Paint Question

[Rhumba]

Hey all! I need some paint expertise.

OK I started the enviable task of repainting my fuel tank. I know I won't get a professional finish with rattle-cans but it will look better than what I had previously. I sanded all of the paint chips out and feathered them to the surrounding paint. I have a couple of small dents to fill using Bondo Spot Putty. My question is, can I use laquer-based paints on the origional factory paint? In other words, was the original factory paint an enamel or a laquer? Will a laquer-based paint lift the origional factory coating?

I scored four cans of Duplicolor laquer touch-up paint in spray cans for a buck a pop that almost perfectly match the original color, New Ruby Red.

Do I need to use a laquer-based primer or an enamel-based one? Or does it matter?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[tarzan]

You can actually get a professional looking finish with a rattle can.I have done it.It may not stand up to the abuse that a good quality job can do.You need a hard clearcoat on it though that resists gas that will get on it. I would use a laquer thinner. The
primer should make your new paint stick fine.I have painted a few gas tanks and even a car(the car was a basecoat clearcoat system,not rattle can).So I am not a professional painter by any means.

[js198027]

I would like to paint my tank as well and was wondering the same thing. What kind of primer and paint to by? What kind of clear coat to look for?

[randy]

YES!

You can get professional results from rattle cans, it just takes a lot of time. Surface preparation is the key. Also the right primer will help, for instance if your top coat is red, use red primer, if it's white or blue, you'd use gray primer and so on.

I think I used more sandpaper than paint. You'll need to wet sand between coats of primer as well as between the coats of paint. A handy tip when sanding primer is to use two different colors so you can see when you've cut through the coat.

My color coat is GM380, sold by Duplicolor in the small cans. I used 6 cans, 6 coats, sanding with 1200 wet between coats 1 through 5. For the last coat I sanded with 2000 wet. For top coat, I used Duplicolor high heat clear ceramic. It's gas resistant IF YOU LET IT CURE. 4 coats of clear, 2000 wet between coats.

Let it cure a couple of weeks, then final polish with a liquid POLISH not wax. After polishing , then wax. After 4 years, gas spills, bugs, etc and not a blemish!

Sorry, but the pinstripes don't come in a can!

[tarzan]

Nice Paint job Randy.The pin stripes are clean too.Did you anodize your carbs or is that paint?

[mason79]

awesome

[randy]

The carbs are painted. The pinstripes I had done by the guy who paints our company vans. maybe some of you ave heard of him - Vic Kessler?

[lostsoul74]

I used paintcans for years, personally I was never truly satisfied with the finish, took way too much wetsanding and buffing, and still always ended up looking thin and cheap. But hey, it was better then what they were. Now days, I use a cheap off brand 21 gallon compressor (i'm sure somebody has a compressor over 15 gallons you can borrow, or rent for 20 bucks for the day). And I use a cheap 14 dollar automotive paint gun from Harbour Freight (just a cheap gun you can find at most discount stores). I use a single stage urathane enamal, I prefer FUL-THANE as i've used a few different brands and so far cant say enough good about that one. the very first time I painted I got nearly a showroom finish (it layed thick and like glass, but did end up with a few fish eyes i had to wet sand out later). Now i've painted about 8 different things with this set up and have gotten better, no more fish eyes, perfect show room every time, very very high gloss, and very depth looking. Just my 2 cents, i'll never go back to cans, but then again, a quart of auto paint cost you 60 bucks..... (i had a recent thread with examples of paint and depth, just look for xs11 final pics)