What to do about paint
Discussion
I have a 1933 Rolls Royce with very flat and crazed paint. I've tried various polishes, including cutting first and even machine polishing, and though there is an improvement, it is minor. The mechanical restoration of the car is the priority and then the interior, but I would like to at least think about the paint situation. I'm guessing a car of this age was originally painted by brush rather than spray? And with this in mind, I wondering whether I might have a go at doing just that again myself if I can buy the right paint. I have a Flex polisher and would think I could cut and polish the paint after, removing any potential brush marks. Has anyone had any experience, good or bad, of painting a car by hand with a brush?
Many people use rustoleum thinned slightly with white spirit and a foam roller. You can get a lovely shine doing this, although obviously not like a spray paint finish.
It is popular on MX5s and T25s IME. Club80-90 have quite a large thread on the subject and Covkid has a DVD dedicated to it.
Plenty of other classics have had the same treatment.
It is popular on MX5s and T25s IME. Club80-90 have quite a large thread on the subject and Covkid has a DVD dedicated to it.
Plenty of other classics have had the same treatment.
mike9009 said:
Many people use rustoleum thinned slightly with white spirit and a foam roller. You can get a lovely shine doing this, although obviously not like a spray paint finish.
It is popular on MX5s and T25s IME. Club80-90 have quite a large thread on the subject and Covkid has a DVD dedicated to it.
Plenty of other classics have had the same treatment.
Very interesting. I hadn't even thought about that brand. I'd better get searching for online images! It is popular on MX5s and T25s IME. Club80-90 have quite a large thread on the subject and Covkid has a DVD dedicated to it.
Plenty of other classics have had the same treatment.
I would try to leave it as it is if it's not too bad, but if not -
I painted mine with coach paint from https://www.craftmasterpaints.co.uk/products/coach... There are instructions on the site about how to do it.
I've never brushed a car before but the finish is excellent, you wouldn't know if it had been brushed or sprayed, if you do it right you don't get brush marks - good quality brushes, a few coats of primer, fill, rub down and repeat until it's smooth then the top coat. Slap it on painting in all directions then lay it off with long downhill stokes and walk away, do not be tempted to touch up a little bit because once it starts to dry it'll drag and make a real mess if you do!
Come back a few days later and repaint/rub down.
It's a bit slow but suited me because tying to get all panels ready at once to spray with limited time, patience and space was too hard, it has separate wings and front shrouds, brushing meant I could get one done at a time, in total 12 parts.
Difficult to tell at this distance, but even close up it's smooth - if you're good it should be possible to get a perfect finish straight off the brush but I did a light cut and polish once it had been left for a few weeks to fully harden.
I painted mine with coach paint from https://www.craftmasterpaints.co.uk/products/coach... There are instructions on the site about how to do it.
I've never brushed a car before but the finish is excellent, you wouldn't know if it had been brushed or sprayed, if you do it right you don't get brush marks - good quality brushes, a few coats of primer, fill, rub down and repeat until it's smooth then the top coat. Slap it on painting in all directions then lay it off with long downhill stokes and walk away, do not be tempted to touch up a little bit because once it starts to dry it'll drag and make a real mess if you do!
Come back a few days later and repaint/rub down.
It's a bit slow but suited me because tying to get all panels ready at once to spray with limited time, patience and space was too hard, it has separate wings and front shrouds, brushing meant I could get one done at a time, in total 12 parts.
Difficult to tell at this distance, but even close up it's smooth - if you're good it should be possible to get a perfect finish straight off the brush but I did a light cut and polish once it had been left for a few weeks to fully harden.
steveo3002 said:
brush or roller jobs can look great , but needs the same amount of prep so dont be thinking its a shortcut to a quick/cheap paintjob
Must agree with this. If your current paint work has crazing and the like, it will need similar preparation to a spray job.I've brush painted a few vehicles, with differing results. Two cars, three classic bikes. The first, I thought, would be a "quick" way of achieving a shiny car with minimal prep' and expense. It wasn't bad, but could have been a lot better. The others benefitted from my earlier mistakes. Preparation was as involved as for a spray job, temperature had to be watched, high quality brushes were used, and as much as possible was painted inside the house where the conditions were more stable than outside. A car made up of lots of flat panels is much easier than a more curvy monocoque type.
Finished result when cut back some weeks later was glasslike.
The paint I used was Cannons coach paint, but I'm sure any good coach enamel would do the job. A mate restores stage coaches and the like - the results he gets are superb, but he has done a bit more than I.
also check what paint youre being sold - not everything will flat and polish
can confirm rustoleum will work okay...but expect days or weeks between coats
to be honest as said you need the same prep for good results , if you got that far mask it up and spray if it you have somewhere to work , painted in a day then vs hours of flatting between coats and waiting to dry
can confirm rustoleum will work okay...but expect days or weeks between coats
to be honest as said you need the same prep for good results , if you got that far mask it up and spray if it you have somewhere to work , painted in a day then vs hours of flatting between coats and waiting to dry
Has this car been repainted before?
Blowing up the pic it puts me in mind of a nasty case of sandscratch which is a result of painting over the scratches left by too coarse a grade of sand paper when sanding prior to painting. As the paint ages & shrinks the pattern of the sanding appears.
Blowing up the pic it puts me in mind of a nasty case of sandscratch which is a result of painting over the scratches left by too coarse a grade of sand paper when sanding prior to painting. As the paint ages & shrinks the pattern of the sanding appears.
I have a lot of history of the car and haven't seen any suggesting there's been any paint work over the years. The wings were added as a modernisation in the early 50's, so that is likely to be the last time it was painted, along with the doors in a yellowy/cream colour. The doors are now looking patchy in that some areas are paler than others. Perhaps UV issues?
I do understand the beauty of patina, and there's 89 years of it here. But when does patina just become unsightly? The car does need to earn its keep where possible, otherwise to me it will be a money pit. The most likely income would be from some local weddings etc. and I imagine most brides will want a gleaming car and see 'patina' as just poor condition. It's a tricky situation and the reason I thought I'd see what the PH massive had to say.
I have tried some fine wet and dry in areas to try cutting back the scratches, but no joy. I've been tempted to get a bit heavier with it, but fear I'd see bare metal almost immediately. There's something about the paint that just looks incredibly thin. It even sounds thin somehow!
I do understand the beauty of patina, and there's 89 years of it here. But when does patina just become unsightly? The car does need to earn its keep where possible, otherwise to me it will be a money pit. The most likely income would be from some local weddings etc. and I imagine most brides will want a gleaming car and see 'patina' as just poor condition. It's a tricky situation and the reason I thought I'd see what the PH massive had to say.
I have tried some fine wet and dry in areas to try cutting back the scratches, but no joy. I've been tempted to get a bit heavier with it, but fear I'd see bare metal almost immediately. There's something about the paint that just looks incredibly thin. It even sounds thin somehow!
steveo3002 said:
if you want it painted then paint it
while yes theyre only original once it does seem to be an excuse for some to run a scruffy car because patina
I suspect I will. And I would take your advice about wasting time on shortcuts. If I do it, I'd enjoy doing it myself and there's no rush to complete it. I don't particularly mind the paint not being the original. It's not like a lot of these hugely expensive classics that are like Trigger's broom!while yes theyre only original once it does seem to be an excuse for some to run a scruffy car because patina
steveo3002 said:
if you want it painted then paint it
while yes theyre only original once it does seem to be an excuse for some to run a scruffy car because patina
I agree but also there is a difference between scruffy and patina. Scruffy is damaged and not repaired, rusty, uncared for. Whereas patina is cared for but age-worn, the evidence of a life well-lived. IMO anyway.while yes theyre only original once it does seem to be an excuse for some to run a scruffy car because patina
Good luck with the painting, whatever you decide. I've part painted a few bits and pieces over the years using cellulose paint and a brush and found it to be quite forgiving stuff, capable of being cut and polished to a really good shine. I've also done some spray painting, again mostly with cellulose which has worked well. As other posters have pointed out, patience and preparation are crucial.
I'm old enough to remember being taken to Cowlairs Works by my father in steam locomotive days and I'm still amazed at what good paint finishes were applied in very unpromising surroundings - some of the very last engines to be overhauled there in grimy caverns.
I'm old enough to remember being taken to Cowlairs Works by my father in steam locomotive days and I'm still amazed at what good paint finishes were applied in very unpromising surroundings - some of the very last engines to be overhauled there in grimy caverns.
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