Expert: Cameron Orsich - 9/12/2006

Question
Cameron: i have a 68 buick that i did the body prep at home over a couple of months ( as it is my daily driver) i enjoy working on my car and more importantly enjoy driving it. my problem is i dont have the funds to take it to a shop to have the right bc/cc shot. ive always liked the look of the ol'school satin black so i decided to get rid of the multi-color look & shot it in a couple coats of SATIN BLACK ENAMEL. keep in mind this is just temperary until i can save up $$ for the correct factory color. it layed down nice, easy to shoot, gave me a nice satin black look i can cruise around with for about a year or so (i hope! lol) now on to the questions... what can i do (if any) to help protect it best? if i waxed would it ruin the SATIN look? also there is a minor dry (overspray) spot on the trunk lid that i would like to reshoot.. with it being a "satin" enamel a know i cant polish so would you say i should be ok wetsanding with say 400 and shooting another coat?  i know its a cheap single stage paint with no clear/dulling agent added but it was cheap and fun to do and it looks good so i dont mind for now.;) any tips from a pro or critisism is greatly accepted!
THANX!!

Matt Dennison
565 sw 139th ave
beaverton Or,
tosshogg@hotmail.com
-no phone available-  

Answer
I would have some real fun...that in a moment, but as for waxing...Ah..Ah..Ah LOL

I dare you to go down to a body shop and ask if they could point out the best wax...as silicone is the last thing you want near a paint booth...unless you like fisheye...Oh yea, sure you can get it off later, but would if you miss a spot.

My dad had a Cordoba painted black by a "paint shop"...he wasn't happy, and didn't tell me he tried to improve it by waxing.  Well, I washed and tacked the car, and painted it...holy moses..fisheye everywhere.  Well after about a month, I wiped it down right with the stronger of two solvents I now use prior to doing any work, repainted it, and it was fine.

I still remember experienced body guys laughing because I thought soap and water would cut through the grime and old wax; while, unbeknown to me, my dad had waxed it without me knowing.

Anyway...forget screwing around with the enamel...so you have a dry spot...hell they paint semi truck trailers with that crap...just enjoy it until next spring, then I would paint it myself with laquer...why laquer...because you can't screw it up.

Example...gee, not that I sprayed my car in lacquer, it looks like that enamel satin finish.  OH YEA, I almost forgot, I can wet sand it, and polish it.

OK...now lets try base-coat/clear-coat...gee, not that I sprayed my car in a two part catalyzed high-tech system thats guaranteed not to fail and is gasoline proof, it looks like that enamel satin finish.  OH YEA, I almost forgot I'm screwed.

Get the point?

Unless you have something to practice on, try something that you can sand, polish, touch up.

Look, when i was 16 yrs old I went to a NAPA store to buy my first pre-vail...as I slightly lost control of my Chevelle's 396 in a game of cat and mouse saving some high school buddy from being hit head on.  Anyway, I backed the car in the garage so my parents couldn't see that I totaled the passenger door.

Next, I bought a passenger door...next I bought some lacquer, a handful of pre-vails, and had that thing painted, wet sanded, and polished without anyone knowing.

Some time later I returned to that store wanting to paint my 340 Cuda--all of it.  My 14 year old brother, whom looked up to me, listened as the NAPA guy told me that painting an entire car with pre-vails couldn't be done.  At first my brother seemed satisfied with his response, until I ask "if I can paint a door, why can't I paint the whole car".  The idiot looked at me like I was the idiot until I bought every prevail he had, and returned a month later asking for a alternator belt for the car I couldn't paint with pre-vails...some people.

PS I estimate it took about 40 pre-vails..hey what you don't use, take back.  I swear we wiped out the entires city's supply of those damn things.

Any how, you can shoot lacquer with anything...even prevails.