Almost Everything Autobody Stays Green to Help the Environment

Almost Everything Autobody has always done its part to help the environment. Our latest innovation in 2009 was to dramatically reduce the VOC (volatile organic compound) content in our paints. Reducing VOCs reduces smog and makes the atmosphere better to breath.

Our top of the line is now a "waterborne" paint. Instead of petroleum-based chemicals, this technology uses pure water to carry the paint through the spray system and onto the car. Almost Everything Autobody uses the same waterborne paint that has been in use by Mercedes Benz and other manufacturers in Europe for over 10 years. Special equipment is required to apply this paint. We use heated & specially ventilated booths for painting & curing plus air jets to cause the water to evaporate quickly, leaving only a durable shell of paint on the vehicle. The process creates a very high quality, high-solids finish and we give it the longest guarantee available in the business.

In January 2010, Almost Everything Autobody will be going a step further, eliminating more VOCs from our processes & chemicals.

And just so no one thinks this is some sort of new "green" fad we recently embarked on, we want folks to know that in 2007 we ordered all new equipment including state-of-the-art, fully enclosed, atmosphere regulated paint booth, fully enclosed curing oven and a fully enclosed, ventilated paint mixing room. These "clean room" type booths keep all of the chemicals contained to just the area where they are being used so they don't harm our employees or neighbors. Filters on the exhaust clean the air exiting the paint booth before it goes back into the atmosphere.

Nick Kite - Pro Photographer & Car Guy

Nick Kite saw the Almost Everything logo on my shirt while we were sitting together on a plane and he mentioned that he planned to get a vehicle painted at Almost Everything soon. I'm usually not the type to talk to my seat mate for several hours but Nick turned out to be a true car guy and we traded stories & magazines for the rest of the flight.

Nick is a professional photographer who among other things has photographed cars for Car & Model, Boost Mobile's Hot Import Nights & Nightshift. He specializes in more technical photography--some examples were a 1 year time lapse study of San Jose's Airport construction project, long-exposure shots of vehicles in motion & high-speed shots of 12 different duck species as they landed and took flight.

Nick got his first car at age 15--a non-running Porsche 928 that he got back on the road and regrets selling to this day. He's totaled a Porsche Boxster after hydroplaning on a southern California freeway, amazingly escaping with a few bumps on his head from hitting the roll bar then being hit by the stereo as it flew through the cabin. He's gone through BMW 3 & 5 series cars, a Dodge Ram and was just flying back from Florida after purchasing a Cobra replica kit that he & his father plan to construct. His family currently has 3 Triumphs (2 Spitfires & a TR6--I thought my family was the only one insane enough to own 3 British sports cars at the same time--in our case MG-CGTs.)

Nick told me the story about how he got the 928. He made a bet with his father that if he could score at least 3 goals in a soccer tournament, his father would give him the Porsche that had been sitting in need of a clutch for several years. Nick's father didn't expect to lose the bet because Nick was a defender and had never scored a goal that season. But being a car guy and wanting the Porsche, Nick convinced the coach to let him play forward and then he proceeded to make 5 goals that day. Nick's father made good on the bet and together they got the Porsche running.

Nick showed me some great shots of BMWs that looked like they were doing 100 mph through a tunnel. I hope to be able to display some of his work here and to see the Cobra when he and his father complete it and drive it from Florida back to California.

Note: All of the car images in this post are free license photos taken from Wikipedia Commons.

Metallic & Pearl Colors

Metallic & pearl colored paints use flakes of aluminum metal, mica (a shiny mineral) or "pearl" (iridescent particles often from ground sea shells) to create sparkle, luminosity and more light and color complexity than is found in solid colored paints.

Metallic and pearl colors are available in single-stage, 2-stage & 3-stage paint process technologies but they are not created equal.

The process and materials used in 2-stage paints result in a more uniform layer of color that causes the flakes to lie more flat, reflect more light and create beautiful finishes. The single-stage process is not capable of achieving the same results and certain colors--especially golds, silvers, champagnes and bronzes--can look dull and grey in single-stage when compared to 2-stage and 3-stage paints. When color is important, choose 2-stage paint to achieve the right hue & brilliance.

For certain colors and special effects in finishes like "candies" and pearls--especially pearl white--it may be necessary to go another step into 3-stage paint to achieve the desired result. The Nissan Altima in the photo has a 3-stage pearl white paint job that gives the white a luminosity and brilliance that single- and two-stage paints cannot come close to.

Two-Stage Paint

This post is the 2nd in a series on Paint Technologies--What do people mean by single-stage, two-stage & three-stage paint? A previous post discussed single-stage paint. This article describes two-stage paint.


The terms "single-stage, two-stage & three-stage describe different types of auto painting processes. Each "stage" is a step in the process. Think of the stages like the layers of rock in the photo below. Each "stage" is like one of the different color bands in the formation. It is a layer of material:



Two-Stage:  It can also be called 2-stage, bi-stage, base-clear, base coat/clear coat, B/C, etc. In this case the 1st of the two stages is the base coat. It contains the colored paint. The 2nd stage is the clear coat--layers of clear paint that go on top of the color paint to provide protection & gloss. So in relation to the rock formation, 2-stage paint is equivalent to two bands of rock stacked together. Auto manufacturers in the USA phased-out single stage paints and transitioned to two-stage or base coat-clear coat paints in 1987.

Any paint is designed to protect the car against damage from sunlight, acid rain, bird droppings and all of the other environmental hazards that your car gets exposed to every day. Reputable shops like Almost Everything Autobody will apply 2-3 coats of base-coat AND 2-3 coats of clear-coat to your vehicle. 2-stage paints cost a little more initially than single-stage paints but are generally a more economical choice when it is important to keep the vehicle looking good, when you want to maintain resale value or you plan to keep the vehicle for more than 3 years because they are easier to maintain, last & look better longer.

Some advantages of 2-stage paints are:

• Better UV protection & resistance to fading from sunlight
• Easier maintenance with ability to remove scratches that don't penetrate down to the color layer
• Better resistance to chipping
• More variety, better looking & more vibrant colors & metallic finishes
• Better gloss & "wet" look
• Easier to achieve uniform color appearance
• Possible to address cosmetic issues like dust specks and paint runs
• Generally look better, longer than single stage paints

The process and materials used in 2-stage paints result in a more uniform layer of color that causes metallic paints to be more brilliant. The single-stage process is not capable of achieving the same results and certain colors--especially golds, silvers, champagnes and bronzes--can look dull and grey in single-stage when compared to 2-stage. When color is important, choose 2-stage paint to achieve the right hue & luminosity.

I began to type "disadvantages" but I don't think that the following is really a disadvantage as much as a difference between single-stage and 2-stage paints that may affect the type of paint you choose. When 2-stage paint reaches the end of its useful life, usually 7-14 years after the car was originally built and painted, instead of fading like single-stage paints, the top, clear layer turns cloudy and if not repaired, can start to peel and expose the more fragile color coat and even the metal underneath. We call this delamination. Many customers find failing clear coat ugly and more objectionable than the relatively uniform fading that is found on older-technology single stage paints. It is important to remember that 2-stage paint provides great protection and looks better longer than single-stage paint but, in our opinion, it does fail less gracefully when its time is done.

It is a good idea to get a car re-painted when this delamination starts to happen for a number of reasons--number one being cost. The longer the car goes without new paint, the more damage that happens to the existing paint, the greater the chance for rust and the more work that is required to fix the problem, not to mention, the car becomes embarrassing, looks worn-out and starts to quickly lose value. You should not allow anyone to put new paint on top of delaminating paint. The old, delaminating paint will continue to peel under the new paint and the new paint will quickly peel off just like the old stuff was doing! Don't waste your money on new paint if you don't plan to get the failed paint reconditioned first.

One note of caution, there are cheap paints out there--any of single-stage, two-stage or three-stage can be painted with poor materials that produce lousy results and don't last long. Almost Everything uses only top quality paints from the supplier used on NASA's Space Shuttle, the Golden Gate Bridge and just about every car make & model since the Model T Ford.

We will be posting additional articles that deal with color matching, gloss, texture and "orange peel," wet sanding or color sanding, solids, metallics & pearls. Feel free to drop by our shop if you are near to us and we will be happy to discuss with you.

Integrated Clear Coat

Almost Everything Helps Break World Land Speed Record

It's official, the 1958 Volkswagen Bug that Almost Everything Autobody repaired & painted for the San Francisco Bay Area "Beaver Geezers" has broken the World Land Speed Record for stock Volkswagens with 36 horsepower. The Beaver Geazers smashed the previous 36 HP Challenge Record with a blistering speed of 73.492 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats on Sept. 18, 2009.


The Beaver Geezers are Dan Durie, Al Leggett & Glenn Patterson. When they brought the car to Almost Everything Autobody, the roof looked like someone had jumped on it repeatedly. The hood, fenders, deck lid & doors were a mess of dents, rust & holes. This was the car they wanted to take to Bonneville?!! Oh, and it was several shades of mint green & gray primer.



The car was silky smooth aerodynamically (at least as far as you can go on a "stone stock" 1958 VW) on race day and screamed for fans to take notice with its specially formulated Beaver Geezer Orange racing livery. The guys even asked to put a Almost Everything decal on the car for the record attempt but they were the first folks to ever ask us for one so we didn't have any!

We love everything about this story. Thanks & congratulations guys. You are our heros and welcome at the shop any time!















Photos of the car--before & after:

 

Links:
http://www.saltflats.com/36_HP.html

http://www.cal-look.com/blogs/36-hp-challenge-land-speed-records-2009/

Using Wikipedia as an auto body & collision repair reference

We use Wikipedia all the time to get specific information about car models & the years they were made. Check it out. There are usually photos of each different version of a particular model. Makes it easier to find alternate parts if the part you need for a particular year is not available.

All of the photos below were taken from Wikipedia's public domain images collection.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang

Three-Stage Paint

Solids, Metallics & Pearls

Single-Stage Paint

What do people mean by single-stage, two-stage & three-stage paint? It's pretty simple. They are different types of auto painting processes. Each "stage" is a step in the process. Think of the stages like the layers of rock in the photo below. Each "stage" is like one of the different color bands in the formation. It is a layer of material:

Single-Stage:  It can also be called one-stage or 1-stage. Only one type of paint is used to paint the car. The color is uniform in the paint.  So in relation to the rock formation, single-stage paint is equivalent to a single color band of rock.

Single-stage paint is the type used on cars before 1987. After 1987 all manufacturers switched to 2-stage paint. Consider that virtually any house paint, or almost any other type of paint, is a single-stage paint. The single-stage paints available for automotive purposes can be very good stuff. The technology is mature and well understood. Single-stage polyurethanes are available that survive very well against sunlight, acid rain, bird droppings and all of the other environmental hazards that your car gets exposed to every day. Single-stage does NOT mean only one coat of paint. Any reputable shop will apply 2-3 coats of paint to your vehicle. Note that there are also some extremely cheap paints out there--any of single-stage, two-stage or three-stage can be painted with poor materials that produce lousy results and don't last long. Single-stage paints are generally less expensive than 2- or 3-stage paints and can be a great choice for vehicles that you only plan to keep for 1-3 years.

There are some things to consider with single-stage paints. We will be posting additional articles that deal with color matching, gloss, texture and "orange peel," wet sanding or color sanding, solids, metallics, pearls. Feel free to drop by our shop if you are near to us and we will be happy to discuss with you.

One note of caution: color match is more difficult with some golds, silvers and champagne colors in single-stage paints and in general, these colors are not as vibrant as with 2-stage paint. We've seen this issue on vehicles painted with any of the top quality paint manufacturers (DuPont, PPG, Sherwin-Williams). That is a big reason why 2- and 3-stage paints were developed.

Color Matching

Almost Everything Auto Body can match virtually any factory color. Auto manufacturers have been marking their vehicles with a "color code" since the 1940's & 1950's. Our paint formula database goes back decades. If you want to change colors and have seen something you like, we can match that too. We can look-up colors by year, make, model & color name. So if you have a 2006 Mustang in "Screaming Yellow" but 2010 Rolls Royce "Darkest Tungsten" is what really moves you, we can match it.

Some caveats--we have formulas for almost any color BUT auto manufacturers are not as consistent as you might think. Every batch of factory paint can be slightly different. So, for example, if you park a "Magnetic Grey" Toyota made on Monday next to a "Magnetic Grey" Toyota made on Wednesday you might notice a slight color difference. Often bumpers and plastic parts on brand new cars do not match perfectly because they were painted in different parts of the factory. Fading and age can also cause the color on one part of car to be different than other parts. Matching paint on a car is not easy.

Some colors require more complex and expensive paint processes. Pearl White Pearl and Candy Apple Red are examples of 3-stage paints. See 3-Stage, Candy or Tri-Coat Paints for a discussion of this technology.

COMPLETE CAR PAINTING: If you want to paint your whole car, color matching becomes less critical. Almost Everything offers non-factory paints that look similar to factory but do not match exactly. These paints ONLY work when painting the entire car. We do not offer non-factory paint for individual panels or spot repairs because the human eye can detect the variations in color, texture, depth, metallics & pearls, luminosity, etc. In fact, even when we repair vehicles with single-stage paints we usually use higher grade paints that allow us to do more fine tuning of colors . Almost Everything recommends 2-stage paint for silver, gold, champagne and bronze colors. Differences in the technology can make these colors appear less vibrant & luminous in single-stage instead of 2-stage. We are happy to show samples of the differences between 1-stage & 2-stage paints so that you can decide which works best for your budget and desired vehicle appearance.

Color Sanding & Buffing

Ugliest Cars of All Time

In no particular order. We are sorry if we offend anyone with this list. We will be the first to admit that it is better to own an ugly car than a boring one. Some of the cars on this list are some of the greatest cars ever made. . . they just didn't look so great. But they are still remembered and, at least in some cases, loved.

Manufacturer, Model, Years

GM (Chevrolet), Monte Carlo, 2000-2005

GM (Pontiac), Aztec, 2000-2005

Ford, Anglia, 1959-1967

Lancia, Ypsilon (worst of entirely ugly line of vehicles), 2003-2009+?

Ford (Edsel), Citation, 1958-1959

AMC, Gremlin, 1970-1978

Fiat, Multipla, 1998-2003

Nissan (Datson), Silvia/200SX, 1975-1979

Suzuki, X90, 1996-1998

Subaru, Baja, 

GM (Chevrolet), Avalanche, 2002-2006

BMW, 6-Series, 2003-2009+?

Reliant, Regal, 1951-1972

Renault, Megane, 

Ferrari, 512 TR Testarossa, 1984-1991

Mercedes Benz, SLR McLaren, 2003-2009+?

Studebaker, Lark, 1959-1966

Ferrari, Enzo, 

Chrysler, , 1947-1948

Chrysler, , 1961

Subaru, B7 Tribeca, 

BMW, 7-Series, 2002-2008

Chrysler (Jeep), Compass, 2007-2009+?

Rolls Royce, Phantom, 2003-2009+?

GM (Chevrolet), Malibu, 2004-2005

Citroen, Ami, 1961-1978

Toyota (Lexus), Soarer/SC430, 2001-2009+?

Nissan, Murano, 2009-?

Nissan, Quest, 

Lancia, Y, 1996-2003

Ssangyong, , 

GM (Chevrolet), Impala, 1959

Ford, Mercury 54,  58,  Monterey,  Montclair,  Park Lane,  Turnpike Cruise, 1958

GM, Buick, 1958

Chrysler, 300F, 1960

Ford, Lincoln Continental, 1958-1960

GM, Oldsmobile, 1958

Chrysler, Dodge, 1958

Rambler, Rebel & Ambassador, 1958

Chrysler, Dodge, 1959

Ford, 1959

Color Change Considerations

Snake Charming - 2000 Dodge Viper - Auto Body Repair & Paint

The mirrors on a 2000 Dodge Viper RT10 look similar to mirrors you'd find on other cars. They're not. An eighteen wheeler threw a hunk of tire tread at this Viper, damaging the carbon fiber on the hood & fender (all one piece actually) and smashing the mirror. For such a low volume car, the $300 cost for a new mirror from Dodge really wasn't that bad. Dodge made up for it with the $260 "Viper RT/10" decals that go on either side of the hood.

Making repairs to the carbon fiber

Cleaning up.

All better.

Car of the Day - 1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Car Paint

One of my favorite cars in world came in the shop this week for some minor repairs and an overall paint job. IMHO this is the most beautiful version of the Lotus Esprit. It's a 1994 S4, one of the last Esprits with the turbocharged 4 cylinder (it doesn't sound or drive like a 4!) I wish we'd taken some pictures of it while the spoiler was still off. It looked so clean that way. I've been salivating over it all week. Many of the guys in the shop didn't even know what it was. Check-out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Esprit for details on this supercar that would still look modern if produced today--the design dates to the early 1970s!