Bob Z.

Has anyone bought custom auto paint in spray/rattle cans? I have not had good success with factory touch-up paint and I see that several places will make a custom can, but I have tried a couple in the past and the colors were not that close. If anyone has a good experience with a specific place let me know.

GKGEIGER

The one that I see most often is Automotivetouchup.com. I can't remember if that is the one I used several years ago to repaint the lid on one of my BMW saddlebags. Anyway, it matched very well and with their clear coat applied you couldn't tell the difference. It turned a $300 repair into a $25 job. Hope this helps.

Bob Z.

Thanks and I just went to their web site and yes, for $30 I can get spray base and clear cans...worth giving it a shot. I am thinking about some little projects on my bike, and car of course.

polobai

Its good for small pieces, I would not recommend on peices larger than 1 sq ft. For things like emblems, brake calipers, etc. its a good fit for. For fixing a scratch/blending a panel it is not recommended. I will be doing something similar with the brake calipers on my T-going to do them in Acid green from the can.

Bob Z.

Should I assume I need the clear as well? If the base is gloss would that alone suffice for little parts?

polobai

Yes, you will need to clear it as well-the only other alternative is to use enamel paint but then it will be harder to match and get in a spray can. Base/Clear would be my recommendation as the base alone will not produce the gloss effect that you are used to for an automotive finish.

wmc

I have had decent results using automotivetouchup paints on an older car. Agree with above that it is best for small pieces or discrete parts and not blending panels. In my case (black) color matched well. You will need the clear as the base coat looks dull after applied. The standard clear is OK but not as good as what you would get from a professional shop. The 2K clear they sell is probably better but I believe it contains isocyanates and you need a special respirator when using that. Even the standard paint/clear is nasty enough that you need a respirator.

For best results you will have to wet sand the clear after it dries to remove the orange peel.

The main challenge with spray cans is getting enough paint down with even coverage. This becomes difficult with larger pieces.

kuma1416

repainted the rear quarter panel. Not perfect but pretty good for the price.

I've had good results with Automotivetouchup as well. Definitely get the clear coat for best results ( and primer if you plan on sanding off the base coat), and be prepared to wet sand the clear for orange peel. I'd recommend you also get the trigger attachment to attach to the spray can (allows a much more ergonomic and even application) and respirator cartridge mask is a must. The paint is close to professional quality and highly aerosolized so if you plan to do it in your garage, then make sure there's nothing in there that you don't mind getting a fine mist of paint on, or else mask it. Just a lesson I learned the hard way.

vodkag

yeah I've use them in diff plastic bumper and other non metal trim application, it works well, just make sure you sand and clean the surface before applying