I can't stop looking at the model. I need to see the car from the other side to check the... errr... bumper... yeah.

I've always wondered. What's the difference between the gun that sits upright and the other one that's on the bottom?

 

You're talking about High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) spray guns and siphon(bottom feed) spray guns. HVLP guns are more efficient and environmentally friendly due to their gravity feed design; they also require less air pressure to run.


Siphon (bottom feed) guns are typically used for more industrial coatings but require vacuum to operate. They also have more overspray and because of that, waste more paint. Most states have made the use of siphon spray guns illegal for businesses but they can still be used by the average person.

 

Today, I'm going to talk about ordering paint. Bones is talking about ordering paint in his thread and I decided to put it in this thread so it can be cataloged and hopefully made into a sticky for everyone to use.

Ordering paint isn't a big or complicated thing. If you have the right information it can be one of the simplest things you can ever do in the process of modding your righteous little whip. But, it can get expensive quickly. All you'll need is the paint code and make of your car and you can walk out in ten minutes with the exact color you want.

The reason the make of the vehicle is important is because there are many different automotive paint manufacturers and not all automotive manufacturers use the same paint manufacturer. The big guys are PPG and DuPont; with the make of your vehicle your supplier can easily cross-reference your paint code with the paint system that he/she/it carries. Without the make of the vehicle or the paint code, you can just go home.

The paint code of a car is located in one of four locations on a vehicle, and I always recommend using the paint code on the vehicle if you're going for a factory respray, the locations are: firewall in the engine bay, decklid, driver door jamb, or glovebox. You can also have the dealer look up you paint code based on your VIN, I believe.

The other nice part about going directly to a storefront is that you can work with the tech to tinker with your paint a little bit if you're going for full custom. Working directly with a tech, you have complete oversight of the mixing process and tell him first hand if the tint or variation is off. If you order online and it's wrong, then you have to wait to send it back, pay a restocking fee, and hope they get it right the second time. **** that noise.

 

Next installment: Eat a dick.

 

Good info Pat. Thanks for the 411.