Right on Bob. Stuff is painlessly easy to work with. 

Looks good man.  I really like the Testors paint and how it lays down nice and shiny.

I'm really liking alot of the ideas I'm seeing in this thread. As of now I'm still using Testors spray can paints decanted and shot through an airbrush. I have perfected my method over the years and it's gonna be hard to switch but that's the way it is.

Perfect results.....every time:

I sprayed all flavors and bands of rattle cans from Rust-Oleum paints, Tamiya's TS, Krylon.  My favorite was Anita's acrylic paints cleared with Rust-Oleum clear lacquer until I tried Testors.  I spray it thinned 50/50 with off the shelve lacquer thinner and then This is what my go to process is for now.    

Thanks guys, it sounds like Tamiya is the favorite. 

Without question, for a final color coat, acrylic lacquers.
Tamiya has a great range, and many times I've even gone to the local auto store to have a custom color mixed. They can often do smaller quantities. Some can even decant them into spray cans.
It dries fast, dries hard, and once fully dried, withstands polishing extremely well, giving an excellent finish.
I use a short length of straw to decant into a small container to pour into my Iwata color cup. Tamiya lacquer thinner is FAR less "hot" than auto store acrylic lacquer thinner. I get better results using the Tamiya stuff.
Tamiya also has excellent polishes.

Hi;

 I prefer Testors, as they carry the Blue shades I really like. Now for any other color I have started using Createx with a glosscoat afterwards.

I began using Creatix paints (Hobby Lobby carries these) for cars due to wide range of awesome colors available. I will give you this tidbit, they require far more prep work in mixing than most paints you will AB. I usually then follow up with Krylon acrylic clear. I am going to be switching to real automotive 2K clear and buy a pint and it will last for years. Rattle cans I've done for years and with good results, I just don't care for the waste and overspray they create. To each his own methods, they all work.

BK

I've tried the Gravity paint from Spain. It airbrushes really smoothly and covers well. I've followed the advice of putting down a few light coats and then flooding it on. I still get some orange peel though.

modelcrazy

Well I must say, this surprises me. I thought you would use something different for cars. Maybe I just stink at cars. 

 

Well I've used MCW Auto finishes too, if I want an exact match color. But I don't like his lacquer, for whatever reason he used his fastest drying thinner in the auto paints and mixes it too thin to leave room to add in a slow dry or some retarder. In my climate it's just too fast. Yet he has slow dry because he uses it in his military colors. And then there is the price. The colors are dead on but I don't like working with fast drying hot lacquers on models, never did.

He has added an enamel line though which I have not tried. I used his facebook page and email to try and see if the lacquer could be mixed with slow dry thinner, no response. I'm not pleased overall. And I have the capability to mix my own solid colors to be pretty accurate anyway.

I don't know, been painting cars for over 60 years,models and 35 years in 1/1. I make a way and it happens is best I can say.

modelcrazy

Well I must say, this surprises me. I thought you would use something different for cars. Maybe I just stink at cars. 

 

The problem is gloss paint.  This is true for most non-military models.  My mantra for glossy finishes is, you most put on thick, until it is just ready to run.  How do you recognise that point?  Same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

I use Tamiya Lacquer rattle cans. Very ease to use. Drys fast and hard. Very little orange peel.

Well I must say, this surprises me. I thought you would use something different for cars. Maybe I just stink at cars. 

modelcrazy

Has anyone ever used Didspade?

http://scalefinishes.com/Didspade.html

 

I mix Tamiya clear colors and shoot it over whichever base to get that candy effect fwiw.. Often using craft paints for the main color coat. That's for hot rods etc not the classic and antique era vehicles I'm more likely to be working on.

To me, in the class of vehicles I'm most likely to build I may use acrylic now and then but it's tough to deny in the end, it's really the realm of enamels. To me anyway, though I do use acrylics on interiors and engines pretty often.

Thanks Don

I haven't tried it but looks interesting.

modelcrazy

Has anyone ever used Didspade?

http://scalefinishes.com/Didspade.html

 

Steve, LOVE your signature!

Has anyone ever used Didspade?

http://scalefinishes.com/Didspade.html

I use Tamiya spray cans.

For colours that aren't available with Tamiya, I will then use Scalefinishes. 

I have actually been buying a lot of the Testors square bottle enamels lately, because they flow so nicely.  Their Metallic Silver is awesome stuff...so shiny and fine-pigmented, its like a little bottle of mercury.

I still use Testors/Model Masters enamels on my cars.

I rarely build cars, but the one I have on the back burner at the moment I have been painting with Model Master enamels.  Its looking pretty good so far and the colors are an accurate match for the real-world subject.

I usually use Testors enamel, but  often use auto paint in spray cans for body.  Last car (Mephistofle) I used a red from a Rustoleum spray can.  I am going to try the new bottles of Tamiya lacquer.

Hello!

I usually take Motip spray cans. Their primers are pretty good, too!

Good luck with your builds and have a nice day

Paweł

I like Tamiya rattle cans quite a lot.  Spray nice and dry with a really nice finish. 

I have a couple other manufacturers paint that I own but haven't tried - Gravity & Zero .  MCW automative finishes has color matched specific to manufactures and teams colors - pretty cool. 

One other thing I have done is ordered a bottle of touchup paint for the specific factory color for late model cars.  I did my mini cooper that way but I wasn't as happy with the finish - should have worked it more