Does anyone have any advice about mixing products from different manufacturers? If I am out of PPG slow hardener, any harm in using High Teck? Assuming they are the same mix ratios? I realize the isocyanate ratio needs to be correct for it to cure properly and mixing brands may leave some unbound. But does this cause a problem in the real world or just on the chemistry white board. What about using a wet bed from House of Kolor and PPG Omni basecoat?

The next step after priming is to restore the interior soundproofing elements, and then to perform the factory interior coloring. The car originally received an interior paint that matched the exterior color of the body, which was restored. It is important to note that the paint did not originally receive a top coat. So painting with a base color would have been the right step. PPG offers a solution for this by strengthening the base color with a maximum of 10% hardener if necessary. However, for me, this protection I thought was not enough, so I chose an unconventional solution that has not been documented anywhere before. PPG's Deltron 880 MS topcoat is normally mixed in a 4:2:1 ratio. It uses the same hardener and thinner as Deltron BC (basecoat). The mixing ratio of the base is 1:1. However, during the topcoat mixing, it can be changed with different additives, for example, with a matting additive. In extreme cases, up to 50% additive can be mixed. I thought that if I mixed the basecoat material instead of the matting or elasticizing additive (which is based on the same chemistry), I would get a mixture that had the right color and coverage, but also retained the protective ability of the topcoat. Accordingly, I mixed the mixture of 3 parts varnish, 4 parts base, 1 part hardener, 1 part thinner and sprayed it with an Auarita 989-2 LVLP gun. I set the pressure and other parameters according to the viscosity of the topcoat. The coverage was good, the final result can be seen in the pictures below. Unfortunately, there was one place that flowed, but on such a large surface, I don't feel that only one single mistake is catastrophic.

Let's move a little higher. Trunk and interior surfaces. The original condition before the bodywork was full of dirt and contamined that had accumulated over the years. So first a thorough cleaning with a vacuum cleaner and then the dirt was removed with a cloth soaked in nitro thinner. After the car was returned, repeated cleaning with degreasing chemicals was a must. After cleaning, the epoxy primer was applied to all points. I used the same primer as below (and on all points of the car). The gun was also the same. The result can be seen in the few pictures below. After the first layer of primer, seam sealing was done and only after that a second layer was applied, so the entire interior got a uniform color and a continuous surface.

Not directly part of the chassis but also underneath it is the shifter bracket. I'll continue with this. The original condition was dirty everywhere and most places were contaminated with grease. So the first step was a high-pressure wash. The next step after disassembling the parts was a complete wash with a degreasing chemical. Then a third wash with isopropyl alcohol. After the part was clean, I worked on the rust a little. I removed the rust on these spots with a sandblaster. After the rust removal, I roughened the remaining and still adhering paint with a 120 grit Mirka Autonet mesh (I know, Aaaron doesn't like it but I do), and where I couldn't get in, I rubbed it with a brown Scotch sponge. Then of course, another generous cleaning with lot of IPA. I chose Valspar industrial 2K single-coat polyurethane paint in black (RAL 9005) color. I sprayed it with an Auarita W-400 gun with a 1.4 cap at 3 bar pressure. I applied two full layers with a 10-minute break. Pay special attention to the edges and the places where the panels were joined so that it gets everywhere. The result is a rust-resistant coating that can be safely installed on the bottom of the car where the most water gets in. I followed the same process for the front and rear axle frames, I won't go into detail too, just add two pictures from result. I think it's important to note that painting cars doesn't just consist of painting the body, and painting other elements requires different materials to achieve the right result.

Painted this car with a single-stage metallic (Tikkurila Temadur 90) yesterday for a friend of mine. This was my biggest undertaking so far. I've learned that single-stage metallics are extremely tricky. I practiced on one fender, four doors, and two hoods (some of them more than once) to get the gun settings right for my WS-400 1.3HD. Despite all that, the first panel I sprayed at my friend's garage immediately started showing tiger striping. If you spray too wet, the flakes start swimming and you end up with tiger stripes or blotchiness. I was constantly struggling to find the happy medium between acceptable orange peel and good flake control. This paint definitely needed a control coat, and that's what fixed the sunroof, too. There were some dust issues in his space, but he's very happy with the result. No runs, no tiger stripes, and the orange peel is relatively uniform. His own attempt at painting the car hadn't gone well, and taking it to a professional shop wasn't within his budget. He also wasn't willing to switch to a basecoat/clearcoat system. Personally, I don't think I ever want to touch single-stage metallic paint again. I lived under constant stress for a couple of months planning this spray, and I'm so happy it's done! 😆