guy who supposedly did it as well but I never saw his ride. If you were just looking to get rid of an old junker and wanted to get every last penny out of it I think this would work well.
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brandon 1:11PM (7/05/2007)
$50 plus labor. If this is his hobby and he has lots of free time, then its all good. I sure wouldn't want to spend all of that time painting and would rather spend hundreds to save my free time.
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F451 2:31PM (7/03/2007)
If the guy is happy, so be it. It is much better than simply letting the paint oxidize into oblivion and damaging the car's metal. At least he gave it a go.
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geo.stewart 2:38PM (7/03/2007)
use some Westley's rubbing compound to restore color in oxidized paint jobs...
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Naysayer 2:53PM (7/03/2007)
Once I finish dropping in a small block Chevy in my MGB(!!), I will be doing the same thing with the paintjob. My car is beyond a resto-rod status; it's just going to be the "fast-fun" car I wanted it to be. If the paintjob (color not finalized yet) turns out nice, good. If not, I'm only out a few bills. Either way, I'm still gonna drive the thing.
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felipe 3:05PM (7/03/2007)
your to submit pics when complete
AUTOBLOG will posts right guys!?!
Napalmgod 11:42PM (7/04/2007)
HERETIC!!!!
Thou has desecrated the Temple of Abingdon!
Steve C 3:01PM (7/03/2007)
The best paint guy I know of is Bill DeCarr, who charges a small fortune to do a paint job for those who want to win concours or street rod shows.
His theory has always been it doesn't matter how you get the paint on the car -- brush, sprayer, roller, doesn't matter -- so long as you get enough paint on it to start with.
In his case, that's when he spends maybe 100 hours wet sanding with progressively finer grit sandpaper until he winds up with paper that's about the same grit as a baby diaper.
So the best paint job is probably something like 2% paint cost and 98% labor. If you do it yourself, it's almost free.
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Don 3:14PM (7/03/2007)
Holy crap, that DOES look good.
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Clarence 3:25PM (7/03/2007)
Old guy report. I think that new cars manufactured in the teen's and 20's were brush painted and then sanded. In the 70's I remember advertisements in the British Autocar for brush paint touch up and repair kits. I have an 89 Jeep Cherokee beater that needs some help in the paint department. I had thought of doing it this way. Now I know I am going to do it.
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John P. 4:09PM (7/03/2007)
NICE! the driveway paintjob alive and well. I remember painting my brothers old datsun 510 in the driveway and having it come out great. I used a Binks Spray Gun instead of a roller though.
That corvair looks really nice. Interesting to see how the rustoleum holds up over time.
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jyunderwood 4:14PM (7/03/2007)
I painted my 65 Mustang in the driveway and it turned out alright. I just used the cheapest paint that was still the original color and it cost about $120. I used an air compressor with a moisture filter on it and worked in small stages. It took about 4 coats.
You can see the project from start to near finish here:
http://homepage.mac.com/jyunderwood/mustang/
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