[chiphead]

Can't find a good answer online. What is "cut and buff" on a new paintjob? Is it really necessary for a driver? This is a street/strip beater, not a show car. Not even a wowza driver. I need a pretty color other than primer/surfacer. I've got the car in primer. Needs panel alignment and block sanding, which I'll do.

My budget for a BC/CC paint job is $3500 max, not a cent more out the door. Using $100/gallon Kirker. Me doing all reassembly. How do I find somebody willing to spray the car with paint I provide or specify? I just need somebody with a booth that can wave a gun.

Should I just spray it myself outside and hope for the best?

[raposak]

I'm in the same boat as you, doing all the work myself. For me its the first time. I plan on getting one of those cheap portable garages for outside. On one end i'll build a frame with a bunch of furnace filters and then other side a couple box fans sealing the entire thing.. All said and done it would cost maybe $200 for the entire setup. Easy cheap booth.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by chiphead

Can't find a good answer online. What is "cut and buff" on a new paintjob?

Can't answer all your questions but as far as what it is... A base coat-clear coat job consist of a layer of color, which has little shine to it, coated with a clear coat. That's where the shine comes in..The clear coat usually comes out of the gun with just a little 'orange peel' or 'bumpiness' to it.
Cut and buff is when the painter sands that clear coat until it's dead flat. That's the 'cut'. Not only is it 'flat' as far as the shine is concerned but the actual surface is flat and that's the purpose. They can tell that it's ready to buff when there is no more shine showing. That is, any low spots will still show shine.
Once it's all sanded totally flat, they use a buffing compound to bring the shine back. That's the 'buff'. At that point, the surface should be like glass. Flat and smooth to the eye and to the touch.
Do you really need it? No. Not if you don't care if you can see a little orange peel here and there. You can many times see a little orange peel in factory paint jobs since no one 'cuts and buffs' in the factory. It depends on the skill of the painter how much will be there before it's cut and buffed.

[crazycarlo]

Find someone that does painting on the side. Most shops are not going to want to touch a job where you do prep and provide the paint because they don’t want to worry about warranty issues and their reputation.

[dhutton]

Providing cheap low quality Kirker paint to a shop is not a recipe for success. Let them paint it with materials they are used to spraying. I tell folks that want to provide materials that I am not interested in their job.

The notion that all a painter does is provide a booth and wave a gun is not going to get you very far either. Good luck with all that...

Don

[Chief of the 60's]

"Cheap" paint does not really matter if you know what you are doing. Cut and Buff is the modern term for wet sanding and rubbing out. My friends say that I am good at putting lipstick on a pig. I have been known for taking some of the crappiest finishes out there and, as they say on Ass Monkey Garage, make it look like a diamond in a goat's ass. But you really need to know exactly what you are doing and as much of what you are dealing with as possible. Nothing is worse than dealing with a finish that someone else laid out or a factory finish. Reason being is that you have no clue how much material was laid out and to achieve that ultimate finish you will be removing some, or a lot, of that material. Knowing how much to remove is something I personally cannot explain. For me its like a sixth sense. But every once in a great while even I have F'd up and burned through. It can happen, especially when you are starting with a bad finish and/or trying to get that ultimate shine. Hopefully I gave a little insight.

[rohrt]

When it comes to paint everything has to be compatible(Primer to sealer, sealer to paint, paint to clear). Most place only deal with one brand and have learned all the tricks to dealing with that brand.

If you willing to do all the work but except wave the gun, then why not just turn your garage into a paint booth and try it yourself? There should be plenty of first time paint article out there. I know I have read several of them.

[chiphead]

I've done all the prep work with Kirker epoxy and primer/surfacer. I can't justify $500-1000+ gallons of paint and 40 hours of labor on a car that's built out of bondo, fiberglass mat and welding rod. Car's not worth it.

I'd really like to go with Kirker's bright orange metallic but I've never shot metallic before. So that's why I'd like an experienced painter, to prevent mottling of the metallic and other weird issues. I'd also like some subtle blue metallic flames on the GTO hood scoop, and I have no idea how to do that. I don't know about midcoats, sealers, etc. I need some guidance and some experience and I'm willing to pay for it. Just not 8 or 10 grand.

http://dadscustoms.com/lvb-11125-bri...at-gallon.html

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by chiphead

I've done all the prep work with Kirker epoxy and primer/surfacer. I can't justify $500-1000+ gallons of paint and 40 hours of labor on a car that's built out of bondo, fiberglass mat and welding rod. Car's not worth it.

I'd really like to go with Kirker's burnt orange metallic but I've never shot metallic before. So that's why I'd like an experienced painter, to prevent mottling of the metallic. I'd also like some subtle blue metallic flames on the GTO hood scoop, and I have no idea how to do that.

You do realize that right there is going to cost you good money. A car's condition and/or quality has no bearing on the paintwork. Custom paintwork costs money and an "experienced" painter does not lay out paint any different on a cockroach than he would a 2019 vehicle.

[chiphead]

Haha thats a good point. But a lot of money is in the materials and the prep work, yes?? If I use less expensive materials and do as much of the prep work as I can, it should cost less right? This car was painted with rattle cans, poorly. I found golf balls and coke bottles embedded in the trunk bondo.
Anything is going to be an improvement.

Are you saying that any decent painter isn't willing to do a budget scratch and shoot with BC/CC? Forget any flames or anything. It's always got to be $18K showcar? How much time is involved in scuffing the sealer, resealing and then doing BC/CC with no cut and buff? 20 hours? At $100 hour that should be 2 grand labor, right?

[400 4spd.]

Maaco.

[428goat]

A friend of mine got a Macao paint job on his driver and it looks pretty good. 200 to 400 labor is what I have read.

Maaco has four paint packages to choose from, including Basic (1 year warranty), Preferred (3 year warranty), Premium (5 year warranty) and Platinum (5 year warranty). The different packages are designed to meet the needs of any customer's financial situation, but each package has a different durability and appearance grade. This means that a Basic tier paint job will not look nearly as good and will not last nearly as long as a Premium tier paint job. If you wish to change the color of your car, there is an additional cost.

[TAKerry]

I too would suggest MAACO. However, I would check around with the franchises in your area. Their guys are painting cars everyday and should know their way around a spray gun pretty good. You can select the level of finish that suits your needs. I almost had them paint my 77 for a pretty decent price. I talked to the owner at length and his shop did 'special project cars' as well as the weekly specials. I talked to 3 different maaco shops in my area and only one was receptive to my needs.
If you have the equipment and dont really car about the quality you may as well paint it yourself. As pop always said "you're not going to learn any younger".

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

Maaco.

Originally Posted by 428goat

A friend of mine got a Macao paint job on his driver and it looks pretty good. 200 to 400 labor is what I have read.

Maaco has four paint packages to choose from, including Basic (1 year warranty), Preferred (3 year warranty), Premium (5 year warranty) and Platinum (5 year warranty). The different packages are designed to meet the needs of any customer's financial situation, but each package has a different durability and appearance grade. This means that a Basic tier paint job will not look nearly as good and will not last nearly as long as a Premium tier paint job. If you wish to change the color of your car, there is an additional cost.

Originally Posted by TAKerry

I too would suggest MAACO. However, I would check around with the franchises in your area. Their guys are painting cars everyday and should know their way around a spray gun pretty good. You can select the level of finish that suits your needs. I almost had them paint my 77 for a pretty decent price. I talked to the owner at length and his shop did 'special project cars' as well as the weekly specials. I talked to 3 different maaco shops in my area and only one was receptive to my needs.
If you have the equipment and dont really car about the quality you may as well paint it yourself. As pop always said "you're not going to learn any younger".

Last time I checked, Maaco didn't do "flames".

Originally Posted by chiphead

I'd also like some subtle blue metallic flames on the GTO hood scoop

[DANTIP]

Our local Maaco shop employs an exceptional painter that previously worked for a high-end shop. Like some painters, he's a little eccentric and Maaco was willing to accommodate his quirks and schedule. Neeless to say, our local Maaco turns out great work at a great value.

[400 4spd.]

So he can take the hood to someone who does flames. Should be affordable with the $3000.05 he saved by going to Maaco.

[John Milner]

Not a Pontiac but my Dodge Charger that I attached a picture of was sprayed with Summit Racing single stage urethane, which I believe is Kirker paint. I also used Summit Racing primers on the car when I was doing body work. I would estimate that I have somewhere around $600 to $800 invested on the paint/primers/thinners. I just can't afford a $10,000 paint job.

[Chief of the 60's]

Summit's paint is re-labeled Dupli-Color which is Sherwin-Williams.

[carcrazy]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

Maaco.

That is the first thing that came to my mind when I read this!

[dhutton]

As far as I know Summit paint is made by Kirker....

Don