Any Pro Auto Painter's Here ? Have Questions.

[427HISS]

I built a 427 Cobra back in 2000 and I painted the engine block the same color as the body.
I just built a new engine so I'm wanting to paint this as well.

Today, it looks like the trend is to paint the engine a contrasting color to the body.

I used to be a auto body man and painter, 25 years ago. I would need to update my air compressor with a dryer/filter. A friend will let me use his HVLP gun. I only have a single stall garage, but with the car inside, I don't have much room, so I may,....construct a diy paint booth out of a roll of 4mil. roll of plastic, 2x4's and a box fan in one window. It's very cold here in Nebrasks now, so I'll turn up my propane heater !

A second idea is to use aerosol cans. They've come a long ways, even House of Kolor has them in a handful of colors.

I will paint the injection throttle bodies the same color.

Being only painting the block, steel bellhousing and trans, maybe using aerosol would be better and cheaper ? Wish it was summer ! Lol

Please give me your thoughts.

Kevin

 

[Nivekdodge]

I would assume you have leftover or can buy what's on the car? And what is that? Because you can get paint put into spray cans again. The machine makes it less work but they are still expensive. But they aren't half bad.

 

[427HISS]

I painted the car in 2000, and what was left in no longer usable.

 

[Nor'Easter]

The block, adapter, and trans should all be cast housing pieces, right? Unless you are dealing with specialty billet parts.

Surface finish isn't going to change gun v. spray can, the cast surface will override that. Dealing with a gun is a total waste of time.

 

[patrickg20]

Since you are going to have to do so much extra work to be able to use a spray gun, I would use spray cans. SEM Factory Pack has a large selection of OEM colors that turn out very nice. The spray pattern comes out very nice for a spray can. Since you are spraying cast parts with very little flat/smooth surfaces, it shouldn't turn out much different than with a spray gun. I have used it for my own engine/transmission swap. It turned out really nice.

 

[gtsgarage]

I am picky and used Aervoe 560 Engine Enamel in Aerosol Can, Ford Blue. Has held up nicely and easy to touch up.

 

[isb cornbinder]

Spray cans, AKA rattle cans are a respectable paint product in 2018. You Tube has a videos on how to get the best results from a rattle can.
I used Canadian TREMCLAD to paint a set of BBS wheel centers Fire Red. I treated the surfaces to be painted with the same preparation and cleanliness as one would before painting a car.
I used a welding positioner and an adjustable jig to control the wheels while the paint was being applied. The results are spectacular. The car looks really good also.
BTW I put the wheels on my milling machine and opened the centre up .061" to fit the reproduction Ford hubcaps.

 

[427HISS]

Since you are going to have to do so much extra work to be able to use a spray gun, I would use spray cans. SEM Factory Pack has a large selection of OEM colors that turn out very nice. The spray pattern comes out very nice for a spray can. Since you are spraying cast parts with very little flat/smooth surfaces, it shouldn't turn out much different than with a spray gun. I have used it for my own engine/transmission swap. It turned out really nice.

Can you apply paint in two coats as with a paint gun ?
How well does that paint brand hold up to engine heat vs like VHT ?

I am picky and used Aervoe 560 Engine Enamel in Aerosol Can, Ford Blue. Has held up nicely and easy to touch up.

That's one I'm wanting, easy touch up.

Spray cans, AKA rattle cans are a respectable paint product in 2018. You Tube has a videos on how to get the best results from a rattle can.
I used Canadian TREMCLAD to paint a set of BBS wheel centers Fire Red. I treated the surfaces to be painted with the same preparation and cleanliness as one would before painting a car.
I used a welding positioner and an adjustable jig to control the wheels while the paint was being applied. The results are spectacular. The car looks really good also.
BTW I put the wheels on my milling machine and opened the centre up .061" to fit the reproduction Ford hubcaps.

Great job on the Hot Rod, wheels and, the painting. The car looks like a Mobster !
(any bullet holes) lol

Also, isn't buying primmers, top coat's enough for a big block, bell, trans and small 18" drive shaft going to take like, 100 rattle cans ? EEK in COST ! (man, my finger already hurtzzz)

 

[427HISS]

Isb, I don't see any dealers here in the USA ?

 

[isb cornbinder]

In the USA, Tremclad is known as RUSTOLEUM. Same company and same good product.
Both paints are available in Canada. A few words of caution: some of the paints from Tremclad and Rustoleum use different solvents and may not be compatible with with the other brand.
I use a hot air gun to warm the wheels before I applied paint. I kept the painted surface warm between coats for faster drying and a higher gloss.
To get proper coverage on these BBS wheels I turned the wheels in both directions and sprayed against the rotation. I would suggest painting the back of the wheels first.
I used a BEUGLER for paint striping www.beugler.com for the hubcaps and all of the stainless trim on the car. I bought a new
Beugler for this project. My original Beugler from the 1960s started to fail.
The best finish is all in the preparation.
I bought 6 rattle cans of fire red to do the wheels. I used two and one half cans on five wheels. I do not warm the paint, as some persons suggest. I think the warmed paint dries to quickly and is at a high risk of a dull finish.
The IHC LB engines in my avitar were painted with Tremclad fire red.

 

[like2wheel]

Spray cans, AKA rattle cans are a respectable paint product in 2018. You Tube has a videos on how to get the best results from a rattle can.
I used Canadian TREMCLAD to paint a set of BBS wheel centers Fire Red. I treated the surfaces to be painted with the same preparation and cleanliness as one would before painting a car.
I used a welding positioner and an adjustable jig to control the wheels while the paint was being applied. The results are spectacular. The car looks really good also.
BTW I put the wheels on my milling machine and opened the centre up .061" to fit the reproduction Ford hubcaps.

Not to be critical, but with that level of quality & that amount of preparation, I would have considered using a catalyzed urethane.
I'm sure your results look great, but nothing out of a spray can will match the durability of any catalyzed product. And if you do have a failure, that's a pretty complicated surface to have to strip.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I considered three part paint as an option and decided against it 100% The reason, for me, being the increased difficulty of refreshing road rash. This Tremclad paint can be removed with a gun-wash solvent and a repaint is the price of a $7 rattle can. Epoxy paints are much more expensive, labour intensive and do not respond to simple striping as well.
I would never use powder paint after the problems we had with it where I worked. The powder is a plastic dust that clings to the surface and is baked into a plastic cover. We had trouble with road rash compromising the plastic coating and getting under where it was trapped and corroded the base material through.
Just for a point of information, I did paint one of the wheels a mat black, because of peer pressure then decided this color was not what I wanted. I placed that wheel in a container with about 4 inches of gun wash in the bottom. I returned in 10 minutes and all of the paint had become loose and brushed off, easily. Aa light power washing and the wheel was ready for a repaint.
This wheel was repainted fire red within an hour.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I have done both, and both have been successful. For your engine, I would consider a contrasting paint in a popular engine color. You can spray it with HVLP and get a great finish, or use pro paint mixed for you in a can. I did this yesterday:







Built my own booth for under $100 with two fans.

I did this with spray cans:




And this with pro paint in a can:




And this with Rustoleum:





Mostly it is, as you well know, in the prep. Use proper engine paint and you can spray it any way you wish.

 

[bobcat]

FWIW , I have an ERA 427/SC I built about 10 years ago . Didn`t paint that engine as it was an all aluminum Ponds 482 and I like the look of bare aluminum. However , on my 63 1/2 Galaxie 427 , I went with Rustoleum semigloss BBQ black paint out of a spray can since that was the color the 427`s came with on the blocks from the factory . It is also good for hi temps . Didn`t do anything special for prep . Just degreased with lacquer thinner thoroughly ( several times ) used a tack rag ,masked off the mounting surfaces for remote oil adapters , fuel pump etc , mounted the engine on a rotating engine stand and then put a light mist first coat on . Let it dry for 15 minutes and then 3 more medium heavy coats with 15 minutes between coats and a final heavy coat . Let it dry for several days in the garage .That was 10 years ago and it still looks good .

 

[dbabicky]

I have done both, and both have been successful. For your engine, I would consider a contrasting paint in a popular engine color. You can spray it with HVLP and get a great finish, or use pro paint mixed for you in a can. I did this yesterday:







Built my own booth for under $100 with two fans.

I did this with spray cans:




And this with pro paint in a can:




And this with Rustoleum:





Mostly it is, as you well know, in the prep. Use proper engine paint and you can spray it any way you wish.

SWEET Yamaha !!!

 

[427HISS]

dbabicky, almost exactly what I plan on contructing, except I'll put the box fan in a near by window to **** the fumes outside. I'm really busy right now but will be back later.

Great job on the painting !

 

[JimVonBaden]

SWEET Yamaha !!!

Thanks, it was a fun project. I seem to do one every winter.

 

[patrickg20]

Can you apply paint in two coats as with a paint gun ?
How well does that paint brand hold up to engine heat vs like VHT ?

Yes. I put two or three coats on my engine block and transmission. It has been just over a year since I painted it, and it still looks like the day I painted it.

 

[CraigStu]

First, please stop quoting a post w/ 20 pictures. I don't need to scroll through them twice.
OP, check around for auto body/paint suppliers that can mix rattle cans. The couple I have used have been great and the paint itself I think is a very high quality. Also, although not that you want it for an engine, there are clears that are actually 2 part so they have a hardener. Only problem is they mix together just below the nozzle so you use it or lose it. As soon as the paint dries the thing is epoxied solid so any clear that isn't used is gone.