Custom Classic Painting Advice

Ask any rod, custom or show car builder what their toughest decision was during the buildup, and the answer is likely to involve the paint job. Not only are there thousands of colors, there are also hundreds of other options such as types of paint, graphics, flames, pearls, tri-coats and color-change paints. Some builders may decide to paint their cars themselves, while others will rely on a pro.

20/100
Every paint decision is important, since the paint job is the first thing most people will notice, long before they set eyes on the engine or interior. You want a good first impression for both street and show cars, while track-only cars often have "20/100" paint jobs (it looks good from 20 feet away while the car goes by at 100 mph).


There are three basic questions to ask yourself before you decide to paint your own car. One, do you have the skill to do a good job? Two, do you have the time? It will take 100 to 150 hours. Three, what is your time really worth? If you can make as much or more money doing your day job than what the painter charges, you may be better off having it done by a pro!

Air Supply
A word of caution for DIY painters as well: The new paints, especially the Isocyanates, are highly toxic, and the fumes can be lethal. If you are going to spray them you must have a supplied air system with a paper uniform. Supplied air systems have a special oil-less compressor that pumps in clean air from outside the spray booth. Professionals require them, as well as an HVLP (high volume, low pressure) spray gun that produces less overspray than older paint systems. In addition, the materials used in paints are highly explosive, so there can be no open flames in the shop.


Most painters recommend base coat/clear coast urethane paints, although lacquers can still be found online. Lacquer was once the best paint, but urethanes have since surpassed them for durability and gloss. Lacquer is also hard on the environment and is banned in most states. The few surviving modern lacquers don't have near the shine of the old ones, so there's no point in looking for them.