Distressed Paint

DRD57 · November 12, 2004, 04:01:21 PM

I've got kinda mixed feelings on the whole faux patina thing. There've been a few (fresh) cars and trucks done up this way that seemd kinda cool at first glance but after closer scrutiny appeared a bit phoney. I'm still undecided. When the majority of the car has a old finish, new or mismatched pieces need to be refinished so they don't stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.

My heap has seriously a distressed finish. It's not just a little worried, It's suicidal! Unfortunately, there are a few pieces missing this finish. I had to have the gas tank dipped to get all the funk out of the inside. That stripped the paint off the outside too. The front apron, the rear frame covers, the trunk lid and the sides of the frame are all new stuff. So, my challenge is to try to duplicate the finish on these pieces.

One of my brother's friends who is a graphic artist offered to help "match " these parts but I haven't heard from him in a while so, I decided to get started on it myself. The first stop was the local paint store. Not the auto paint store, just regular paint. The car was last painted in the mid 40's as near as I can figure so, I'm guessing it was just painted with lacquer or enamel.

I popped the hinge pins out of the driver's door and carried it into the paint store to get a color match in some oil based enamel. the conversation went something like this:

"Can you do a color match on this door?"
"we don't sell automotive paint".
I don't want automotive paint, I want semi-gloss, oil based enamel".
"OK, which color?" (there are easily 20 shades of green on the door,what with all the fading and stuff, slong with black where the paint has peeled off in spots and silver where paint splatter has hit it at some point in the last 50 years).
"how about this spot right here?"
"OK, but it's not going to match the whole door"
"that's OK I need it to paint some other parts and I want it close. What can I thin this stuff with to spray it?"
"naptha or paint thinner, whatever you do don't use cheap lacquer thinner, it'll make the paint blush".
"cool, I'll use the cheap lacquer thinner".
"and if you leave it out in the sun a lot, in about a year it'll get kinda chalky".
"Yeah, now you're getting it. I'll leave it in the sun as much as possible. Thanks."

I sprayed all the new parts except the trunk lid with DP90 first. Then I ripped up some funky shapes of masking tape and strategically placed them over the DP90. The trunk lid will get DP74 for a little variety. Then I sprayed the green. Had to let it dry for over 24 hours and it was still really soft. Next I rubbed sand all over it, not sand paper, SAND from the sand blaster. Some of it stuck. I hit the whole area with some fine steel wool. Then I wiped a few spots with a rag that had a little white paint on it. Made a few scratches with a screwdriver. This is too much fun. I wasn't the slightest bit careful installing the frame covers or the front apron. that gave me few more scratches in the soft paint.

So far all these bits look pretty good. They don't match perfectly but they don't look out of place either. Hell, the front fenders don't match at all with all that red showing through but I'm not painting them.

I've still got the trunk lid to do. It's going to take a little more effort to get it to look "right" since it's higher and more visible. All the parts I did so far are pretty low and not the focal point when you look at the car. I have to get the paint tinted a little differently to get a better match for the trunk lid. It's a little more yellow and less blue on the top.

http://drd57.hypermart.net/MyDeuce/dfront.jpg
http://drd57.hypermart.net/MyDeuce/drear.jpg
http://drd57.hypermart.net/MyDeuce/dleft.jpg
http://drd57.hypermart.net/MyDeuce/dright.jpg

C9 · November 12, 2004, 04:21:59 PM

Pretty cool.

So you're aiming for that just-dragged-it-out-of-a-barn' look?

Looks like you hit that nail on the head.

At least you won't get any of those, "Is it fiberglass?" questions.
Or the other favorite - "izzat a kit car?"

A little farther down the road you can prime some of the straight areas and it will look like you're working on it.

Either way, you better put your Lousville Slugger in the car so you can chase off all the potential buyers....

purplepickup · November 12, 2004, 04:58:49 PM

Yeah, when the sun chalks that up it will look perfect. I'm tellin' ya.....I'll bet you ain't never gonna want that car shiney painted. There just isn't another one like it.....anywhere

enjenjo · November 12, 2004, 05:31:19 PM

Looks good Don

I have been studying weathered paint, I want to do my car in a weathered green. I have some pictures of what I want, but I am not sure I can do it. The color I want is originally Forest green, but after 50 years in the desert, it ends up being a mustard yellow/lime green combination. I think it can be done.

Jbird · November 12, 2004, 08:37:14 PM

Just think of all the money you saved on bondo and sandpaper.
I have several different shades of rattle can dark gray primer I use to touch up the several different shades of primer I used to paint the car.
I actually have two gallons of candy green lacquer set aside to paint the bug if I ever get it close enough for paint.
Jbird

HotRodLadyCrusr · November 12, 2004, 09:02:55 PM

WOW! Great job Don. I really like the way it turned out. I think ya better be careful or all your friends are gonna want you to do their rides just like it.

Roadstar · November 12, 2004, 09:57:35 PM

Don that car is awesome !!!.

No doubt about it being the real thing.

I can't wait to see it,. I have seen lots of the cars done with the faux finish here in the midwest and they all look a little fake when you look real close. Admitedly some are way better than others and Dan Shaw's 32 pickup is probably the best. He is the guy that did Potteets truck also.

You got the look though. You are cool and you know it

Gilles · November 15, 2004, 03:05:51 AM

Good job Don! I said nothing but was surprised to see this old body on this perfectly new frame. Now I understand what you are doing!

Last summer in England I saw a 32 roadster with real rust on the cowl. This car was in FIBERGLASS! After looking closely I found that real rust dust had been projected on it certainely while the paint (black mat) was not dry. It was very difficult to see that it wasn't a real rusty old car.

I remember another fiberglass 32 Ford roadster built in England. The fiberglass driver door had a very special patch panel : a real piece of rusty sheet-metal with even a rust hole. Except from that the car was in good condition. Most of the people looking the car said "they could fix that door"

Gilles

Gilles · November 15, 2004, 03:15:41 AM

Here a photo of this false rusty 32.

Bruce Dorsi · November 15, 2004, 06:31:45 AM

Very convincing work, Don!

If you hadn't told us which parts were new, I'd bet many of us could not pick them out in your photos.

Dirk35 · November 17, 2004, 09:07:35 AM

This is just a thought from past experience.......not on puropse! But it achieved a similar effect as what you have on those peices and took me a while to sand it back off. Well, I didnt wax them, but I didnt get it clean enough either and it was too cold when I sprayed them. What can I say.....I was 15years old!

Another thing thatll help those parts match the others would be to take it to the car wash and spray the wax on them, and dont remove it very well. Then paint red to match the old red on the rest of the car, while its freezing outside, itll krinkle up and youll be able to wipe off scetions of paint in section thatll match the original paint that didnt stick too well. Repeat again with the green over the red as it looks like that is the most recent color, and then wipe some if it off.

Do a test peice 1st, but I think itll help you get to where your wanting to get.

Crosley.In.AZ · November 17, 2004, 09:13:08 AM

I am sitting here laughing at Don's comment;

Quote"cool, I'll use the cheap lacquer thinner"

I can see the sales person's face with a puzzled look.....

This also brings to my mind about Don's female assistants trying to find a model car like his A ........"without shiney paint"

DRD57 · November 17, 2004, 10:59:42 AM

I drove the car over to the paint store yesterday to show him the results of the first parts to get painted and to get the paint tinted a little lighter for the trunk lid.

He worked on tinting the paint for about 30 minutes and then only charged me $1.50 for the new can.

I sprayed the trunk lid last night but it's too light so, I'm going to take the driver's door back in there to get some more paint computer matched this afternoon.

DRD57 · November 24, 2004, 12:31:43 PM

After a couple of unsuccessful attempts at painting the trunk lid, I think I finally have something I can work with.

The first try was too bright, the second try had too much fake peeling, and the third try looks just about right. Kinda like the three bears.

I sprayed it outside at about 9:30 pm Monday evening. Yesterday when I got home from work I threw the lid back on the car and put two big palm prints in the soft enamel. Looks like I'll have to wait until the paint is good and dry before I can begin tearing it up.

http://drd57.hypermart.net/MyDeuce/trunk.jpg

enjenjo · November 24, 2004, 05:43:49 PM

Since the paint is still soft, you might experiment with spraying a little alcohol on it, see if it clouds it up a bit. It's worked for me in the past, when I wasn't trying to do it.