I painted my '65 Valiant 100 a 2 tone

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70DartMike

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I thought I'd give my '65 Valiant a new look, the 30 year old worn out satin black paint job wasn't doing it for me anymore.

I sprayed it in the shop, and although I'm definitely no painter, I'm happy with how it turned out. If you get up close, it's a lot of orange peel, full of dust and dog hair, LOL. But that's alright, it gives this car some new motivation. A couple years ago I replaced the 170 slant (was running on 3 cylinders) and 3 on the tree, with a '69 318 and 4 speed (with a set of those rare Spitfire headers). Just need to redo the upholstery on the bench seat and it'll be good to go.
The last pic is how it was.

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Looks like it may have originally been Medium Blue Poly. It would be the twin to my first '65. 170, 3 on-the-tree, and a sedan.
Lookin' good. :thumbsup:
 
Looks like it may have originally been Medium Blue Poly. It would be the twin to my first '65. 170, 3 on-the-tree, and a sedan.
Lookin' good. :thumbsup:

Yes I think it was! The fender tag is pretty empty, it was probably one of the cheapest cars built in '65.
170 slant 6, 3 on the tree, 9" manual drums, manual steering, radio delete, no rear arm rests, no trim (Valiant 100). No frills.
 
Yes I think it was! The fender tag is pretty empty, it was probably one of the cheapest cars built in '65.
170 slant 6, 3 on the tree, 9" manual drums, manual steering, radio delete, no rear arm rests, no trim (Valiant 100). No frills.

Guess mine was a little fancier than yours. It did have an AM radio. :D
 
buddy shot his hood with a spray gun and a Sears 20G air compressor with old surplus Hawaiian Air aircraft paint (the orange/red color) in his garage. Looked like an avacado when it dried so he spent about 10 hours sanding and buffing the big flat hood. Looked like glass after that. single stage no metallic....
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Wet sand the orange peel dust and hair out of it. Then buff it..
If wet sanding isnt advised maybe it will just buff out. Or...can you shoot clear over the top of that and then wet sand and buff? Only if you cant live with it.

I like the two tone!
 
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I can see the orange peel from here!
Never spray a single stage metallic unless you are a highly skilled painter and have a clean environment. I had a CHEAP buddy insist on buying single stage paint despite my warnings and he is in the exact same situation. Orange peel, small hairs, dirt and other crud in the paint that could have been removed from a non metallic or a clear coat.
Every paint job that I have done has been followed up with color sanding/cut and buff work. Buffing will not remove orange peel.
Metallic particles in the paint land at all different angles. Think of them like tiny ceramic tiles. Some lay at an angle, some flat and some on edge. When you try to sand down the orange peel, some of the metallic particles get cut and opened up. When you buff the car to bring up the shine, those disturbed metallic flakes smear and dull the finish. If it were a base coat that went on well and then a clear coat that had some flaws, you'd be okay. Too late for that now though.
In most cases, NO paint supplier would suggest spraying clear over a single stage paint. The paint companies instead tell them to use a clear coat over a BASE coat exclusively. You could scuff and spray 2 thin coats of the same color in base coat, then follow up with 3-4 coats of clear. If this was a single stage in a non metallic, you could easily sand and buff that with no problems.
Bottom line though: If YOU are happy with the results as they are, that should be the most important thing. I cut and buff every car because where I am, airborne dust is hard to eliminate. I need a forgiving surface that allows for correction after the paint dries.

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I can see the orange peel from here!
Never spray a single stage metallic unless you are a highly skilled painter and have a clean environment. I had a CHEAP buddy insist on buying single stage paint despite my warnings and he is in the exact same situation. Orange peel, small hairs, dirt and other crud in the paint that could have been removed from a non metallic or a clear coat.
Every paint job that I have done has been followed up with color sanding/cut and buff work. Buffing will not remove orange peel.
Metallic particles in the paint land at all different angles. Think of them like tiny ceramic tiles. Some lay at an angle, some flat and some on edge. When you try to sand down the orange peel, some of the metallic particles get cut and opened up. When you buff the car to bring up the shine, those disturbed metallic flakes smear and dull the finish. If it were a base coat that went on well and then a clear coat that had some flaws, you'd be okay. Too late for that now though.
In most cases, NO paint supplier would suggest spraying clear over a single stage paint. The paint companies instead tell them to use a clear coat over a BASE coat exclusively. You could scuff and spray 2 thin coats of the same color in base coat, then follow up with 3-4 coats of clear. If this was a single stage in a non metallic, you could easily sand and buff that with no problems.
Bottom line though: If YOU are happy with the results as they are, that should be the most important thing. I cut and buff every car because where I am, airborne dust is hard to eliminate. I need a forgiving surface that allows for correction after the paint dries.

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Good info, good tips. However, I don't believe I should have to pay someone else to do all my work. There's only one way to learn, and that's to do it yourself. I'm very happy with it, I'm not concerned about the orange peel or dust. I wanted a colour change, and I didn't want to hand over 5 grand (or more) to have someone else do it. If I had charged someone else to do this work, that would be a different story. But the enjoyment in this hobby is doing things myself.
 
I disagree, the paint co. will tell you that you can clear the single stage, BUT like yo said, base is a lot easier for the amateur to lay down well than the single stage, IF metallic especially. And the base is only a few $ more cost than the single. JMHO
 
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