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Saw a lot of older cars at a show in Daytona that looked like they had fresh paint jobs
I was at a big car show in Daytona last weekend, and I noticed something that stuck with me. There were a ton of classic cars from the 70s and 80s, but a lot of them had paint that just looked too perfect, like it was done in the last year or two. It got me thinking about how the work has changed. Back in the day, a full repaint on a car like that might have meant a lot of body filler and heavy color sanding. Now, with the materials and spray gear we have, you can get a finish that looks like glass without as much hand work. It makes me wonder if the skill is shifting more towards prep and knowing the new products than just being good with a block. Has anyone else seen this and feel like the trade is moving in a different direction because of it?
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daniels425mo ago
Yeah, I used to think that too.
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robert_allen615mo ago
Totally get what you mean about the paint looking too perfect. It's like the whole craft changed when the materials got better. I saw a '78 Trans Am that looked like it was dipped in liquid color, no orange peel at all. Makes you wonder if the real skill now is just knowing which can of magic juice to buy.
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barnes.morgan3mo ago
Magic juice" is right, that's a good way to put it. I was reading something the other day about how modern urethane paints basically level themselves out, so you don't have to work the orange peel like you used to with enamel. The article said painters from the 70s had to really know their gun setup and how to adjust on the fly (which is a lost art now). But that Trans Am you saw, man, that's not just the paint itself. Somebody still had to lay it down right, even with the good stuff. Maybe the skill just moved from spraying to prep and choosing the right products.
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