Gene,
I have been off at Hershey and could not comment on the thread a few days ago on lacquer paint, but fell compelled to do so now and figured the old thread was so far down the list that nobody would read it.
The question of lacquer paint is not as black and white as it would seem at first. There are many variables to take into account in deciding wether to use lacquer or not.
The first item that must be decided is the intended use of the car. If the car is being prepared for flight judging, then the scale would tip toward lacquer as being the paint of choice. If the car is going to be driven a lot then the urethane paint woud be a better choice.
If you are painting the car yourself or sending it out will also figure into the decision on whether to use lacquer or not. A top quality paint job from an expert Corvette painter will be about the same price for either paint, but the skill of the pinter will determine whether the urethane paint will pass for lacquer to most judges. If you are going to paint the car yourself, then I would submit that it will be very unlikely that you can create such a look on a urethane paint job with much success. This is quite an art, and takes much practice to do well. On the other hand, almost anyone can paint a car with lacquer in their own garage and put a finish on it that will please even the most demanding judge!
Much has been said about the quality of the current lacquer being produced today, but I believe that it is being greatly overstated. I have been spraying Lacquer for over 30 years, and cannot tell much difference in the way the paint applies or lasts. I did some touchup work on my 60 2 days before leaving for Hershey, and the repairs were rubbed out the following day and looked as perfect as the 4 year old paint.
I am not against urethane paint, and will be using it on my 59 driver that is underway. I do belive however that if Flight judging is in your future, and you want the maximum ammount of points possible, then Lacquer is the only resonable choice. If you are willing to risk 20-30 points to have better paint life after judging is over than maybe urethane is the better choice. It never ceases to amaze me however, when someone takes a large deduct for urethane paint, and is mad about it! Make an informed decision, and weigh the benefits versus the liabilities of each paint system.
Regards, John McGraw
I have been off at Hershey and could not comment on the thread a few days ago on lacquer paint, but fell compelled to do so now and figured the old thread was so far down the list that nobody would read it.
The question of lacquer paint is not as black and white as it would seem at first. There are many variables to take into account in deciding wether to use lacquer or not.
The first item that must be decided is the intended use of the car. If the car is being prepared for flight judging, then the scale would tip toward lacquer as being the paint of choice. If the car is going to be driven a lot then the urethane paint woud be a better choice.
If you are painting the car yourself or sending it out will also figure into the decision on whether to use lacquer or not. A top quality paint job from an expert Corvette painter will be about the same price for either paint, but the skill of the pinter will determine whether the urethane paint will pass for lacquer to most judges. If you are going to paint the car yourself, then I would submit that it will be very unlikely that you can create such a look on a urethane paint job with much success. This is quite an art, and takes much practice to do well. On the other hand, almost anyone can paint a car with lacquer in their own garage and put a finish on it that will please even the most demanding judge!
Much has been said about the quality of the current lacquer being produced today, but I believe that it is being greatly overstated. I have been spraying Lacquer for over 30 years, and cannot tell much difference in the way the paint applies or lasts. I did some touchup work on my 60 2 days before leaving for Hershey, and the repairs were rubbed out the following day and looked as perfect as the 4 year old paint.
I am not against urethane paint, and will be using it on my 59 driver that is underway. I do belive however that if Flight judging is in your future, and you want the maximum ammount of points possible, then Lacquer is the only resonable choice. If you are willing to risk 20-30 points to have better paint life after judging is over than maybe urethane is the better choice. It never ceases to amaze me however, when someone takes a large deduct for urethane paint, and is mad about it! Make an informed decision, and weigh the benefits versus the liabilities of each paint system.
Regards, John McGraw
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