The Ford Barn - View Single Post

mrtexas · 10-17-2015, 09:07 AM

Being the novice car painter I am I didn't order enough paint for the 3 cars I either painted or had painted. Next time I will order at least 2 gallons of paint or 2x what I think I could possibly need. I bought my paint from TCP Global because they supposedly have their own custom color matches for Ford paint. Their restoration shop line of paint is also 25% of the cost of PPG concepts. I have also talked with their paint expert "Johny paint chip" in the past and was pleased with his knowledge.

Car #1 was my 29 roadster. I ordered PPG concepts rose beige circa 2006 from TCP. Thru inexperience I didn't put 4 coats of paint needed to cover the primer. I had to reshoot one panel and then the color didn't match. I sent in a panel for them to match in 2015 and ordered up a quart of Restoration shop single stage urethane. I re-shot a couple panels. It was a good match but not perfect. The slight difference would only be noticed if I pointed it out to someone. I'm very happy with the result.

Car #2 was my 36 woodie. I ordered a gallon of bambalino blue restoration shop paint and the painter ran out. I ordered another gallon a few months later and the match was perfect.

Car #3 was my 28 roadster pickup. I ordered a gallon of paint of rock moss green. I discovered the passenger door was rusted out and I did a terrible job trying to put in a patch panel. My painter shot the car and then I learned the door I repaired didn't fit. I didn't check fit before the car was painted. So I bought a repro door but the gallon was used up. I ordered a quart. It didn't match and was way off. Rock moss green is dark blue green. The quart was dark green. So I sent off a windshield stantion to get color matched. I paint TCP $60 for matching. I shot the door and the match was off by a mile, again dark green instead of dark blue green. I then cut out a square of the original door I botched the match on thinking well the stantion may have been slightly off color. I bought another quart and paid another $60. The result was the same, another quart of dark green paint. So I ordered a gallon of their unmatched paint thinking well the match was off because of a quart vs a gallon. Wrong again. I contacted TCP with the story and sent them a photo of the bad match and said I thought they owed me a quart of paint that matched. They said blend the paint. IMHO the match was so bad blending wouldn't work. They said they would match again(for the third time) for at my expense. At this point I gave up on them on them. I asked my painter to have his usual supplier do a match of Dupont paint to the complete old door. I just got word that my painter sprayed it out and the local supplier nailed it. I'll see as I get the paint Monday.

Car #4 was a 63 Corvette. I let the painter buy the paint. When it was done I got a quart of paint for touch up. Turns out I needed the quart. A local repair shop scratched up my flawless and expensive paint job when they installed a new 5 speed transmission for me. I was speechless. I touched up the scratches with basecoat but still haven't sprayed the clear.

Car #5 was a 49 woodie hot rod. Car came painted and a quart for repairs. I'll buy a quart of activator and do a couple touch ups. Car was supposedly "finished" but had a small problem with steering I thought I could fix easily. The problem turned out to be major and I spent 6 months fixing it. It didn't cost a lot to fix but a lot of time. This is the car that convinced me I don't want another project.

Lessons learned
TCP has terrible customer service and their paint matching is hit or miss

Buy 2x of paint you need so you don't run out.

Be sure all your body parts fit before you paint them.

Next time(and I hope there isn't a next time as I don't intend to restore another car) I may order a quart of TCPGlobal paint, have a local supplier match it, and then get my gallon from the local guy.

I won't buy another car that needs work. I enjoy driving them more than working on them!

Get a second opinion before buying an antique car.

I'm looking at a fresh restoration of a 55 Corvette as my next purchase. Car is not available from the Canadian snowbird until April as he is snowbirding in the States until then. This will also give me time to sell 2 more cars before purchasing another. He might also be interested in a trade. Pay more and get one finished!

Finish the car you have before buying another one. Owning 5 cars at once overwhelmed me with repairs as I learned any antique car is a work in progress even if it is "finished"! I've had as many as 4 out of 5 cars out of service at one time. I have 3 out of commission now.

2 antique cars owned at one time might be better for me.

It has been a long lesson for me to decide what I want in an antique car. I've decided I really want one that doesn't need work. Let someone else do the work and then I can enjoy it.

Well I will write the manager of TCPGlobal and report my experience with their color matching. I'll also give them a sample of their 2 matches and what the local supplier did as evidence. Nothing will probably come of it but he may not know what is going on with customer service.

10-17-2015, 09:07 AM	#1
mrtexas Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sugar Land, TX Posts: 4,395	musings Being the novice car painter I am I didn't order enough paint for the 3 cars I either painted or had painted. Next time I will order at least 2 gallons of paint or 2x what I think I could possibly need. I bought my paint from TCP Global because they supposedly have their own custom color matches for Ford paint. Their restoration shop line of paint is also 25% of the cost of PPG concepts. I have also talked with their paint expert "Johny paint chip" in the past and was pleased with his knowledge. Car #1 was my 29 roadster. I ordered PPG concepts rose beige circa 2006 from TCP. Thru inexperience I didn't put 4 coats of paint needed to cover the primer. I had to reshoot one panel and then the color didn't match. I sent in a panel for them to match in 2015 and ordered up a quart of Restoration shop single stage urethane. I re-shot a couple panels. It was a good match but not perfect. The slight difference would only be noticed if I pointed it out to someone. I'm very happy with the result. Car #2 was my 36 woodie. I ordered a gallon of bambalino blue restoration shop paint and the painter ran out. I ordered another gallon a few months later and the match was perfect. Car #3 was my 28 roadster pickup. I ordered a gallon of paint of rock moss green. I discovered the passenger door was rusted out and I did a terrible job trying to put in a patch panel. My painter shot the car and then I learned the door I repaired didn't fit. I didn't check fit before the car was painted. So I bought a repro door but the gallon was used up. I ordered a quart. It didn't match and was way off. Rock moss green is dark blue green. The quart was dark green. So I sent off a windshield stantion to get color matched. I paint TCP $60 for matching. I shot the door and the match was off by a mile, again dark green instead of dark blue green. I then cut out a square of the original door I botched the match on thinking well the stantion may have been slightly off color. I bought another quart and paid another $60. The result was the same, another quart of dark green paint. So I ordered a gallon of their unmatched paint thinking well the match was off because of a quart vs a gallon. Wrong again. I contacted TCP with the story and sent them a photo of the bad match and said I thought they owed me a quart of paint that matched. They said blend the paint. IMHO the match was so bad blending wouldn't work. They said they would match again(for the third time) for at my expense. At this point I gave up on them on them. I asked my painter to have his usual supplier do a match of Dupont paint to the complete old door. I just got word that my painter sprayed it out and the local supplier nailed it. I'll see as I get the paint Monday. Car #4 was a 63 Corvette. I let the painter buy the paint. When it was done I got a quart of paint for touch up. Turns out I needed the quart. A local repair shop scratched up my flawless and expensive paint job when they installed a new 5 speed transmission for me. I was speechless. I touched up the scratches with basecoat but still haven't sprayed the clear. Car #5 was a 49 woodie hot rod. Car came painted and a quart for repairs. I'll buy a quart of activator and do a couple touch ups. Car was supposedly "finished" but had a small problem with steering I thought I could fix easily. The problem turned out to be major and I spent 6 months fixing it. It didn't cost a lot to fix but a lot of time. This is the car that convinced me I don't want another project. Lessons learned TCP has terrible customer service and their paint matching is hit or miss Buy 2x of paint you need so you don't run out. Be sure all your body parts fit before you paint them. Next time(and I hope there isn't a next time as I don't intend to restore another car) I may order a quart of TCPGlobal paint, have a local supplier match it, and then get my gallon from the local guy. I won't buy another car that needs work. I enjoy driving them more than working on them! Get a second opinion before buying an antique car. I'm looking at a fresh restoration of a 55 Corvette as my next purchase. Car is not available from the Canadian snowbird until April as he is snowbirding in the States until then. This will also give me time to sell 2 more cars before purchasing another. He might also be interested in a trade. Pay more and get one finished! Finish the car you have before buying another one. Owning 5 cars at once overwhelmed me with repairs as I learned any antique car is a work in progress even if it is "finished"! I've had as many as 4 out of 5 cars out of service at one time. I have 3 out of commission now. 2 antique cars owned at one time might be better for me. It has been a long lesson for me to decide what I want in an antique car. I've decided I really want one that doesn't need work. Let someone else do the work and then I can enjoy it. Well I will write the manager of TCPGlobal and report my experience with their color matching. I'll also give them a sample of their 2 matches and what the local supplier did as evidence. Nothing will probably come of it but he may not know what is going on with customer service.