Expert: William Forster - 1/1/2007

Question
I want to paint an older car for My kid, It dosn't have to be perfect, I got him sanding a removing trim. It's a 66 mustang and I was thinking of a Single stage Urathane paint
to cover sanding marks, for about 3 to 4 coats how much Urathane and primer surfacer should I buy

Answer
Yes, you will still need to lay down a white base. Reds are  all pissy thin, and cover horribly. It can take 6 or more coats for a red metallic to cover, without laying down a color base. I've sprayed reds that took 8 or 9 coats to cover. Each coat is another opportunity for dirt to get in the paint, and to run the paint. Overly thick paint films shine always dies back, and the fail prematurely. Less is better white paint, to a degree, of course. Base coloring is really cheap insurance, and you don't want to see shadows or thin spots in the paint when you are done. I do this constantly, even with other colors. Dark colors that don't cover well I lay down a coat of dark grey or black. It eliminates shadows, and with you wanting to only single stage the car, it becomes an even bigger problem. Doing it at home, you will probably need to  buff it when you are done. Color sanding and buffing remove paint, and the less paint, the less coverage. it's just that simple. Bill