Here is the detail I put into the other thread;
Hello, can I get some advice on how I may improve my stock colors. I have a 98 Mountaineer with stock two toned reds. The lower red is dark toreador red and I'm not worried about it, it could stay as is if needed.
The top 75% is Toreador red, a beautiful factory color. I'd like to push the basic color towards a candy blood red that I see on the Alsa website. They sell a lot of candy colors and various additives, supplies etc.
I don't want a color that screams for attention like typical candy paint jobs. I'm not after a show vehicle or extreme glitter, pearl, flopping colors etc.
I like my basic color but I want it to be a hair deeper of a red, near blood red, and with a hair more pearl effect. The stock colors are metal flake, but just faintly there, all flat with none of the late model curved types of flake.
A key word to describe what I'm after should be subtle. I know that most custom colors don't fall under the description of subtle. My point is that I want to change the color a little, without having tons of pearl etc. obvious.
From what I see on the Alsa site, there are two paint additives that may do what I'm after. There is a candy concentrate in blood red, and a Kicker candy blood red, both coming in 4oz. commonly.
They are made to mix with a clear and go over a base coat, topping with a final clear coat. My question is really how to mix those, which one, how much, and what base coat and clear paints to use. My first thought is to make the base and final coat OEM, and play with the blood red additive.
Can I use any of my OEM base Toreador red in with the middle clear coat and blood red? I'm not trying to make the final color match the pure blood red. That has a lot more pearl effect than I want. The additives are made to mix as much as an ounce per quart, and much thinner if needed. I'm wondering if I can play with the mixture easily enough to find a final color that is between the two.
How much of the base color will be seen through the tint coat or middle coat? Would adding any of the blood red to the base coat do anything? Meaning would it be more subtle to add less in the middle coat, and a little to the base coat?
I have no experience with mixing paint, other than actual mixng of OEM paint for a couple of vehicles for/with a friend. I have a friend of a friend who is a great retired painter. I likely can get him to paint for me, but I would have to do the actual mixing, he was used to mixing by eye, long ago doing custom lacquer work.
I'm going to paint my engine bay soon, swapping engines. This, a rear wing, and grille will be early painting projects. I can do the engine bay myself and see what I come up with, and do no harm if the color isn't quite right. Thanks for any help or suggestions, I'm fishing for ideas.
