TCP paints

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by ronn

I like reasoned civil discussions regarding issues like this. I concede your point about collision work. But I have not been convinced by any specific hard information that any brand of paint is worth over $500 a gallon, nor that it is needed for our model A's. For reasonably priced paint you stated, "after a year...there are two distinct characteristics, -the pigments are always cloudy, and the sheen has always died down". But why? Are they more susceptible to UV light, oxidation, or air pollution? I do believe that even the most economical paint of today has to be better at retaining color & shine than the nitrocellulose lacquer originally used on model A's. Almost all period photos of model A's shows an almost flat finish!

great discussion and ultimately, depends what your end goal is.

It can easily be argued that the antique and classic cars today are "greatly" over restored. Paint possibly being the biggest demon in the haystack.
as pger already mentioned, none of Henry's cars had the quality of paint finish
that is coming out today from top rate shops. On the other hand, fully understand Brent's point when he does a customers cars. Time is money.

Final point, I've mentioned before, fine point cars aren't for everyone!

Just a couple of final points here from me; less than 10% of the cars we restore are fine-point level restorations. Also remember that my job is to turn a customer's wishes into a reality. So I agree, fine-point is indeed not for most people.

Second, we still spray vehicles in lacquer if the customer requests that. As mentioned above, upkeep & maintenance on paint is why most hobbyists have chosen urethane paints. For those who truly want the look & experience of what the paint was originally should paint their car in lacquer.

Third, I guess comparing & discussing paint here is much akin to comparing & discussing engine oil. Some want the best available synthetic to achieve the best protection in their Model-A. Others will argue that today's cheap $.99 a quart oil is likely better than what was available back then, and they cannot tell any difference in performance or protection between using the cheap oil vs. the synthetic oil other than the price. At that point, all I can do is agree with them.