Rolling Tremclad Paint
Spray guns are costly - this isn’t
Deciding to paint your ride is full of difficult decisions and can be very costly. If you’ve already read the sanding article, you know Turbo Camaro was taken to bare metal. This guide follows the exact steps used to prime and paint this car.
Once you have bare metal, clean it thoroughly with denatured alcohol (DA). If you feel any bumps or flakes of missed paint, sand them now; you’ll see them a mile away under the primer. Use a tack cloth right before every layer to ensure no lint or dust ruins the finish.
Tremclad gloss black Rust Paint
Use a 4” high-density foam roller to apply your primer. Turbo Camaro was primed with Tremclad grey Rust Paint Primer (unthinned). Apply at least two coats for a solid base. After the primer dries, sand with 100-grit and then 150-grit to fill scratches.
The Big Decision: DIY or Shop?
All in, Turbo Camaro’s primer and paint cost less than $200, but it took almost a year of weekends and holidays to complete. Shop quotes averaged $3,000–$5,000. If you have the patience, continue on. You’ll need a gallon of Tremclad and, without exception, a can of Penetrol. This additive allows the paint to flow and smooth out, cutting your sanding time in half.
Freshly sanded coats 3-4 - primer still visible
The Mixing Secret
Turbo Camaro was painted with a mix of 60% paint, 30% Penetrol, and 10% Mineral Spirits. The consistency should be similar to 1% milk. It will seem runnier than necessary, but this allows the micro-bubbles to pop and the paint to level out. Start at the roof and work your way down like a waterfall to manage drips.
Wait at least 12 hours between coats. Apply them thin. Thicker is not faster; thicker just means you’ll be on your knees sanding for eternity. After every even-numbered coat, wet-sand using the following progression:
- Coats 2: 400 grit
- Coats 4: 600 grit
- Coats 6: 800 grit
- Coats 8: 1000 grit
- Coats 10+: 1500 to 2000 grit
Coat 11-12 freshly applied
Turbo Camaro received 14 coats total. This high number was due to some bodywork corrections needed at coat four, but it resulted in a incredibly deep finish.
Curing and Maintenance
Give your new paint 2-3 weeks to “gas out” before driving in weather or waxing. This period is critical to allow the solvents to escape. After a month, a final cut and polish will make the effort shine.
Does it last? Turbo Camaro was painted in 2013, and as of 2018, the paint is still deep black and holding strong. Not bad for a $200 hardware store investment.