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Need a good satin black for engine bay, dash, doors

steveh326

steveh326

Active Member
Looking for a good satin/semigloss black I can use in the engine bay and also on the dash and doors so I can spray them all at once. Any suggestions?

35 years ago I used rustoleum rattle cans to do the job, but I'd like to maybe use something a little more durable this time around. I do have spray equipment. Thought about PPG single stage urethane, but all I can find is flat and gloss, but I guess a pro shop should be able to custom mix it for me. Rustoleum semi-gloss is about the sheen I want. Tractor supply sells a Varathane enamel with separate hardener and it comes in a satin black that is just about right, adding the hardener should make it slightly more durable I guess.

any recommendations? Thanks a heap.
 
I have been thinking about this as well, when I was looking into SPI's products a while back, I believe they had a version of thier black epoxy primer that was UV resistant. Anyone think that would work for engine bay and interior?
 
The topic of UV resistant epoxy for the engine bay has been discussed and the general consensus was that it would be a suitable product for the engine bay. I do not recall anyone suggesting its use as an interior spray. I suppose if the sheen was acceptable it could work.
 
SEM Landau Black is ready to spray out of the can, and also comes in a rattle can for touch-ups. You'll need to apply primer beneath it, but it is pretty damn good and easy to apply.
 
i would stay away from the rustoleum stuff @ tractor supply. any good paint store can flatten a single stage to the desired sheen. i use a 40% flattened single stage on all my antique harley chassis parts. i've also got some mixed at a zero gloss that i used on a pair of super duty bumpers. when i did those tags for shag, i mixed parts of the two together to get as close as possible to the original enamel used on the plates.


PPG also makes a pre flattened clear that works well. if you need to "shine" it up a bit, you can mix parts of regular clearcoat to get the desired look. this stuff works great & doesn't chalk up or look milky. thats what i used on my shaker that i built & will also use on my hood blackout.
IMG_2023.jpg
 
"Midlife" said:
SEM Landau Black is ready to spray out of the can, and also comes in a rattle can for touch-ups. You'll need to apply primer beneath it, but it is pretty damn good and easy to apply.
Click to expand...

that stuff wears like iron too! i have a friend who paints engines with the rattlecan stuff & its always held up well. when i changed my interior from blue to black, thats what i used on my metal trim along with the plastic panels.
 
"Midlife" said:
SEM Landau Black is ready to spray out of the can, and also comes in a rattle can for touch-ups. You'll need to apply primer beneath it, but it is pretty damn good and easy to apply.
Click to expand...

Can the SEM Landau black be used on metal? Looking at it, it sounds like it's an interior dye for carpets and vinyl?
 
SPI has changed their black epoxy and added UV resistance to it so now it can be used as a top coat.
 
I've been using Dupont 99A acrylic enamel with 30% flattener for the engine bay and interior as well as lacquer thinner at a rate of 35 to 40% as well as the hardener. You have to watch the grained surface of the doors and take care not to use too much or have it too thick. I add 5cc (1 tsp) per Qt of fine metallic for the interior only. You just need to be careful on the distance and rate you apply it, that effects the dullness of the finish. It's really easy to hit it spot on. ALso the epoxy finish mentioned has the correct sheen but I didn't know how the UV's would effect it over time.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-QUART-99A-BLA ... 0442076773
 
"GPR" said:
SPI has changed their black epoxy and added UV resistance to it so now it can be used as a top coat.
Click to expand...

Rusty,
When I've applied the SPI black, it ends up a little too shiny, in my opinion, to match the original factory under hood paint.

Is it something I could be doing in the application? Is there a way to flatten it up a little?
 
I still use the PPG lacquer for the engine compartment and the interior. I have stayed with it because it has always been approved for MCA judjing. It will also lay down flatter than epoxy primer that I have tried.
 
"Midlife" said:
SEM Landau Black is ready to spray out of the can, and also comes in a rattle can for touch-ups. You'll need to apply primer beneath it, but it is pretty damn good and easy to apply.
Click to expand...

hey Mid - this stuff has my interest at least for the interior bits... any recommendation as to what primer to put under it when using on metal?
 
I applied two light coats of DP90LF as primer, then the SEM paint as a top coat.
 
I went to my local paint supplier to pick up a couple quarts of SEM and he only had it in aerosol. He recommended Mar Hyde satin black that he did have in quarts. Anyone used this stuff? Seems to be similar to SEM but a 3m product.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... GH365LRNbl

I can order the SEM quarts online just can't pick it up locally, if its better than the Mar Hyde.
 
i think the SEM is better than the mar-hyde. i used the mar-hyde on plastic interior parts 25 yrs ago & it worked great. a few yrs later i bought some & it wasn't the same.
 
"mustangstofear" said:
I still use the PPG lacquer for the engine compartment and the interior. I have stayed with it because it has always been approved for MCA judjing. It will also lay down flatter than epoxy primer that I have tried.
Click to expand...

The last epoxy I used was PPG. I thinned it with maybe 20% of lacquer thinner (shot in the dark) and man did it ever lay down. I wasn't sure how it would do but I was very pleased. All the times I have used it un-thinned the orange peel has been excessive and its hard to sand once its cured.
 
I've had to reduce the last 3 brands of epoxy to get them to lay down the way I like it. But I still wouldn't use them as a top coat finish.
 
rich,

how does the lacquer hold up as far as durability on the engine compartment? i've used the lacquer on the interior a couple times & it worked/held up great. just curious how well it does in a "working environment".
 
One of my Mustangs I did 16 years ago looks just as good as the day I sprayed it. But I always use silicone brake fluid, regular fluid would eat it off right away. I've been spraying black base coat on the belly pan of consoles for those who don't want the aluminum, and putting a top coat of matte clear on top, that turns out great. You could do the same thing for the interior or engine compartment.
 
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