Matching Paint Colors

[Don Z.]

I am starting to detail my engine conpartment of my '66. In reading various articles they refer to a zinc color, natural color etc. I have heard of cast blast paint. I have on hand Eastwoods Detail gray which is a lighter gray and I have Estwoods Spray gray which is a darkergray. Examples are my steering box
( with no paint is surface rusting) Idler arm, various brackets, bolt heads etc. Exactly what should be used to get the look of zinc or natural.I am new at this so any info will be gratefully accepted. Thank You

[Jack H.]

Re: Matching Paint Colors

In factory concous circles, 'natural' means natural! Minor surface rust is overlooked. There is no substitute coating I know of that savvy judges can't detect. If a natural surface is detected to be coated in some way, expect to lose 20% of the originality points associated with that part.

Soooo, you're between a rock and a hard place. If you want to coat those natural surfaces, there are a number of paints and slurries available. But, understand, you're simply preseving the 'appearance' of the part for your benefit--under judging scrutiny you'll lose points. Bottom line, it's rust or points!

[Ray C.]

Re: Matching Paint Colors

Hi! Jack,
Would re-palting with a Caswell or Estwood system be a good alternative?
Ray

[Jack H.]

Re: Matching Paint Colors

Well, if the component was known to have left the factory NATURAL (E.g. some steering boxes, exhaust manifolds, rear differentials), then coating it with plating is the same deduct logic as painting it. The part's got a 'foreign' coating on it.....

Now, it the part was known to have been cad plated originally and you use a home plating system to zinc plate it, it becomes a test of the judge's ability to distinguish your zinc from the original cad's color/hue....

Bear in mind, I'm not saying DON'T on this subject of coating! I'm saying if you do coat for whatever reason (you want it to continue looking nice, you don't like to see surface rust, you don't want to spritz with WD-40 once a week, you primarily intend to drive but want to occassionally show the car), then simply understand you could lose some judging points as a result. No big deal; just go into the effort with your eyes open.

[Thomas C.]

Re: Matching Paint Colors

I use a product called T9 on natural surfaces to protect from surface rust. It was developed by the boeing company for lubrication and protection of aircraft components. Unlike WD40 it dries to a thin waxy layer which is noticeable if too much is "puddled" on. Its available at most marine supply stores.

[Joe C.]

Re: Matching Paint Colors

Don:

Forget it -- you're not going to fool anybody. Now, with that said, if you just want to freshen things up, here's what I have found works pretty well for me:

Cad plating:

Use a couple mist coats of the base (#1) of Eastwood's "Golden Cad" paint system. I have tried many different silver paints, and even Eastwood's "Zinc Plating" paint, but this comes closest to the real McCoy.

Natural:

Just clean the part thoroughly with a wire wheel, and spray a few coats of semigloss clear.

I had originally painted many parts to clean them up (before I got serious, removed all the plated parts, and had them zinc plated), but, as we all know, "paint does not grow on surfaces that were originally unpainted".

Joe

[Don Z.]

Re: Matching Paint Colors

Joe:
Is there any particular type of semi-gloss clear you recommend or use. I guess I will have to get the ole wire brush fired up and maybe some stripper. Someone previously had painted some areas along with bolts etc.

Appreciate everyone's imput into this. Being newer into this I think this tech discussion is teriffic.

Thanks again

[Joe C.]

Re: Matching Paint Colors

Don:

I am sorry, but I have not found any particular brand that offers a more tenacious grip on the bare metal. I tried Eastwood's "Clearcoat For Bare Metal Surfaces"(carefully following directions), but it refused to flow, and tended to dry with severe orange peel. I bought it early last year, and it was newly developed at the time--maybe they've got the formula figured out by now.
In any case, whatever part you clearcoat should be handled very carefully, because I have found it to be easily marred and scratched.
A lot of folks in the Hobby like a product called "Pre Lube 6", sold by Quanta, but I suspect that it is just a fancy silicone protectant, which fetches a fancy price. In any case, once you start to go the "protectant" route, you must reapply the stuff frequently to maintain coverage. In my opinion, there is really no ideal solution to the problem of protecting "natural" components. Good luck.

Joe