Quad-Coats, Patina, and Junkyard 5.3s
About this episode
Kevin Byrd and Willie B welcome paint expert Kevin Tates to discuss the secrets of DIY automotive painting. Tates shares his journey from a failed 15-year-old rattle-can project to becoming an industry educator. He debunks the myth that painting is a pure art form, arguing instead that it is a disciplined, repeatable procedure. Listeners will learn about his Spray Coach tool designed to build muscle memory without wasting expensive paint, alongside practical tips for practicing on scrap panels and cardboard before tackling a full project car.
Kevin Tetz
"And Kevin Tates, man, you guys know him. He's been everywhere from trucks for years and years on trucks, right on speed and all the other changes of networks, classic rides and then, you know, hands on cars."
A famous car guy on TV and YouTube who is an expert at teaching regular people how to paint and fix the bodywork on their own cars at home.
An automotive television host, paint expert, and creator of the 'Paintucation' instructional video series. He is widely known for hosting shows like Trucks! on the Powerblock/Spike TV network and Hands on Cars, specializing in teaching DIY enthusiasts professional bodywork and paint techniques.
clear coat
"And then why are we seeing cars with all this flaking clear coat, right? From 2000s, maybe even the 90s when, right, we were supposed to be making these huge advancements, but it seems like now we're biting, getting bit by it, right?"
The shiny, see-through top layer of paint on a car that protects the colored paint underneath from getting damaged by the sun and weather.
The non-pigmented, transparent final layer of paint applied over a colored base coat in modern automotive paint systems. It provides the vehicle's glossy shine and contains crucial UV inhibitors that protect the underlying color from fading and peeling due to sun exposure.
Eastwood
"He's been partnered up with Eastwood for ever and ever. Does some amazing stuff."
A popular brand that sells tools, paint, and equipment specifically designed for people who want to fix up classic cars in their own home garages.
An American company specializing in DIY automotive restoration tools, specialty paints, and garage equipment. They are famous for catering directly to home hobbyists with professional-grade products like rust encapsulators, MIG welders, and paint guns.
patina
"But if somebody wants wants to keep their patina or do something like that, yeah, man, the satin, the satin wipe on clears, those things are really cool."
The worn-out, faded, and slightly rusty look that an old car gets from sitting outside for years. Many car enthusiasts think this look is cool and choose to keep it instead of repainting the car.
The natural wear, fading, surface rust, and weathering that accumulates on a classic vehicle's original paint over decades. In modern car culture, preserving or simulating this aged look has become a highly popular alternative to a shiny, flawless paint job.
Chevrolet Camaro (Second Generation)
"but you know, we had John before you talked about your 74 Camaro and hadn't really heard much about it. You got a quick teaser and where people can go to find a little bit more about this, uh, second gen project... This Camaro has been a really fun project. We've totally reskinned it with all AMD sheet metal to the dream car that I couldn't afford to buy when I was a kid, a 70 rally sport Camaro, the split bumper, right?"
A classic American muscle car built in the 1970s. The early versions are famous for having a unique front bumper that is split into two small pieces instead of one big bar.
Produced from 1970 to 1981, the second-generation Chevrolet Camaro featured an all-new body style influenced by European sports cars, moving away from the coke-bottle styling of the first generation. The early 'split-bumper' RS (Rally Sport) models from 1970-1973 are highly coveted by collectors for their distinctive front-end styling.
two-stage paint
"The one that comes out this Saturday is a spray painting technique, how to spray glass with two stage paint."
A modern way of painting cars using two steps: first, you spray the color, and then you spray a clear, protective shiny coat over it.
A paint system consisting of a base coat (which provides the color) followed by a clear coat (which provides gloss and protection). This is the industry standard for modern automotive refinishing, offering superior durability and ease of repair compared to older single-stage paints.
GM 5.3L V8 engine
"Oh man. I'll ask baby, we had to go GM. So it's, it's a junkyard 53 but I'm putting a, it's an American powertrain clutch system with a Tremac TKX."
A highly reliable V8 engine found in millions of older Chevy trucks. Car builders love to pull them out of junkyards because they are cheap, tough, and can easily be modified to make huge power.
Part of GM's Generation III/IV LS engine family, the 5.3-liter V8 (such as the LM7) was widely used in millions of Chevy and GMC trucks and SUVs. It is legendary in the aftermarket community as a cheap, incredibly durable 'junkyard' engine capable of handling massive horsepower, especially with turbocharging.
Tremec TKX
"So it's, it's a junkyard 53 but I'm putting a, it's an American powertrain clutch system with a Tremac TKX."
A modern, heavy-duty 5-speed manual gear shifter designed to be easily installed into older classic cars to give them an extra gear for highway driving.
A highly popular aftermarket 5-speed manual transmission designed by Tremec specifically for classic car restomods and street performance. It features a compact, streamlined case designed to fit into tight transmission tunnels without floor pan modifications, and is rated to handle up to 600 lb-ft of torque.
quad coat
"Those colors are expensive to fix. Some of those are quad coats. Some of those are five-stage coats, you know, and the candies back in the day, you'd have a gold or silver base and then a translucent mid or red, whatever."
An expensive, four-layer paint job used on some modern cars to make the color look incredibly deep and shiny. They are very hard to touch up if they get scratched.
A highly complex, four-stage paint process consisting of a base coat, two distinct mid-coats (often containing pearls, tints, or metallic flakes), and a final clear coat. These finishes create incredible depth and color-shifting effects but are notoriously difficult and expensive to match and repair.
Ford Mustang (Fox Body)
"So yeah, the OBS trucks and third gen Camaros. That's, well, Fox Mustang too, right? That's those are the next hot rod."
A lightweight, boxy version of the Mustang sold in the 1980s and early 90s that is very popular because it is cheap to buy and easy to make fast.
Built on Ford's Fox platform from 1979 to 1993, this generation of Mustang is celebrated for its lightweight chassis and highly tunable 5.0-liter V8 engine. It remains one of the most popular platforms for drag racing and budget performance builds.
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