automotive paint vs hobby. Your opinions.??

[Jon Mopar]

Hey guys! Just curious on your opinions of automotive paint vs hobby grade…and why you use what you use.


I've been using automotive paint for many years. I've used both, but typically go with automotive because I can get color matches and custom blends. And I paint actual cars, so I have paint lying around.

(Mods move this to a more appropriate section if need be)

 

[Andy T]

I'm an automotive painter by day so it makes sense for me to use that paint for civilian vehicles.

For military stuff I tend to use hobby paints as they are easier to get in the right sort of colours, although I stick to lacquers whenever possible.

 

[Jakko]

I don't build cars or motorbikes much, but if I would, then for spraying the body I would probably try to find paint recommended for retouching a real one. Like you say, that way you get the right colour without any hassle.

On another forum I'm on, someone used to paint his models of Dutch Army vehicles with an army-issue tin of RAL 6014. Him being the officer commanding an armoured engineer unit at the time probably helped in obtaining it, though TBH, I don't think I would, since military vehicle paint is likely to have much coarser pigments than you'd like for painting models.

 

[Jon Mopar]

Great answers. I think there's a certain "cool factor" in a model being the exact color of the real thing, rather than a close interpretation

 

[Jakko]

That's more important for cars etc. than for military vehicles, aircraft, etc., though. A new(ish) car will have the shade the manufacturer wants it to have, a new military vehicle probably will too, but used military vehicles will have much greater variation in colour than used civilian cars.