[stan's52]

I want to paint my 52 Plymouth a flat black. It's not going to be a restored car, just one to be a little different. Is this just flat black from a automotive paint store, or some special mix? I see this paint on some newer car fender trim. Any thoughts? Stan

[MecGen]

I am not a professional painter but I can parot what was told to me last year when I looked into it.

Flat black is a hard/expensive paint to make, so if you are looking for a decent job, you will have to pony up. Many companies offer different blends of Flat Black, but I desided to go with Southern polyurethane (SPI), but I havent tryed it yet.

Regards

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

[JeffB28]

It does not need to be expensive,this has been a favorite of traditional rodders for well over a decade plan on three coats total to keep the sheen. May not be available in California.

You Tube

You Tube

[John long]

I am also very fond of the SPI (southern Polyurathane Inc) Matte Black.

I have not done a whole car with it but certainly would if that was the look I was going for.

It is reasonably priced and shipped free also.

John

[cerial]

Paint the car a color then lay down Matte Black Vinyl in areas like on top of the hood or down the side.

Much easier to maintain and keep uniform.

You can blend in matte repairs for like stones and such but in general if you want something that sits outside or is on something you want to drive matte can be tricky. It does not take much to over spray in a area and have one spot shinier then the others. Really stands out with matte then something you can cut with a general paint.

Vinyl lays down easy and is perfect for years. Flat areas are easy for a novice. It is the curves and recesses that can cause issues. You get some stone chips or want to change the look you can easily do it with vinyl.

Give you that modern matte look without having to baby the paint.

[bigbodie]

I used a flat black on my 1935 Dodge Truck. I painted the frame and under everything else with a flat black from Tractor Supply for $ 25 per gallon already mix and ready to paint, just stir good. I painted the exterior with a flat black from John Deere at $ 45 a gallon, same thing ready to paint, just stir good and shoot. Both come in qts. and spray cans. The Tractor supply is so tough if you have to weld then to have to scrape it off, that's what they paint the tractors with. If you go to the auto-paint store get ready to pay $800 for one gallon with hardener and thinner. and you still have to mix it right. Good luck.

[belchfire]

Good luck with Tamco paints. But flat black? Are you building a solar collector?

[st3gamefarm]

Currently painting a Ford pickup flat black. I'm using the SPI, and Was well pleased with the way it turned out in the jambs. But when I painted the bed, (just now) It came out of the gun like glue, I hope it flows out, because it went on heavy, and peely. It's pretty thick in the can, and they recommend not using any reducer at all. They say to lay it on like you would clear, so I did, wet and shiny, Mabe it will lay down some before it dries completely.
I'll know more tomorrow when it's dry.

[John long]

Were you painting in a heated booth or shop?

John

[496CHEVY3100]

Interested in following this as I will be using some of this soon.

[st3gamefarm]

Not in a heated booth, but in my drafty shop. Had the heat going, and metal fairly warm.
Well, this morning, I went out and found it to be acceptable. It laid down some, and actually doesn't look bad at all. So, I went ahead and painted the cab today. It went just like the bed did, and I expect it to lay out some as it dries. I did the 4:1 mix, as I'm after more of a satin finish, as opposed to a zero gloss.
It may have gone on a bit smoother with the 6:1 or 8:1, but that would have been too flat for what I wanted.
It really surprised me that I painted the whole pickup, jambs and all, with less than a gallon. Of course it is black, and black covers pretty well. I gave it two full wet coats, and no more, as per the TDS, with precisely 30 min. flash between coats.
I plan to "test drive" a splash of reducer in it on a junk panel later, with what is left over, just to see what happens. But as it stands now, Following the TDS, it's working out ok.

[st3gamefarm]

Well, it's been a while since I painted that pickup. I saw it last weekend. It looks great! Apparently it takes a little time to reach full cure. But it's layed down nicely, and looks nice and smooth.