painting my car - color choice

[AngelOfPassion]

The red doesn't look bad at all. The way you were talking about it made it sound horrible

However the bumper got effed

 

[H@xtGSX]

No offense intended.

I actually liked the factory red, but my car was sun fade pink when I got it. It really is a good color for these cars. There is just a lot of red Eclipses. It still looks good, it just doesnt break out of the mold like a pearl black. Black would be the other color that is just sexy as hell on a 2g. You have to accept the silver and blues in the flake though, in order to make a "pearl" black. That is why they look gray in direct light. The color his car (and mine) is looks absolutely sick in a daytime shadow.

 

[MikeSD]

I think the red engine bay looks better in the picture than in person but since I cannot paint the engine bay without a lot more work than I want to do I am going to work on a red grey theme. So I will do the vc red and maybe a radiator hose or two, nothing tacky.

I still have not taken it back to be repainted but I did get the windows tinted today. Looks much better I think.

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IMG_9200 by Mike Murad, on Flickr

 

[jtmcinder]

Paint? What's paint?

- Leon

 

[H@xtGSX]

That is what I am talking about.... Mike, that is a damn fine looking ride.

You will not see lines and highlights like that on a plain black base. That looks absolutely gorgeous.

 

[MikeSD]

That is what I am talking about.... Mike, that is a damn fine looking ride.

You will not see lines and highlights like that on a plain black base. That looks absolutely gorgeous.

thanks, I am pretty stoked on it. Hopefully the next paint job is better than the last one. I am going to strip the car down myself at the paint shop so that should help. Going to have the antenna hole filled in as well this time.
Also now that I know I can color sand I am going to have them do one extra layer of clear.

After the paint job is done, then I just need to redue the head liner and contemplating a light coating of niteshade on rear lights and side markers.

 

[H@xtGSX]

Learning how to paint a car is an art, and it isn't easy. Urethane paint is one of the most unforgiving mediums one could choose. The more you learn, the better the next one turns out. Once you understand the how and why's of car paint, it will bring on a new found respect for those professionals who can lay down show car paint in a couple days. That is seriously hard to do.

Your wet sand looks slick from that photo. Now that you've done it and seen the difference, you'll be doing it to all your cars... I did. It looks so nice, why wouldn't you?

 

[MikeSD]

well I hope the guy that painted my car the first time has learned more for this time and gets it right.

 

[islideawd]

Nice colour choice man. the reason your clear "cracked" is that paint is way too thick and by the orange peel it was sprayed at too low of a pressure. but if the pressure was right the paint was not mixed with a slow enough reducer. Single stage goes on almost twice as thick as a base clear.

and for $1400? thats what it cost in the states for a ss paint job our shop would charge 3000+ just for a colour change no body filler and masking everything off in (in canada tho) to completey pull the car apart and fill and paint would be 10k +

also we could not get away not sealing the metal before body filler all of those filled spots would start to bubble here in a year from moisture.

 

[MikeSD]

It was a good price for sure, but based on the results not so much. We are in San Diego so for certain trades we get good prices.

If they fix it correctly I will give the name of the shop for the San Diego guys. If they do not I will also give out the name of the shop, but just to avoid them.

He did give me a 6 year warranty so hopefully it does not bubble but if it does they will do it again.

 

[islideawd]

nice! good they gave you warranty. a crazy one at that, here its only 90 days at least (by law) and limited lifetime wich is the average car life time( 4-5 years).

just realized your in cali and im suprised they can even get Single stage for you i thought they banned it there well what i learned back in school. since the VOC count is too high they only allow water bourne base and urethane clear $$

 

[MikeSD]

went back to the paint shop today to talk about the next step. The paint never really fully hardened. Today I was able to dig my nail in to the paint and cut down to the old red paint. Not cool.

He agreed it will get a full sand down and start over.

So I have an opportunity to rethink my color choice. Which is torture. I like this color and want to stay in the darker greys but wondering if I want something just a little lighter than this color. Kind of beating a dead horse here as I know my options.

What are peoples opinions on filling the fog light holes? He will glass them in smooth for me if I want. I thought it might look clean and simple.

 

[ViciousLord]

maybe try a variant of the Evolution Graphite Gray, maybe add a little pearl or metallic... I will eventually be painting my car too and I'm torn between the factory Cayenne Red Pearl or a custom dark gray pearlish... I dont know i'm lost now, LoL.

 

[MikeSD]

I definitely want a factory color with a code just in case it ever needs touch up or I have an accident.

The good thing with this color is it is kind of rare. I talked to the painter about using a different brand of base color and clear this time and it may come out slightly lighter and with a little less metallic flake.

what about filling the fog holes?

 

[MikeSD]

well the gsx is red again. Back to original factory color, and this time the clear coat did not fail.

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1995 Eclipse GSX by Mike Murad, on Flickr

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1995 Eclipse GSX by Mike Murad, on Flickr

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1995 Eclipse GSX by Mike Murad, on Flickr

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1995 Eclipse GSX by Mike Murad, on Flickr

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1995 Eclipse GSX by Mike Murad, on Flickr

 

[dsmcrzy]

Looks good but I liked the gray alot better.

 

[MikeSD]

Looks good but I liked the gray alot better.

I agree based on pictures, but when you saw it in person you could tell it was a color change repaint without being stripped down. Little bits of red around trim plus the engine bay etc.

If I could afford to fully strip it down and do the color change properly I would have, but I could not. This looks better for what I could afford.

 

[mustard95tsi]

I did love the gray but I agree with you saying for what you could afford factory color was the way to go.

It looks great though

 

[gofer]

Definitely like the red better Mike. Damn that Saronno Red looks GREAT when it isn't 16yrs old, makes me want to put a fresh coat on my DSM now.

 

[AngelOfPassion]

Definitely like the red better Mike. Damn that Saronno Red looks GREAT when it isn't 16yrs old, makes me want to put a fresh coat on my DSM now.

I agree! I really want to get a fresh coat of the factory red now...