This mainly depends on how valuable the car is. If it is not a show car
you can paint it very cheaply. The auto body supply houses gouge you
big time for supplies; especially paint.
I have painted several cars with something called Con-Lux that a friend
who works for the town "acquired" for me. They use this to put the
yellow stripes on the highway! Cut it with regular automotive enamel
thinner and add automotive hardner. These cars came out very nice.
Enamel paints are all basically the same it seems. Rustoleum works good
if you thin it alot. A gallon costs under $20 at Home Depot. I have
tried cutting the enamel with various thinners, but all except auto type
(xylene) ruin the film strength of the paint and it runs like mad.
You must use auto type primer, which is expensive, but a gallon lasts
forever. Cut it with Parks lacquer thinner "Home Depot type" which
costs about half as much as autobody store lacquer thinner.
Home Depot type "paint thinner" is mineral spirits. This costs about $2
a gallon. Autobody stores sell it as "Prep-sol" for 10 times that.
This is good for washing off wax and so forth. It is also by far the
best thing to use in your parts washer. Cuts grime like magic and dries
on it's own without having to wash off the part. Nasty on the hands
though, wear gloves.
Always remember to experiment on something like an old hood before using
these backyard formulas on something you care about!
John Nicol
Nicol@ix.netcom.com
'73 Datsun 240Z w/small block chevy power
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