Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hot Rod Paint Jobs
When they first appeared, hot rods were roadsters that had been modded to give them as much raw, linear speed as possible. They are defined by oversized engines, speed-boosting modifications, and highly memorable custom paint jobs. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that these unique cars remain among the most visually breathtaking vehicles to this day.
Are you a brand new classic car owner interested in giving your ride one of the best 60’s hot rod black paint jobs Orange County, CA can provide? Or maybe you’re a longtime muscle car enthusiast looking for a first-rate shop that can fix paint problems on your beloved oldtimer? Either way, you’ve come to the right place.
Read on to learn more about hot rod paints, and how to give your speedy oldtimer one of those rare and powerful hot rod black paint jobs Huntington Beach, CA is famous for.
What are 60's hot rod paint jobs in Huntington Beach, CA?
In the automotive industry, hot rod paint means using low gloss finishes on vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, buses, trucks, and so on. Its unique matte look truly stands out when compared with the traditional high gloss finishes that are seen on most modern, factory-painted models.
In general, hot rod black paints are solvent-based paints. They are therefore available in lacquer, enamel, and urethane variants. Urethane tends to be the most durable, but also the most expensive of these three types. However, the price difference is very much worth it when you consider how damaging direct sunlight can be to a car's paint job.
After all, do you really want to worry about UV rays while you’re cruising along the Huntington State Beach, or passing by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, in your marvelously painted oldtimer? Investing in urethane-based 60's hot rod paint jobs in Orange County CA removes this concern and lets you get the most out of your classic car.
How to paint hot rod black?
Hot rod black paint achieves best results when applied using a combination of standard and specialized painting techniques. First, you need to remove the old paint. This can be done with one of four paint-stripping techniques: scraping, sanding, media blasting, and chemical stripping.
Prime the bare metal surfaces with a corrosion resistant primer. Afterward, sand the car. Take care to observe the primer manufacturer’s recommendations while doing so. The safest hot rod black paint mix is comprised of four parts hot rod black, one part hot rod reducer, and one part hot rod catalyst.
Spray paint the vehicle using a 1.3 - 1.4mm fluid tip. For best results, hold the spray painter at a distance of seven inches from the metal. Apply two medium wet coats, and make sure to allow 5-10 minutes of flash time between each coat.
How to paint hot rod black with matte clear?
Matte clears are special paint topcoats that provide added color retention and beauty to hot rod paint jobs. They are also excellent for underhood components and internal parts. They rely on an application method similar to the one used with standard hot rod black, with a few differences.
Start by clearing the surfaces of any contaminants. Abrade them with a minimum of 320-grit sandpaper, and gradually work up to 600-grit to achieve maximum adhesion. Re-clear the surface once the sanding is done. Shake the paint and mix three part paint and one part activator.
Use a 1.4 - 1.8mm tip and set the HVLP spray gun to 28-32 PSI. Two or three coats should be enough to achieve complete coverage. As with hot rod black, allow 5-10 minutes of flash time after each coat. The paint should be tack-free in about an hour. It will achieve full cure in 18 hours or so.
A word of warning about primers
It’s probably wise to avoid hot rod paints that claim to also be a primer. Most primers aren’t very resistant to outdoor exposure, which causes them to fade faster than a paint made using the correct resins and UV absorbers that protect against direct sun exposure.
Brief history of hot rod paint jobs in Orange County, CA
Hot rods, and customized rides in general, first appeared during the 1920s. Aspiring race drivers and car tinkerers were street racing in Los Angeles and on South California’s dry lakes. In fact, hot rod racing on the El Mirage dry lake is still going strong to this day.
Roadsters were ideal for this type of speed-focused customization because they were relatively aerodynamic and lightweight compared to the other models at the time. Removing excess weight such as fenders, hoods, and headlights was easy, as was “hopping the car up” with higher compression, extra carburetors, and timing and ignition adjustments.
As racing has always been partially about style, attention-grabbing hot rod black paint jobs in Orange County, CA became the logical next step in hot rod evolution, and eventually became a standard. If this little history lesson has piqued your interest, check out the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsport Museum for more in-depth information about American hot rodding.
Where can I buy hot rod black paint?
So you’ve decided to move away from traditional high gloss paint jobs, and you're looking to give your favored muscle car a brand new matte coat. Great decision. Matte paint jobs are all the rage now, to the point where even mainstream car manufacturers are offering matte versions of their standard models.
But should you do it yourself, or should you pay a professional to do it for you? Classic cars rely on older technologies that, unfortunately, make them more vulnerable to rust, bending, and cracks that can be caused by an inexpertly conducted paint job.
Here at Chimera Motors, we can truthfully say we’re Orange County’s premier classic car restoration company. Not only are our 60's hot rod paint jobs in Orange County CA the best in the industry, our team of experienced mechanics is more than capable of tackling any car-related problem. Visit us at our shop today, or reach out to us at 714-907-0609.
