Re: Sanding Car ready for Paint

Posted by PackardV8 On 2010/12/31 15:47:18

THe lacquer (altho i prefer acrylic lacquer for durability) is by far and away the most beautiful for SHOW cars.

Down side of lacquer is that it requires near perfect metal finishing. ANY flaws in the metal or the primer will stick out like a sore thumb with laquer, especialy black.

UPside of laquer is that any 5 year old with reasonable motor skills can spray it with with a full show appearence results. It can be sprayed from literaly junk spraying equipment nearly equivelent of a hand pump live stock sprayer assuming a good dryer to eleminate moisture.

No skill required to spray it and it is very forgiving of any screw ups. Easy to fix. Blends well. I've sprayed it at 40 degrees F with show quality results.


Enamel is just the opposite. Enamel is very filling of any substreight imperfections with in reason. Downside is that enamel requires a LOT of practice. IT has to go on HEAVY almost to the point of running in order to get the high gloss. Very temperature and humidity and general weather condition sesitive.

Edit: i've not tried any poly Urethanes yet. In 40+ years i have not seen ANY paint job by any professional that can compare with lacquer. Unless he used lacquer.

As Owen indicates above, it all depends on $, time and what u want. Nothing wrong with a good enamel paint job, but lacquer beats them all.

Enamel is more of a commercial vehicle paint like trucks and tractors or engines and transmissions.
Laquer is for show work but very labour intensive for metal finishing.