Laquer Paint Substitute

[Tom H.]

[Jim S.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

Tom,
FWIW, there are paint shops that can simulate the original lacquer look with base coat/clear coat. It's not near you but we have a shop in Kansas City that does this very well.

[Alan S.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

Hi Tom,
There is a very small shop in New Oxford, Pa. near Gettysburg, that only paints with acrylic lacquer.
Would that be too distant for you? Perhaps you should at least check him out to see if he might be a possibility for you.
Regards,
Alan

Notice in this photo the way the hood gutter and door jambs are done give them a very similar look to the look the hood gutter and jambs had that left St.Louis.

[Tom H.]

[Tom H.]

[Dick W.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

Tom, contact Mike McCagh in Cumberland. I think he uses Zane Finney. Verify with Mike

[Mike M.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

none better than zane finny in hancock md 301 678 6994 ask for zane or his son larry. if he says it'll be done 4-6 months after u drop it off to him, u can take that to the bank. he just finished a 64 for me and is just starting on our 65 396 coupe. mike

[Michael F.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

where do his prices start?

[Alan S.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

Hi Tom,
The fellow in New Oxford is John Millar. 717-624-4194 He works pretty much by himself and has been painting Corvettes and other Chevrolets for many, many, years. I think part of his success is that he's been able to adapt as the paint has changed over the decades.
He painted my car in 2005 and as it often is with lacquer, it looks prettier as the years go by.
He just recently painted member, and Forum poster, Keith Broadbeck's father, Richard's, 67 coupe. Keith can speak to what John's recent work is like.
Regards,
Alan

This is the my car in 2011 when it was Flight Judged.

[Tom H.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

Thanks, I'll look him up

[John R.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

Tom, I wonder if lacquer is illegal in your area (Gotta love toluene, I called 3M to ask what kind of respirator I'd need to protect myself, and the guy said "just forget it" and suggested a fresh air system). I agree with you regarding the clear coat look, but I wonder if a modern single stage system would work for you? If that paint system is wet sanded and made flat, would it look like the old lacquers? I have a 92 Toyota MR2, and the factory used single stage paint for the solid colors and I have to say that it's the best "modern" factory paint I've seen. Very little orange peel and that's without wet sanding.

I think durability is another thing to consider. I don't know first hand, but it's my understanding that lacquers need to be pampered, which is fine since we are talking about a special car here. I only mention this because I don't know what kind of life you have planned for your car. Garage kept, driven on only nice days and I think durability isn't an issue. Driving your Vette like there is no tomorrow, taking it out every time you need milk may sway your choice.

[Dick W.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

I have seen many of Zane's paint jobs and have to say that he is good as they come. Just bear in mind today's lacquer products are not as durable as the materials we used to get. The removal of lead and the changes in formulation to meet the modern day VOC standards has made the products very different from your father's lacquer.

[Tom H.]

[John D.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

I have heard some of the non metallic colors can be sprayed in single stage urethane which will look more like lacquer depending on the technique. What exactly is that technique ?

[Duke W.]

Re: Laquer Paint Substitute

The VOC regs in this area are so difficult that it is not worth spraying the old fashioned lacquers (for most shops) and I wouldn't want to pay the freight for the elite restorers who would do it. My "daily driver" is a new C7 Z51 and the 65 is a car that I've had since new and would only be a nice weather car but certainly not a trailer queen. Even the modern paint on the new C7 (Lime Rock Green) looks more like the old paint systems than any of the resprays I've seen. Thank you for the response. It just dawned on me that maybe the system they're using on the C7's would be a wise choice….if anyone knows what it is, please chime in!

Probably without exception, all modern cars are painted using water-based primers, a very thin color coat, and a 1-2 mil catalyzed urethane clear coat. Corvette body panels are painted off-the-car on a special fixture that holds the panels in the general orientation as on the car, but separated, then bolted to the chassis. Flexible bumper covers have a flex agent added, though I think this makes them less durable, and color shift occurs over time.

Though manufacturers claim this system is very durable, I see lots of vehicles, some no more than ten years old, where the clear urethane is peeling off, particularly on the horizontal surfaces from the sun, and once it goes the base color coat goes very quickly. It's really ugly.

Even though modern lacquers may not be as durable as the old days, in typical collector car service and with good care they should last decades. Oxidized surface paint can usually be buffed to restore the original luster. Lacquers never fully "cure", but continue to lose solvents over their life, which can lead to cracking and crazing, and they and remain soluble in lacquer thinner. Keeping the surface well sealed with wax will delay these effects. Enamels cross link with oxygen or polymers (catalyzed enamels) and become very hard, but somewhat brittle. In ChE lingo lacquer is a thermoplastic and enamel is a themosetting plastic.

I think OE BC/CC systems are more about meeting VOC requirements than durability

Single stage enamels IMO are the best - catalyzed urethane (like Imron, which is commonly used on commercial vehicles and airplanes) followed by acrylic enamel, but they dry shinnier than lacquer and tend to bead at edges. The telltale signs on vintage Corvettes are usually in the door jams and hood gutter.

Back in the fifties and sixties when GM was using lacquers on cars, they used enamels on light trucks. The thinking was that lacquers had more luster, but enamels were more durable.

Duke