What's the best way to get candy red stripes on a black car?

[Monty]

I did this to a Mopar kit back in the early '80s using rattle-can enamels. I sprayed the car black, let it dry fully, then masked off the stripes which were painted undercoat gold. With the masking tape still in place, I waited till the undercoat gold was dry and then applied light coats of candy red till I achieved the hue I was after.

Long story short, the colors looked beautiful together, but the paint ridge that built up along the sides of the masking tape kinda looked like a vinyl top seam, which detracted from the smooth look I was trying for.

So now I have the itch to try this again, following the same basic pattern of dual stripes from the back edge of the trunk, over the roof and down to the front of the hood.

I wonder if I'd be better off spraying the undercoat gold & candy red first, letting them dry, then masking the stripes and shooting the black. I'm trying to avoid build-up along the edges of the masking tape.

Fortunately, I now have an airbrush, so I don't have to limit my choices to whatever's available in rattle-cans.

I look forward to seeing your answers. If you can provide an answer and show your work, it'd be greatly appreciated.

[Fat Brian]

It sounds like you are on the right track, the black should cover in a coat or two and after a little clear the seperation line should just about disappear.

[jamesG]

the air brush will give you thiner coats which will help reduce the seperation line. try to get the red as close as you can to the color you want as possible too reduce the number of coats needed to get your final hue if you put on ten coats of red and only two black you're gonna have a line. let us know how it comes out.

[Johnag4004]

Did you paint the gold on top of the black...?

From what I have seen when the paint cars on tv, they'd paint the gold first, tape off where you want the stripes, then paint the black, remove the tape and tape the black and then add the candy on top of the gold, that way it should level out the colours...

[Monty]

Did you paint the gold on top of the black...?

From what I have seen when the paint cars on tv, they'd paint the gold first, tape off where you want the stripes, then paint the black, remove the tape and tape the black and then add the candy on top of the gold, that way it should level out the colours...

Interesting...that hadn't even occurred to me, but it makes sense. Diolch yn fawr!

[Johnag4004]

Interesting...that hadn't even occurred to me, but it makes sense. Diolch yn fawr!

Eich croeso...

[Ace-Garageguy]

Gold first over the whole top of the car, then candy red over the whole top of the car. Then tape the stripes and shoot a black basecoat just to cover. Untape. GENTLY sand the tape lines. Clear the whole thing, wetsand and polish. Do it right and you'll have no tape ridges. Lots of paint buildup though.

If you mess around shooting the gold and then taping it and shooting the black and then untaping and retaping and shooting the candy red, you're going to have a DEVIL of a time getting all the tape lines to "line up", you'll get edge bleeds, and you will most likely disturb the metalflakes in the gold and will be able to see the buggery under the candy red.

I do paint real cars too.