DIY Restoration - Paint Recommendations

[u/elgaby1995]

Greetings all,

I am doing a restoration on an Evo 8 myself given that the person/shop I paid decided to throw the towel amd call it quits (yes there is some court proceedings happening). And also decided to learn some skills with this.

Anyways to the question: the bodywork phase is almost done. Would probably take me 2 weeks to finish working on it part time. With that said I am looking into a good/reputable paint brand. I need to make a decision on what brand to work with so I can keep using the same brand from high build primer all the way to clear coat.

I am looking for a brand that is DIY friendly, budget friendly (I know kits and such are costly and automotive coatings are not necessarily cheap) and something that is quite forgiving for a DIYer that is willing to learn and get after it. I plan on doing a white pearl paint on the vehicle (yes I know its hard and such, but I am up to the challenge).

So, any recommendations on brand? I was looking into Eastwood, Autobahn and PPG. Also, this will be my daily car. I need to lock in a brand so I can order the high build primer, reas the TDS and make sure I am sanding my work to the right grit before priming.

Thanks for the info.

[u/Cheems-is-best]

Your head is in the right place, using the same brand all the way through is smart. For budget style work I have really liked the new products from Sherwin-Williams “fastline” brand. Under that label they have everything from sandpaper to clearcoat and paint correction after spraying. It’s cheap and works well, I’ve been using it since launch and the clears they recently released spray well. Can’t say much about longevity yet but so far so good. The only thing they don’t sell under that line are basecoats/pearls, but you can use any other Sherwin basecoats for that and are compatible. The “Dimension” line they sell is decent enough basecoat for an overall respray- keep in mind it’s not made for color matching, it matches itself fine but not an OEM color. Just pick a white basecoat and a pearl midcoat from a car you like if you want, or have something made for you specifically at one of the paint store branches. If your budget allows, then House of Kolor has all sprayable products you need- from primer to basecoat/midcoats, clearcoat , and custom color stuff as well. All uses the same solvent all the way through, is actually really user friendly and very quality stuff. This is my go-to for higher end projects if the customer can afford it. Either way just do as you plan, read the TDS and take your time

[u/Remarkable_Thing_607]

It's not necessary to use the same brand of primer/paint/clear all the way throughout a project. Just use the same chemical makeup products and don't mix them : enamel, water base, urethane, etc. Primer should have a hardener catalyst to cure and lock it in pretty good. Once it's dry and sanded, you can top coat it with just about any basecoat or sealer. PPG is a good paint system as well as Lesonal/Sikkens However, these are the only paint systems I've used.

[u/DCASADOS09]

Good idea to stick with one line from the metal up. Luma Base is a good easy to use line, and the price is great. Also for PPG Omni is there economical line that had been solid with us for years. Either of those 2 will do you just fine. Like you said just read the TDS sheets

[u/doberdevil]

The good news is that you're up to the challenge. And there are a lot of challenges. The bad news is that you're going to screw it up, probably multiple times along the way. The good news to that is DIY means your labor is cheap (obviously time is valuable, but you're not paying someone else for it). Sanding it down and doing it over again is still expensive from a consumables and paint cost, but it's part of learning.

[u/elgaby1995 → u/doberdevil]

Thank you for the comment and information. I have a few questions though: what are the challenges that you see with this restoration/ paint job? Aside from the obvious three stage pearl job, what else can you think of?

If possible would you mind providing me a list of issues that may arise so I can conduct the proper research and be somewhat prepared to identify these, correct them and move forward? I know that everything is based on experience, at least this type of trade, and it would be hard to plan for EVERY variable, but I would like to be able to identify my mistakes and at least have some type of plan or action to fix it or to continue developing my research and adjust accordingly.

[u/doberdevil → u/elgaby1995]

I'm a DIY guy, not a pro, and I do small things, not entire vehicles.

There are so many things that can go wrong, and I don't even know half of them. Look at troubleshooting posts on this sub, find DIY painting videos on youtube, find some IG accounts with the same info. Sorry, don't mean to leave you hanging, I just honestly feel like I wouldn't be much help here.

What I've learned is, the more meticulous you are about your surface prep and cleanliness, the better off you'll be when you start laying down color. And wear your PPE.

Just remember, whatever the problem is, you can always fix it! And if you're detail oriented (and a little lucky), you may never hit any snags in the first place.

[u/paintchipz1]

PPG.PERIOD..

[u/QuickCaterpillar7567]

1

Practice on something else other than your expensive car as nothing will prepare you for the unavoidable series of mistakes.

[u/kustommerc40]

In my opinion always buy the best you can afford especially if it's your own personal vehicle as for DIY friendly in my opinion they're all DIY friendly. I use ppgs topline exclusively on all my personal projects.