TCP Global

danp76

danp76

Oldtimer
Hi guys, have anyone tried TCP Global base coats? Are they strictly for a budget-based job, or would you use them on a restoration project? I was thinking about their blue or green base coat with spi clear and spi primers.
 
why would you want to use that on a decent car ? if 100 bucks is going to break the bank your in the wrong hobby . saving money this way is just wrong .
 
its been awhile so i forget exactly but if i recall their stuff is private labeled ecoco ppg. shopline, omni or something like that. dont quote me 100%. i have not used their base but i have used some of their ss. it was as thin as straight reducer. if it were me i wouldnt use it on anything high end that needed to be super nice.
 
Ok thanks guys, was kinda what I was thinking. Shine I hear you, but if I can save money, and still get a great product I'm on board...after all, isn't that why we are using spi?
 
it's called a weak link . and i dont use spi to save money. the cost of materials should not be a deciding factor when it comes to paint work unless you are doing collision work or something you care nothing about.
 
shine;32689 said:
it's called a weak link . and i dont use spi to save money.

This is the biggest marketing factor that Barry must face...I hear it all the time when I mention SPI...it is most always questioned with the likes cheap materials, because of the price...Each product Barry produces is BETTER than its closest competition regardless of price or manufacturer...therefore USE HIGH QUALITY BASE
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I think the OP was just saying that SPI is inexpensive for it's quality level and he was in hopes that TCP was similar, great product for low cost. The response seems to generally be no, TCP is not.

From what I've read on here, Pro Spray seems to be a great bang for the buck base, but maybe others will chime in with other quality bases that are reasonably priced.

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I think the OP was just saying that SPI is inexpensive for it's quality level and he was in hopes that TCP was similar, great product for low cost. The response seems to generally be no, TCP is not.

From what I've read on here, Pro Spray seems to be a great bang for the buck base, but maybe others will chime in with other quality bases that are reasonably priced.
 
Yes Mitch_04, you are absolutely correct. By no means do I intend on using low quality products. Shine, I completely understand the importance of high quality products yielding high quality results. I was merely inquiring about TCP Global base coat, to see if anyone had any input about its quality. If I can save money and NOT sacrifice quality I'm on board...but then again who wouldn't be? I wouldn't want to spend countless hours performing autobody repairs, only to coat them in an inferior product, it would be counter productive.
 
I think all of us consider price, especially in today's financial climate, however for me the determining factor is the project vehicle when it comes to base coat. For primers and clears there isn't even a need to look elsewhere as SPI is what I go with every time.
On restoration projects my view is this: if the car is worth restoring then it is worth a top quality base coat. I use RM Diamont for restorations since a jobber is nearby. If a customer requests PPG I will use them but I always discourage customers from going cheap on the paint because too much time and money has been spent on the restoration to justify it.
For a repaint of someone's driver, repair work, etc. I still refuse to the economy lines and generally use ProSpray.
In my thinking there must be a reason they can sell the economy lines at a fraction of the cost of the premium lines. The quality of the pigments, toners, solvents or something must be different because the premium lines spray and cover so much better. Also the premium lines usually mix 1:1 giving you 2 gallons of RTS while the cheaper lines often mix 3:1 giving you 1 gallon RTS. I don't claim to understand the composition of paints, I'll leave that to Barry, but something must be different based on the mixing ratios and the results.
 
flynams This is the biggest marketing factor that Barry must face...I hear it all the time when I mention SPI...it is most always questioned with the likes cheap materials said:
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You don't know how right you are! The difference is I make our stuff and I buy right so SPI is priced right BUT I have jobbers that bitch at me daily, that if I would raise my prices the SPI line would be easier to sell. I will as long as i live never forget this:
About 10 years ago one of my jobbers (Larry) who was always complaining that my prices were not high enough asked me of permission to make a dummy label for ten gallon kits of HS clear #3000 and sell it for $250 a gallon kit saying this is just a test formula Barry is trying. At that time the kit of HS was around a $100. Most of the people that bought it were already using the 3000 and all Ten gallons were gone in a week and they were begging for more because it was so good.

Lots of companies out there that private label the stuff they sell and have no clue what is in it and when they get pricing down low and it has already gone through two hands with all their mark ups and paid a rep 10%, how much money is left to make a good product??

Last I heard the TCP was Valspar line but have never seen it in person, to smell it to know.
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i think i need to avoid threads like this. it has been a huge pia every time i get into one. it's always the same . my opinion of paint based on 40 years of dealing with it is useless because someone has already used x ,y or z . one of the biggest whiners on one site is all butt hurt because most think kirker is junk . guess what he used . there is no such thing as value line . there is top shelf and then cheap shit to use on collision quickies . i've said it before , if a 100 bucks is going to break the bank your in the wrong hobby. sell your paint guns and buy a fishing pole , minnows are cheap . i'll leave to someone else from now on.
 
I agree with you Shine, I'm not one to sacrifice quality to save a buck. I would rather spend more and get a great quality product. However, if I can save money and NOT sacrifice quality, then I'm on board. Kind of like watching for sales at retail stores. I guess we all want the best quality for the lowest price. In reality, on the restoration jobs I do for people it doesn't matter what the product costs, as it's passed down to the customer anyway. When spending thousands on a restoration, they won't complain on a few hundred bucks for a different primer, etc. When it comes to my own projects I want to use the best products for the lowest cost, and I that is a challenge, as you typically get what you pay for. I've have great luck with all spi products and Barry's amazing help over the years. I only inquired about TCP Global, not knowing about their base coat quality, as I can't purchase all colors from spi.
 
I've been holding back on asking this question for the fear of sounding cheap, but here it goes.

My restoration car will get the best products and no short cuts. However, I have very limited spray experience, and I don't want to learn on "the one that counts."

I have a daily driver 1995 Honda Accord. All of the clear coat has pealed off the horizontal surfaces. If I use the same products under the "perfect paint job" plan to repaint my Honda for "experience", I will likely exceed the value of the car in materials. Where can I take short cuts to keep the price minimal, and still have a valuable learning experience? Which products should I use, and how many coats of each is acceptable?
 
Hi MX 442, I would consider going with a single-stage paint like Limco urethane or Nason, or Omni or some other lower priced paint. If you want to learn base/clear, then you can also use the limco or nason, or any of the other lower level paint companies. Some may argue that these will not hold out as long as the more premier coatings, but after all, it's a 1995, not a 2013 or a restoration. The alternative would be to pay a bit more money and purchase SPI products, and get the feel for them, so when you do your important car, you know how to use the best materials. Whatever you choose, there is no replacement for just getting out there and spraying product, regardless of what brand is on the can, you need time behind the gun to get continuously great results.
 
different brand bases spray differently,especially if they are a metallic.my advice would be to "practice" on your Honda with quality value priced base.call chad,i mean call the new "boss" kate where chad works and try pro-spray base.1-1 mix with spi and a splash of spi activator and you have a top shelf base at a reasonable cost and then hit it with some production clear as it is the best 4-1 clear I have used.never believed in 4-1 clears as the were low grade but uncle barry really knocked it out of the park with this stuff.
 
How about this plan?

Two coats of SPI epoxy. Filler and feather. Two more coats of epoxy. Sand. Seal with reduced epoxy. Prospray base. Two coats of production clear. Don't worry about the cost, and call it experience... Anybody have a ballpark estimate of what that would cost?
 
MX442;32735 said:
How about this plan?

Two coats of SPI epoxy. Filler and feather. Two more coats of epoxy. Sand. Seal with reduced epoxy. Prospray base. Two coats of production clear. Don't worry about the cost, and call it experience... Anybody have a ballpark estimate of what that would cost?
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Now your talking....ever been to college????you paid....so...pay a little here to learn for the good job...and the jobs after that....it's worth it
 
Will two coats of production clear be enough material to wet sand and buff? Gotta learn how to do that, too.
 
MX442;32738 said:
Will two coats of production clear be enough material to wet sand and buff? Gotta learn how to do that, too.
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nope...go for 3 at minimum
 
Two coats is OK if several conditions are met:

You are a wet sprayer.
You don't want to sand ALL the peel out.
You aren't concerned about getting it to last 10+ years

BUT, if you want practice sanding stuff FLAT and buffing, 3 coats is a minimum... In fact, to learn the perfect paint job procedure, you need to clear, sand, clear, sand, buff.. That is 6 coats or even more...
 
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