another paint question from me!

alrighty.....the last thread on the paint thing posted by me was this
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38473

i had to a poll to determine how i should paint the ol jeep.....i took advice and went the rattle can route.....good choice i might add as i have not enough cash to do it any other way...SO:

i bought paint.....i had already primed/prepped the roof...that was my starting point.....i bought FLAT paint....Krylon ULTRA-FLAT..cause it looks cool IMO...half way through the second coat i realize that i have had problems with flat paint before when painting furniture *chipping, scraping, etc, etc* SO i was wondering...did i screw up royally and need to take this back and get something with a gloss??.... :wierd: i am confused and worried now that the slightest touch will make it scratch off....HELP!!!!!...advice is much appreciated before i continue screwing up the HEEP!

In general flat has less durability than gloss paints, and nothing in a spray can can touch the durability of automotive paints. However one of the advantages of using the spray bomb is that you can touch up without a lot of hassles. If you like the flat and are willing to "maintain" then go for it.

see that is the thing.......i know i am going to have to maintain it cause its not going to be as good as automotive paint but wouldnt you say FLAT paint is going to be more of a pain than some sort of gloss paint???..i would think the gloss would last longer

just trying to see if you all had experience with this?????

If the metal was prepped correctly, flat won't scratch or peel any easier than gloss. It just doesn't hold up as well to weather as gloss. Of course, a few years ago I had Maaco shoot my '88, and the roof and hood are now as flat as the flattest flat you can buy in a paint store. If you like the flat, keep going, and if it chips or peels in 6 months ... buy another can and touch it up.

paint is only as durable as the prep job. make sure you scuff the primer or whatever you are painting with no finer than 400 grit. any finer and the paint probably wont get a good enough bite. flat spray paint is just as durable as gloss, but it is less obvious when touched up.

yeah i scuffed it with exactly 400 grit actually cause thats what a friend reccommended so i guess that was good.....i love the flat look....so yeah thanks for the input guys ....i think i will keep on a goin!.....

i did consider maaco but got scared when i heard some horror stories..y aknow....

The only problems I´ve had with flat paint, are the salt stains don´t want to come out. Also mud stains and if you ever get any wax on there it looks bad and is also hard to get off.
I often use satin finishes or half flat. Like Eagle said after a couple of years, they look as flat as flat, but don´t seem to stain as bad.

I don't think durability will be a big issue, but flat paint can be hard to keep looking good where it's exposed to fingerprints, oil, etc. I think a satin finish, as 8mud suggests, would be less prone to showing marks, easier to keep clean.

I'd definitely recommend gloss, I used it every time, but when I got one of my jeeps it was painted with flat and hadn't hardly chipped in 6 mos of exposure, i think they prepped poorly too. Flat will hold in the mud stains longer and you'll have to powerwash (carwash) to get it out. Gloss cleans easily with bucket of water or real easily at carwash. Gloss/flat should hold up against chipping the same as long as it was clean when you put it on, if not; touch up where it flakes. You dont need to take it off, you can just paint over it.