Pics of trucks in Primer Paint

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Thanks Mark for taking the time to respond and posting the pix too. The rims I bought are TT-D's and are all 15x7's. The owner had stored them a long time and they have some kind of preservative oil on them. I think I'm going to pressure wash them with a strong degreaser to get the oil off the spokes. I'm actually not sure they will fit on the hub of my Jag suspension on my '46. If they don't, I'll save them for a future '60-'66 project.

Thanks for the paint mfg and name for your spokes. I'm a bit confused thought - you mention in your last paragraph you painted hte spokes black. Did you mean you painted BEHIND the spokes black?

I take it the "John Deere Blitz Black" you mention is an over the counter paint for general metals like Rustoleum? Obviously no one in Southern California is painting tractors so the other doesn't exist here as far as I know!

P.S. I'm definitely NOT a painter, so which temperature range or "speed" did you use with your Blitz Black and if you remember the mix ratio (I assume you recorded it for later touch ups?) I'd really appreciate the info.

Just be sure whatever degreaser you use is not harmful to aluminum, or it may discolor or stain the polished rim face.

Actually I painted the “front” of the spokes – twice. When they were brand new I painted them Iron Cast Gray because the bare aluminum spokes looked cheap. A few months ago I repainted the spokes gloss black, using the same brand of paint for compatibility. I first saw this done on a black 40 Ford coupe back in the 60's and thought it looked fantastic. Here’s what my wheels look like now:



Blitz Black is a brand name for an air dry enamel similar to Rustoleum, but it is specially formulated by Valspar for the John Deere tractor company. It is used on John Deere tractors for painting frames and small parts that aren’t normally seen. Presumably it was commonly used by tractor owners and restorers before it became a very popular hot rod paint. Unfortunately like so many other chemicals it is not longer available to anyone in California.

I’m no expert painter either. As a hobby or for friends I painted maybe 20+ cars between the 60’s & the 80’s. When I painted my truck black lacquer 10 years ago, I hadn’t touched a spray gun in nearly 15 years. I just tuned up by reading a variety of painting forums and gave it a try.

Sadly I didn’t write down the formula, but the last half gallon of paint left over was part of the final mix, so it will come out exactly the same for touch ups – assuming I paint during identical weather conditions and use the same spray techniques. Regular enamel is pretty forgiving paint, so it’s not all that hard to figure out. It just takes some experimentation and a few test shots to check the results.

What I can offer is I originally started out using acetone for thinner (per the paint manufacturer recommendations) and it came out “very” flat and tended to tiger stripe. It looked like chalky primer and I didn’t like it at all. Next I tried high speed thinner (for cold temperatures – figuring this would be somewhat slower than acetone) and it was still too flat for what I wanted. I then tried slow speed thinner (for hot temperatures) assuming this would really slow it down. It slowed it down so much it came out almost a full gloss. And I don’t mean like beautiful black lacquer, it looked more like a shiny paint job that was poorly done with really crappy paint. I finally ended up using about a 50/50 blend of medium and slow thinner, but I don’t remember the ratio of how much thinner to paint I used.

Once the finish turned out the way I wanted - I waited for a calm, dry, warm morning during the summer and shot the whole thing in one session. Of course this mix would need to be adjusted if applied during cold or damp conditions. It sounds more complicated that it was. I just kept mixing small batches and painting some scrap items until it came out the way I wanted. A couple of nice features of a cheap enamel paint job is that it is compatible over anything, so there is no worry of attacking or lifting the old finish, and if you mess it up, you can afford to do it over and improve your skills without breaking the bank.

By the way I really like your 46. I’ve always been partial to the design and especially the art deco grille. Torque Thrust D’s would look great on there.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks for the comments Mark.

Not to hijack this thread but my '46 IS painted in black primer...well, kinda.
Pardon the crappy cell phone pictures but here is a Photoshop shot of my truck with the Torque Thrusts I bought. The white boxes in the bed of the truck are the boxes the rims came in. I managed to get all four for $150 from Craigslist!! Which I think is a helluva deal. The follow on shot is the original shot with the steelies. The steelies are off a '52 Chevy with the same year hubcaps. The truck is currently (badly) painted in rattle can flat black but until I can finish the truck otherwise I think a Rustoleum flat black would look ,much more presentable.

[irish1966]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Thanks for the comments Mark.

Not to hijack this thread but my '46 IS painted in black primer...well, kinda.
Pardon the crappy cell phone pictures but here is a Photoshop shot of my truck with the Torque Thrusts I bought. The white boxes in the bed of the truck are the boxes the rims came in. I managed to get all four for $150 from Craigslist!! Which I think is a helluva deal. The follow on shot is the original shot with the steelies. The steelies are off a '52 Chevy with the same year hubcaps. The truck is currently (badly) painted in rattle can flat black but until I can finish the truck otherwise I think a Rustoleum flat black would look ,much more presentable.

The dog has that look "He's not takin pics of the truck again, is he?" LOL

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

Half and Half.
The Bed has Half and Half on her too!
She will have more primer on her soon!

[mrh33916]

Great looking trucks guy's,

[Fudge]

Rustoleum glorius Rustoleum 1 Gallon of satin white a pint of gloss green, a pint of gloss blue. I sprayed the white first then mixed the green with what was left of the white. It was all shot through a HVLP gun in a warehouse type shop. Its good from far and far from good! About $80 in this paint job.

[Mikedub82]

I love the flat black look, when my truck is finished thats the color I want to go with, does it cost as much as a normal paint job?

[ANoodle]

Not at all, a good paint job would cost you a $2-3K. Spray cans, a case of them would cost you maybe $100... its like 5-6 dollars a can.

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by Mikedub82

I love the flat black look, when my truck is finished thats the color I want to go with, does it cost as much as a normal paint job?

If a person has access to spray equipment, it can sometimes be done even cheaper than rattle cans. Rustoleum (or other brand air dry enamel) typically runs about $30-$40 a gallon depending on where you live. It took about 5 quarts of paint plus a gallon of thinner to to spray everything on my truck except the inside of the bed. I could have got by with 1 gallon of paint, but I spilled an entire quart of paint and had to reshoot the mess I made.

By comparison, the cost of automotive paint materials can easily run into hundreds of dollars a gallon, plus the cost of hardeners and other compatible chemicals.

[BillyDeluxe]

Another black and red. Its US Army matt black (PB90).

[Mikedub82]

thats just rustolim, it looks great. Did you have to sand after painting or did you just prime it and spray it.

[ANoodle]

I sanded the whole thing, then sprayed 5 cans. wet sanded and painted again.
It need another sand and spray as the weather gets to it.

[LostMy65]

Labs are the greatest dogs.

[kalirodding]

Out of curiosity, what photoshop program do you use markeb01?

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by kalirodding

Out of curiosity, what photoshop program do you use markeb01?

I think maybe you wanted to direct this question to Dan in Pasadena. My photo modifying skills are very basic and limited to working with Paint program.

[fryer1979]

I know it is not a truck, but it is a Chevy and it is a satin paint job. About 18 cans of Rustoleum Satin Black spray paint, and 5 1/2 cans of Rustoleum Satin White. All in a total of about two weekends worth of work, not counting the sanding to bare metal I did before applying the similar rattle can job that I did before this one. I'm pretty proud of my handy work for my zero body experience, and it was fairly cheep (less than $100 total). My only complaint is that it scratches fairly easy.

[tapeworm]

Originally Posted by fryer1979

I know it is not a truck, but it is a Chevy and it is a satin paint job. About 18 cans of Rustoleum Satin Black spray paint, and 5 1/2 cans of Rustoleum Satin White. All in a total of about two weekends worth of work, not counting the sanding to bare metal I did before applying the similar rattle can job that I did before this one. I'm pretty proud of my handy work for my zero body experience, and it was fairly cheep (less than $100 total). My only complaint is that it scratches fairly easy.

Actually, its funny you mention Rustoleum. I was talking with a body guy at my work, and he mentioned how he painted a car with the stuff. He sprayed it with a primer gun, no thinning. When it was first laid down, I guess it did not look very good. However, after two days of drying, the finish turned out great.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by tapeworm

Actually, its funny you mention Rustoleum. I was talking with a body guy at my work, and he mentioned how he painted a car with the stuff. He sprayed it with a primer gun, no thinning. When it was first laid down, I guess it did not look very good. However, after two days of drying, the finish turned out great.

Interesting. I have heard Rustoleum has or maybe "had" fish oil in it and it would cause problems with your final paint. But I intend to strip to bare metal anyway when I finally get it painted
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[fryer1979]

Originally Posted by tapeworm

Actually, its funny you mention Rustoleum. I was talking with a body guy at my work, and he mentioned how he painted a car with the stuff. He sprayed it with a primer gun, no thinning. When it was first laid down, I guess it did not look very good. However, after two days of drying, the finish turned out great.

I've been told that the rustoleum you can buy in the gallon cans actually sprays quite nicely. I've also read a few articles on using that paint with a roller. Sounds strange I know, but the photos I've seen along with the written up jobs seem to look pretty good. A buddy of mine just picked up a '77 Firebird that he wants to try the roller method on, it'll be an interesting experience. My job on the Camaro is 100% rattle can though, if I do it again I'm gonna get the gallon and use a real spray gun....I couldn'y use my finger for a few days after that paint job.

[Dan in Pasadena]

That's Sooner, the wonder dog. No, I'm not from Oklahoma..but he is! My sister in law used to live in Oklahoma and called and said her neighbor's champion female in heat had been "gotten to" by another pure bred but non-papered Lab down the street and the neighbor was upset and was giving the puppies away. I told her to pick the biggest, most blockheaded looking one and Sooner was soon on his way. He's been a truly great dog.

P.S. The '46 is his. Just ask him!

[irish1966]

I agree. They are a great shop dog. They have the best temprement.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by irish1966

I agree. They are a great shop dog. They have the best temprement.

He's (she's?) a beauty! What's his/her name?

My dog looks like he has "eyeliner" around his eyes and everyone comments on his looks. I bet yours gets the same comments?

After the movie, "Marely and Me" came out, every little kid would say, "It's MARLEY!" annd run up to him and want to hug him. He never flinched but it still worried me, afterall he IS a 100lb dog with big teeth...even though all he's ever truly killed is a ham sandwich!

Back to your regularly scheduled program - sorry for the tangent guys.

Re: rattle can job. My '46 was done by the previous owner with a Krylon brand flat (found a can under the seat). I used Rustoleum satin black I think on a couple of scratches and it was a bit shineir - though still NOT gloss. Now I need to redo the whole thing because it looks "spotty" but have been thinking I should use the little cheapo spray gun my compressor came with (I've never sprayed anything with a spray gun) following markebo1's advice above.

Maybe I'm overthinking it - What do you guys think? Even if it is (long term) temporary, I want it to look uniform and protect the metal as best I can. I suppose I could go to Harbor Freight and buy one of their cheap, but at least automotive-intended spray guns and their before-gun inline water separator. Opinions?

[irish1966]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

He's (she's?) a beauty! What's his/her name? Sooner looks like he has "eyeliner" around his eyes and everyone comments on his looks when they see him. I bet yours gets the same comments. After the movie, "Marely and Me" came out, every little kid would say, "It's MARLEY!" annd run up to him and want to hug him. He never flinched but it still worried me, afterall he IS a 100lb dog with big teeth...even though all he's ever truly killed is a ham sandwich!

Back to your regularly scheduled program - sorry for the tangent guys.

LOL. Her name is Luna. I grew up with my dad's passion for breeding labs. He used to breed them for the seeing eye dogs, so we always had puppies around. The trick is to have kids around them as much as possible and let them pull, poke, dress-up, whatever little kids do to dogs, and be there at any sign of even the slightest flinch by the dog, and one firm "NO", will set them straight. The most dangerous part of her, is her tail. It's like a 5th leg. I have seen it clear a tea-party in one foul swoop. I have also had it knock over a number of freshly painted parts from time to time. But, u gotta love em. Sorry for the tangent lads. Back to the job at hand.....

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Maybe I'm overthinking it - What do you guys think? Even if it is (long term) temporary, I want it to look uniform and protect the metal as best I can. I suppose I could go to Harbor Freight and buy one of their cheap, but at least automotive-intended spray guns and their before-gun inline water separator. Opinions?

My truck had primer spots on it and looked blotchy for a long time. I just wanted it one color and had to be cheap since I was bringing in unemployment wages at the time. A nice enamel paint job will solve those problems.

If you’re going to shoot the truck with spray equipment, a water trap is mandatory, especially if you’re using a somewhat small compressor. They run almost constantly while spraying, get very hot and condense a great deal of water out of the air. It’s also cheap insurance to attach one of the plastic disposable water filters directly to the spray gun itself as well. They look something like this:

Amazon.com: 1 Disposable Mini Air/Water Filter...
Without water traps, it’s been my experience the gun will start spitting water droplets into the finish about 30 minutes into the paint job. Also try to use as short a hose as will reach and keep it off the floor as much as you can, as the cold floor can also condense moisture in the hose. Not sure what type spray gun you already have, but something automotive related will probably provide better results than something designed to paint fences or houses.

Undamaged air dry enamel will protect the metal for a many years, and in fact was one of the two industry standards for decades. The other being lacquer. The problem with using either of these paints today is if you eventually intend to repaint the vehicle using modern automotive paint. Whether the paint has fish oil as a component isn’t the issue. Modern catalyzed paints can attack and dissolve either of these older finishes, meaning (as you stated) everything has to go back to bare metal and start over. This isn’t a problem if you’re aware ahead of time. Who knows, like me, you might end up liking the cheap paint job enough you don’t have any interest in doing it over later.

[irish1966]

Originally Posted by markeb01

My truck had primer spots on it and looked blotchy for a long time. I just wanted it one color and had to be cheap since I was bringing in unemployment wages at the time. A nice enamel paint job will solve those problems.

If you’re going to shoot the truck with spray equipment, a water trap is mandatory, especially if you’re using a somewhat small compressor. They run almost constantly while spraying, get very hot and condense a great deal of water out of the air. It’s also cheap insurance to attach one of the plastic disposable water filters directly to the spray gun itself as well. They look something like this:

Amazon.com: 1 Disposable Mini Air/Water Filter Only Standard 1/4" Threads, Fits most Spray Guns and Air Tools: Automotive

Without water traps, it’s been my experience the gun will start spitting water droplets into the finish about 30 minutes into the paint job. Also try to use as short a hose as will reach and keep it off the floor as much as you can, as the cold floor can also condense moisture in the hose. Not sure what type spray gun you already have, but something automotive related will probably provide better results than something designed to paint fences or houses.

Undamaged air dry enamel will protect the metal for a many years, and in fact was one of the two industry standards for decades. The other being lacquer. The problem with using either of these paints today is if you eventually intend to repaint the vehicle using modern automotive paint. Whether the paint has fish oil as a component isn’t the issue. Modern catalyzed paints can attack and dissolve either of these older finishes, meaning (as you stated) everything has to go back to bare metal and start over. This isn’t a problem if you’re aware ahead of time. Who knows, like me, you might end up liking the cheap paint job enough you don’t have any interest in doing it over later.

Great advice Markeb. How long do those filters last? I'm planning on experimenting with some rustoleum paint and I am just curious.