16Victor

Here's my recenly acquired 1957 88. This car has 35,000 original miles and is complete and nearly in running condition (needs tuneup and brakes, plus the body work as you can see).

Other than the panels you see, this car has original paint. It'll be a weekend driver; I have no intention of doing a full restoration, although any work I do will be reasonably correct.

Obviously, I need the fender and doors finished and painted. I'm not a body guy. I want to touch as little of the original paint as possible, which I undstand was lacquer. Matching color and gloss will be important to keep the looks consistent.

A local custom paint shop said lacquer can't be bought anymore - is this true? I don't feel a urethane job would match the rest of the car at all.

I need suggestions as to what direction to take. I can't afford the time, space, or money for an all-over respray. I just want a pleasant driver that doesn't have overly obvious repaint on those panels. Any help or guidance is most welcome.

redoldsman

You may want to give single stage acrylic enamel a shot. It is not going to have the deep gloss that base and clear coat have. I don't think you will ever get a very good match on paint that old.

Rocketowner

If it were mine ,I would Compound ,Buff with a good polish ,the top and back end of car. Then I would have a small amount of single stage Acrylic Enamel mixed ,as Redoldsman suggested , and then tape off the upper rear portion of the door (original paint) shoot just the lower half of the same rear door, and see if they don't match very close.That chrome will be between the new and old paint and I don't think you will even notice the difference.
If it's way off ,then you might consider painting the front White or Siiver ,or even black.
That chrome was the dividing line for the ones that were Two tone. And some came two tone with top and back one color, and front section another. If your gas door is the original paint ,then take it with you to match the new paint to. Larry

joe_padavano

You can still buy lacquer, but the largest package size is a quart. Most local paint stores don't sell it any more, but on-line vendors like TCP Global still do.

16Victor

Thanks for the replies so far.

Any buffing is pretty much out of the question due to the thinness of the existing paint. I can already see primer creeping through on top of the rear quarters and driver's fender.

What this is leading me is to consider a two-tone pattern but using the original paint color, per Rocketowner's suggestion, but in lacquer. Not sure how much paint that'd take. I've briefly checked TPC Global but have to verify they can mix to match original color, or more preferably to the existing color. I have no idea how to convey that information to them.

Sure wish I had a painter-friend who knew this stuff in the Cincinnati area...

Thanks all, keep the ideas coming...

rocketraider

http://www.cincyoldsclub.us/ and see if someone there can help you. They like Oldsmobiles...

Carshinebob

I agree with redoldsman. Try to find someone that will mix the original color in Acrylic Enamel. Then try to find a painter that knows how to spray it, since most painters today spray nothing but base-clear. There are still a few companies that will mix and sell lacquer. Problem is that there is a limited supply of old mixing colors left and these companies are charging huge (some colors in excess of $1600. per gal.) prices for it. Even getting a paint store to mix old acrylic enamel formulas is getting difficult as more and more toners are discontinued. Sorry if I didn't provide an easy answer. Good luck. ~BOB

Rocketowner

16Victor, looks like your original color may have been Granite Gray code 50. If the original paint is that thin ,sounds like you would be better off to try to get an overall paint job. There's a recently new Brand of paint products at a local paint store ,that I used to match a 12 year old repaint on a 1983 Mustang that I sold ,and it was reasonably priced, and came out very well. I will check it out and get the information to you.
I checked and it's called Wanda Refinish.You might check in your area and see if it's available.It's made by Akzo Noble Auto Paint Company. Hope this helps. Below is the car I painted the front end and blended in the doors on both sides. Larry

16Victor

Thanks all.

Carshinebob: No, you didn't give me an easy answer, but you (and the others) are giving me the right answers. This is what I needed to hear.

I am slowly and reluctantly coming to the realization that an all-over respray will be the way to go.

With the car came two excellent, stripped, passenger side doors. I might be best served by having them primed and hanging them, then saving and preparing for the repaint. I don't think I'll need to remove the windshield and back glass. I hope not, anyhow.

Unless someone has passenger side fenders and both doors for a plain-jane 88 in original Charcoal Poly (color code 52) paint sitting around with nothing better to do with them than give them to me...

I think it's a very workable car, other than the passenger side...

Rocketowner

Victor, if you are not going to paint it soon ,I would sand, tape ,and prime the whole car with Dark Gray Primer. Then that would be a great start for paint later, and hinder any spots from rusting ,in the near future. If you will clean all the chrome ,clean windows , the tires, and install some good hubcaps , it will not look bad until you can get it painted. It will look like a work in progress.

16Victor

First, thanks Carshinebob, rocketraider, joe_padavano, Rocketowner, and redoldsman.

All the input and ideas are valid. And yet I'm still unsure of my direction.

Basically, I have a survivor car that's got damage. I want, as much as I can, to retain it's survivor character. I'll live with imperfections on a 60 year old car. A few 'character' dings on the quarters and decklid are OK with me...maybe my past NCRS days are haunting me, but I have a little voice whispering "'preserve that original paint!"

The car is a bottom-of-the-line, lightly optioned four door after all. And that's OK by me. But it'll still be fun, and kinda cool. I've had other vintage cars and know how to keep and enjoy them. I'm not going to rod it or mod it (except maybe brake and seatbelts for safety). I'm not going to splash-and dash a paint job to sell it to some sucker.

The car has been cleaned a little since the above photo, and presents better from it's good side.

Pardon my stubbornness...but my heart is telling me to:
- Use original color lacquer (can get at TCP Global)
- epoxy prime, apply color on sides, and hang my "new" front door and fender
- repair my existing rear door, because its damage is manageable AND it's top half color is a perfect color match to the rear quarter that it meets
- check the color match by testing on the rear door. If acceptable, paint doors and fender and be done. If not acceptable, do a 'two tone' pattern as suggested, lightly sanding, sealing, and painting all four doors, both fenders, hood and cowl.

'Acceptable' is a relative term defined by me. I will know it when I see it...it's hard to quantify. The car will remain a driver and I want to drive it soon. A full respray may be affordable (based on space, time, and money) a few years down the road depending on the outcome of an in-process divorce, etc.

I know lacquer's not durable. I know it's old-school technology and inferior to modern systems, and not many folks spray it any more. But it's repairable (even maybe by me, not a paint-guy) and will 'match' the look (if not the color) of the existing paint. And I think I can blend it into the existing paint on the jambs, underhood areas, etc.

Somebody tell me that I'm right, wise, faithful to the car, on the right track, an all-around great guy, and they'll come by to guide me on prep then take the car and apply the paint for a reasonable fee.

Or not...as the case may be...

Thanks again.

PS:
I must have 20 good ones that came with the car...need any?