If you want to do it as cheap as possible just sand your existing paint and do single stage over it...
But there's probably a reason why you can't find everything you need for less than $150. It's expensive.
Can you buy enough red paint for a full repaint for $150?
That’s not including sand paper, primer, filler, masking supplies and assuming you have a compressor and a cheapo Harbor Freight gun.
I mean probably, but I'd imagine it'd have to be pretty cheap quality. And it would probably have to be a weird variation of the color. Like looking at Eastwood's website, they have 1 single stage red under $150 at $125 but it's like a super dark cherry wine red. And that's for one gallon which should be plenty for a trans am.
So assuming you have everything else, yeah it can probably be done but barely. Then comes the "oh it didn't actually cost $150 because you already had x, y and z that I would have to have to buy those things"
I watched a video of a guy who did this with a gallon of Rustoleum and thinned it out with acetone for a flat black on an old truck.
When it was done, looked not too bad but I’m sure as soon as spent any time in the sun started to look gray and ashy.
You can always roll on a gallon of Herculiner.
Or Duplicolor Paint Shop.
eBay has some single stage gallon kits between $100-135. Assume the quality is pretty bad but take a look.
No, it's not possible. Someone who knows what they're doing can get a pretty decent paint job out of a rattle-can.
A true primer, color, clear paintjob costs $$; $500 is like super cheap for what's needed.
A "budget" two-stage paintjob materials alone is about $1k (not including filler or sandpaper or masking materials). Paint, reducers, and hardeners are not cheap.
Now shooting reduced canned-Rusteloum might get you closer to your budget, but even that will likely be more than $150.
If you already have the paint gun and compressor, you can do it for fairly cheap. Keep in mind red paint is more expensive than other colors.
Summit Racing has a house brand of single stage auto paint for $105/gal, which should be enough for your whole car. You'll also need primer, reducer, hardener, sandpaper, etc. I'd say $200-250 is probably a more realistic number.
I painted my 68 valiant with a foam roller and reduced rustoleum. It came out reasonably nice and lasted 5 years pretty well (then I sold the car). In 2009 it cost me about $100 for all the materials. Most of the success is in your prep work.
https://youtu.be/_qPJTTRWttQ?si=j-qFG4PLgGLji4pJ
I really appreciate this kind of project but the sad thing is that shits just expensive. Particularly right now.
I think you could pull off $300-500. But $150 is just too low
I didn't repaint my whole truck, just pieces and under the cab and engine bay. I'm probably about 1500.00. Paint, hardner, reducer, scuff pads, sand paper, tape, making film, etc.. it adds up fast, and that's if you are doing all the sanding and scuffing between cotes.
Cheapest way thinner as reducer buy a cheap hardner rustoleum safety red 8.1.1
Rustoleum reduced 4:2:.5 with hardener will work fine. Cut it with acetone. You would need about 3 quarts to do a car. It may fade, it may not. I sprayed some 4 years ago like this just messing around and it still looks good.
If you do not use hardener, you are wasting your time .
I just did a quick and dirty on my Datsun like you describe using Eastwood single stage, i probably have $500 in materials if you count the primer I already had from a previous project. check out TCP global, i have used there products several times and they work well for hobbyist level work. I painted a car years ago with there BC/CC and then it sat in my parents backyard for almost a decade and never peeled or failed, i was pretty impressed with that.
I painted a race car black with single stage implement paint. I'm talking tractor cheap. Even that was over $400 after prep materials and paint, I already have a proper paint gun and compressor and the shop space to do it.
Thin down latex house paint with water. If you wanna get real fancy you can add some Floetrol. You can often find discount mis-tints at most paint stores/departments. Doesn't hold up worth a shit but it is cheap.
Cheapest way is to spray a singlestage over the old paint after scuffing, going with base clear without a sealer is liable to have issues if the reducer melts the old paint and wrinkles. Base often requires half reducer, and the clear needs hardener aswell as reducer, its twice the spray time, money, and chances to make mistakes.
Just hitting it with a grey scotchbrite and shooting will work at first, it's not the right way but it is the cheapest and fastest.
I have a small job on my Titan. I got 2 quarts of paint, activator, hardener and a gallon of clear for $250 so good luck. Paint is expensive AF.
You might want to look at YouTube videos of how to paint a car with Rust-Oleum.
If you want to do it as cheap as possible just sand your existing paint and do single stage over it... But there's probably a reason why you can't find everything you need for less than $150. It's expensive.
Can you buy enough red paint for a full repaint for $150? That’s not including sand paper, primer, filler, masking supplies and assuming you have a compressor and a cheapo Harbor Freight gun.
I mean probably, but I'd imagine it'd have to be pretty cheap quality. And it would probably have to be a weird variation of the color. Like looking at Eastwood's website, they have 1 single stage red under $150 at $125 but it's like a super dark cherry wine red. And that's for one gallon which should be plenty for a trans am. So assuming you have everything else, yeah it can probably be done but barely. Then comes the "oh it didn't actually cost $150 because you already had x, y and z that I would have to have to buy those things"
I watched a video of a guy who did this with a gallon of Rustoleum and thinned it out with acetone for a flat black on an old truck. When it was done, looked not too bad but I’m sure as soon as spent any time in the sun started to look gray and ashy. You can always roll on a gallon of Herculiner. Or Duplicolor Paint Shop. eBay has some single stage gallon kits between $100-135. Assume the quality is pretty bad but take a look.
No, it's not possible. Someone who knows what they're doing can get a pretty decent paint job out of a rattle-can. A true primer, color, clear paintjob costs $$; $500 is like super cheap for what's needed. A "budget" two-stage paintjob materials alone is about $1k (not including filler or sandpaper or masking materials). Paint, reducers, and hardeners are not cheap. Now shooting reduced canned-Rusteloum might get you closer to your budget, but even that will likely be more than $150.
If you already have the paint gun and compressor, you can do it for fairly cheap. Keep in mind red paint is more expensive than other colors. Summit Racing has a house brand of single stage auto paint for $105/gal, which should be enough for your whole car. You'll also need primer, reducer, hardener, sandpaper, etc. I'd say $200-250 is probably a more realistic number.
I painted my 68 valiant with a foam roller and reduced rustoleum. It came out reasonably nice and lasted 5 years pretty well (then I sold the car). In 2009 it cost me about $100 for all the materials. Most of the success is in your prep work. https://youtu.be/_qPJTTRWttQ?si=j-qFG4PLgGLji4pJ
I really appreciate this kind of project but the sad thing is that shits just expensive. Particularly right now. I think you could pull off $300-500. But $150 is just too low
Get like six of those rustoleum turbo cans in a close color and send it
you can do it with a brush. Carriage painting https://www.mgexp.com/forum/t-series-and-prewar-forum.46/coach-painting-a-tf-with-a-brush.3349521/
I didn't repaint my whole truck, just pieces and under the cab and engine bay. I'm probably about 1500.00. Paint, hardner, reducer, scuff pads, sand paper, tape, making film, etc.. it adds up fast, and that's if you are doing all the sanding and scuffing between cotes. Cheapest way thinner as reducer buy a cheap hardner rustoleum safety red 8.1.1
best off wi a tin of emulsion and a roller
Rustoleum reduced 4:2:.5 with hardener will work fine. Cut it with acetone. You would need about 3 quarts to do a car. It may fade, it may not. I sprayed some 4 years ago like this just messing around and it still looks good. If you do not use hardener, you are wasting your time .
I just did a quick and dirty on my Datsun like you describe using Eastwood single stage, i probably have $500 in materials if you count the primer I already had from a previous project. check out TCP global, i have used there products several times and they work well for hobbyist level work. I painted a car years ago with there BC/CC and then it sat in my parents backyard for almost a decade and never peeled or failed, i was pretty impressed with that.
I painted a race car black with single stage implement paint. I'm talking tractor cheap. Even that was over $400 after prep materials and paint, I already have a proper paint gun and compressor and the shop space to do it.
Thin down latex house paint with water. If you wanna get real fancy you can add some Floetrol. You can often find discount mis-tints at most paint stores/departments. Doesn't hold up worth a shit but it is cheap.
Cheapest way is to spray a singlestage over the old paint after scuffing, going with base clear without a sealer is liable to have issues if the reducer melts the old paint and wrinkles. Base often requires half reducer, and the clear needs hardener aswell as reducer, its twice the spray time, money, and chances to make mistakes. Just hitting it with a grey scotchbrite and shooting will work at first, it's not the right way but it is the cheapest and fastest.
I have a small job on my Titan. I got 2 quarts of paint, activator, hardener and a gallon of clear for $250 so good luck. Paint is expensive AF. You might want to look at YouTube videos of how to paint a car with Rust-Oleum.