BC

I have this 88 that I will probably be painting now very soon. Most body work is done.

If it comes that I do need to paint it, I think I may just paint it the original color, which is white.

Can someone confirm that the white on these cars was infact a Single Stage paint?

Supposedly Base Coat/ Clear Coat is "easier" though I have a learning curve for both. I am exceptionally good at body work, though slow. I have painted color before, SS, but in small sections.

This car would be sold as so much work has been done to it that it is too valuable to keep now. I can sell it as a completely restored, if somewhat modified car, but with all major systems touched.

I don' really like the original white on the 928s though. It doesn't look as bright as some of the modern whites, but I suppose for originality it needs to be correct.

Resale seems to be really affected by a color change. And the car is assembled so a color change can really look crappy when you don't or can't do under the car, etc.

Mrmerlin

What color white do you have Gran Prix white?
What is your paint code?

I would look over in Glassurit website , use the paint code and see what pops up,
your paint code will tell you what kind of paint it was
They have all kinds of different paint lines
I used line 55 for my 79 that was base and medium build clear,
it was a lot of work to make it shine,
but when it was finished it was terrific.
NOTE using the Galssurit paint may also increase your return when selling .

BC

Gran Prix White. I don't really have any of the original coating to see if it was BC/CC or SS. I think in 1988 Porsche was still using a multi-step process for paint and the final stage was SS on the solid colors like Red, White, Black, etc.

Mrmerlin

The other thing I have noticed is that most of the white painted cars have original peeling paint along the creases of the fenders and the roof edges and inside the hatch this is more prevalent on the Euro cars,
not really sure why but its not sticking.

oldfrat

Are you sure that changing the color will reduce the price? 928's came in some magnificent colors that would make the car more appealing to me than a basic white.

Brad

BC

Well, that is exactly the quandary. It is however more difficult to change color as you would need to do things like change the engine bay color and I have already been in that area for work. Whole car color changes are usually with mechanicals removed.

JHowell37

I saw this and it was like getting transported back to 2007/8. Porsche didn't limit themselves to just Glasurit. I believe the WSM mentions Lesonal which I think is made by Sikkens. Spies Hecker is another possibility. They're owned by DuPont. Glasurit is part of BASF.

I painted mine with Glasurit and it's held up well over the past 10 years. The only issues are flaws from an inexperienced novice (me) painting it. Glasurit products were pricey years ago, and I'm sure they've only gone up since. I'm sure I mentioned this in the past, but material costs can escalate through the roof when painting yourself. The reason is because you have to purchase products in the fixed quantities the manufacturer sells them. The only product where you have a choice regarding volume is the actual paint itself. Reducers, primers, hardeners, clears, and additives and all fixed quantities. So if you only need a cup of the product, and they only sell by the gallon, you're buying a gallon. Not to discourage, but just letting you know what you're in for.

I've done a few other paint projects since the 928, and I've learned a few things which I will share.

BASF makes Glasurit and they also make R-M (sometimes called Diamont.) I've used both products, and both are easy to use and produce excellent results in the hands of a novice. I would honestly say I doubt there's any real difference between the two brands aside from labels and price. 55-Line and the R-M equivalent are both polyester based. You can use Glasurit clear over R-M basecoat, and thin it with Glasurit reducer. They don't play the DuPont game where you must use DuPont reducer or the product will fail.

When I painted the Porsche, I stripped as much to bare metal as I possibly could. I would not do this again. I know when Stan did his, he mentioned using a product on the bare aluminum called Alodine. All of the paint makers have a product that does the same thing. I used Glasurit chromated epoxy for all bare metals. Alodine/wash primer would have likely been better. If I were doing this now, I would have no issue painting over well prepped factory paint. I would not paint over ANY aftermarket paint. I did this on my truck. In one small spot I didn't sand off all of the aftermarket paint. It was a simple mistake. When I was removing the tape, it pulled off a piece of fresh paint that was on top of the aftermarket stuff. It broke right at the line where the aftermarket paint ended. So thoroughly inspect the car for any evidence of resprays. If you're suspect about a panel, start sanding an area and take note of the layers you go through. Definitely don't strip the bumpers or any plastic pieces completely bare. Just check for evidence of respray. The original finish on their plastics was incredibly good and durable.

When repainting the bumpers, strictly adhere to the manufacturers guidelines for refinishing plastics. Many people will say you don't need flex additive, adhesion promoter, etc. People thought I was crazy for using the maximum amount of flex additive on my bumpers. 10 years later and I've bumped stuff, been hit with rocks, had one of my bumper shocks pushed in by an idiot in a Hyundai, and I have no chips, or the telltale spider web cracks of an improperly painted plastic bumper. I went 25% flex additive on the bumpers. If I were going to repaint the car again, I'd do the same on the bumpers, and I'd use it at 10% on the rest of the car. On the S4 with the plastic trim at the bottom of the fenders and doors, you'll need to use flex additive on those as well. It'll protect against rock chips. Glasurit flex additive also isn't perfectly clear. There's a slight mismatch in the color between the bumpers and the hood. Most don't notice it, but I do. It doesn't bother me. Many cars from those days had that slight mismatch, and it was likely due to the additive.

I wouldn't change the color. White has good inherent traits for a first timer. It hides flaws in bodywork. But it will highlight panel gaps. Staring at fresh white paint for hours on end can have the same affect on your eyes as standing in the snow all day without sunglasses (although not as severe.) It's hard to buff when you color sand because it's hard to tell if you've buffed it enough. Most 2 stage paints turn to a white chalky color when you color sand. So you just buff until that chalky color goes away. On white paint, it also turns white. See where the problem comes in?

I'm not on Rennlist very often, but I'll check in over the next few days to answer any questions you might have.

buccicone

JHowell37
Did you you use a flex additive in the primer also? I have Eastwood Epoxy primer that's been on my shelf for 4 years. Besides a one hour mixing possibility, is there any reason it would not be usable? Is there actually a shelf life to primer, reducer, activators? Would taking it to my local hardware store and having it machine shaken mix it?

Bigfoot928

Glasurit was purchased by PPG right? I know that my paint code has like 16 different shades in each of the 4 lines that were made over the years. Good luck matching anything original anymore...