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View Full Version : Question on paint coverage and volume

Blue70
02-18-2010, 08:10 AM
Ok, this might sound dumb, but I am thinking of repainting my Road Runner
and am trying to price it all out, but I am unsure about the coverage as
I have never done a whole car before, only hoods.

So I guess for you painters the question is
How much paint do you think it would take to cover a 74 Road Runner?
its a BIG car, you dont realize it till you see it next to a friends 68 Charger
and it makes IT look small, and its as long as my new quad cab HEMI ram..
I want to be sure that I order a safe amount so that I dont run out mid paint!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/entrefal/RoadRunner/ChargNRun.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/entrefal/RoadRunner/RRSM.jpg
PRRC
02-18-2010, 08:44 AM
It depends on several things. Mopars had the engine compartment, trunk, underside of hood and deck lid painted body color. Also what are you painting over? primer/sealer? the paint that is on the car? changing colors?
Color will also come into play. some colors cover better than others.
Tim
Blue70
02-18-2010, 09:17 AM
It depends on several things. Mopars had the engine compartment, trunk, underside of hood and deck lid painted body color. Also what are you painting over? primer/sealer? the paint that is on the car? changing colors?
Color will also come into play. some colors cover better than others.
Tim

Sorry Tim,
The Engine bay is Black now, so it can stay that way, the whole car will be redone and in primer, and it will be Orange again. as far as underside of hood and deck lid I can go either way.
Thank you :thumbsup:
GPR
02-18-2010, 07:49 PM
I would buy 2 gals.
elitecustombody
02-18-2010, 09:00 PM
if you use tinted sealer close to the actual basecoat color, 1 gal is more than plenty,but if you're shooting over gray primer ,2 gallons should do the job, as long as you don't buy some watered down paint
MWCC
02-19-2010, 05:22 AM
I'm with Stefan in that you should tint your sealer. Also what is very important is what type of paint you'll be spraying and the mix ratio. If you go with a base/clear and your base is a 1:1 mix (1 part base to 1 part reducer), with one gallon of base color you'll end up with 2 gallons of sprayable material. If your going with single stage at lets say a 4:1 mix then one gallon could be tight unless you tint your sealer. A good rule of thumb is you'll use about 5-7oz of paint per panel per coat on average (depending on color and paint manufacturer) so that should give you an idea of how much you'll need.

Also be sure to use a good quality paint. Cheap paints are cheap for a reason!
The WidowMaker
02-19-2010, 10:21 PM
so for the guys that said one gallon, is that one sprayable gallon, or one gallon of unmixed base?

Tim
elitecustombody
02-19-2010, 11:44 PM
when any painter says a gallon, that means a gallon of unmixed base, you don't buy premixed basecoat, unless it's watered down junk
Blue70
02-20-2010, 07:13 AM
The paint I am looking at mixes at a 4.1.1 ratio

so one gal is 1.5 of sprayable..
So sounds like I should get 2 gal of color.
I would rather have 3 Qts left over than be 1 Qt shy, lol

Thanks for the help guys. :thumbsup:
MWCC
02-20-2010, 08:37 AM
when any painter says a gallon, that means a gallon of unmixed base, you don't buy premixed basecoat, unless it's watered down junk

X2 Stefan :thumbsup:

Since you're going with a 4:1:1 system, get 2 gallons and put what's left on the shelf. Just be sure to put the unused paint in the smallest cans possible to prolong the shelf life and make sure there is no activator in what's leftover. Once you mix it, you have to use it.
PRRC
02-20-2010, 04:16 PM
Sorry havent been on in a while. Looks like you got a good answer tho. Good luck on the new paint job. Always loved the Mopars.
TimSorry Tim,
The Engine bay is Black now, so it can stay that way, the whole car will be redone and in primer, and it will be Orange again. as far as underside of hood and deck lid I can go either way.
Thank you :thumbsup: