Gillespie Durability?

[SixSpeed]

Hey Guys,

I am trying to decide what paint I want to use on my Unimog. I am tempted by what Rapco has to offer (Gillespie), but I am curious about its durability. I know people say its a good CARC substitute. Is this true for durability? The paint which came on my Unimog from the factory was unbelievably tough and I'd like to replace it with something tough as well.

Any comments from anyone who have sprayed their trucks with Gillespie and have had the paint on there for a while or put it up to some abuse? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. THANKS!

 

[jfnemt1ff1]

When I did my goat and 725 imo the paint worked well. The only thing had a problem is it faded from the sun. Next time I am going to find some flat clear to cover it that should help.
John

 

[SixSpeed]

What color did you use?

Also, how long ago did you paint them and do they stay outside in the sun?

 

[101coolcars]

Hey Guys,

I am trying to decide what paint I want to use on my Unimog. I am tempted by what Rapco has to offer (Gillespie), but I am curious about its durability. I know people say its a good CARC substitute. Is this true for durability? The paint which came on my Unimog from the factory was unbelievably tough and I'd like to replace it with something tough as well.

Any comments from anyone who have sprayed their trucks with Gillespie and have had the paint on there for a while or put it up to some abuse? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. THANKS!

I have experience with Gillespie, type 1 CARC and type 2 waterborne CARC. either of the sherwin williams real deal CARC is much more durable than gillespie, it is a part a and part b type mix, gillespie is just paint and reducer. Having said that I like both paints. the CARC is rough, gillespie smooth. They are different families of paint so its hard to compare apples to oranges, both are good for their own purchase, use, and cost. I have military vehicles painted with both.

It is possible to add harderner to gillespie, that would improve its chip resistance, but i have found that it shines the paint up a little, i prefer the flat look.

Hope that helps some

101coolcars

 

[jfnemt1ff1]

What color did you use?

Also, how long ago did you paint them and do they stay outside in the sun?

I used 24087 and they spent a lot of time out side in Northen Michigan I never got a chance to build them a home before I moved. They were about 3 years.
John

 

[SixSpeed]

Hmmm...interesting. Thanks for the input.

As far as CARC, can they tint it any color?

 

[Bill W]

I used gillespie 24087 on my M-37 and my first deuce
The deuce sat outside inthe So.Fla sun for 6 years and as mentioned fade was quite noticeable when compared to my garage kept M-37 (Trailer queen) but there was no cracking or peeling., Gillespie is not a automotive quality paint, it's just a Industrial alkylid enamel with a synthetic base stock??, it is also the most forgiving paint you'll ever shoot. I also used a synthetic hardner when I shot mine which made the coating a little more tougher to being scratched up by branches. I recently bought 5 gals of gillespie WWII semi-gloss to shoot my current deuce

 

[SixSpeed]

I'm going to assume that an industrial type paint would be tougher than automotive quality paint?

Thanks for the input!

 

[swbradley1]

I used the Rapco rattle cans on the front of my truck and it seems to be holding up okay. I didn't really do any proper prep work on it, just shook the cans and started spraying.

I'll do a much better job this year when it gets warmer.

sw

 

[dragman]

I have been painting in Fl. for 10 years, used a lot of brands of paint, for last 5 years, PPG is what we have found to be the longest to fade. We paint fleet cars and trucks. We use Delfleet. I just painted my truck a month ago, so i really can't tell about fade yet, but im sure it will, i used Gillespie and i can tell you its hard to mark it up. I have walked on the fenders, and any marks wipe off. Painters all use what they like to use, so its hard to say one is better the other. I put a fresh paint next to a 1yr and yes i can tell there is some fade. FL. sun is bad on paint...But Sixspeed, im not telling you anything new........Good Luck

 

[Warren Lovell]

Try this company. They are redoing their website and the link to the Cammy paint is not active, but they will fax you the info. I highly recommend this paint and it is the paint the military uses - so you can't get more authentic than that.

Here is a link to their website:

Content FrameSet

warren

 

[BKubu]

I have experience with Gillespie, type 1 CARC and type 2 waterborne CARC. either of the sherwin williams real deal CARC is much more durable than gillespie, it is a part a and part b type mix, gillespie is just paint and reducer. Having said that I like both paints. the CARC is rough, gillespie smooth. They are different families of paint so its hard to compare apples to oranges, both are good for their own purchase, use, and cost. I have military vehicles painted with both.

It is possible to add harderner to gillespie, that would improve its chip resistance, but i have found that it shines the paint up a little, i prefer the flat look.

Hope that helps some

101coolcars

I have had probably 20 trucks painted with fresh CARC (my personal favorite for authenticity) over the years and a few with Gillespie. The Gillespie weathers and lasts better in my opinion. With the CARC, the problem is not the green (or tan) or brown; the problem is the black. The green and brown definitely fade, but not as readily as the black. If I wanted 100% authenticity, I'd go with CARC. If I wanted a truck painted so I would not have to worry, I'd go Gillespie. I agree with the previous post that stated that Gillespie is more durable. If there is a huge complaint that I have about CARC is that it scratches/scuffs VERY easily. CARC maybe the last thing around with the roaches after the end of the world, but it'll look like crap. Go drag your knuckle across CARC and see the mark you leave. Some of that weathers out, but most stays. Now imagine areas where you step (running boards, floor) or grab (door handles, grab handles). You will be gritting your teeth everytime someone gets into your truck...if you care about scratches. If you don't care about scratches, then I doubt you will care which paint you apply as they are both good coverings. I am not the authority, but as I said, I bet I have had more trucks painted than probably 98% of the guys on this list so I have a fairly good sample size from which to draw my conclusions. Good luck.

 

[thehaas]

I'm going to assume that an industrial type paint would be tougher than automotive quality paint?

Thanks for the input!

automotive paint is harder more sunlight resistant but when it scratches its wider indutrial stays rubbery sratchs smaller or just scratch with out goinh through

 

[Varyag]

I used Gill when I redid my deuce. I can't say anything about sun fade just because it is pretty new but I can say it holds up to scratches pretty well. I have climbed all over my fenders and loaded some pretty heavy pallets into the bed and it isn't showing much wear at all. It does need a good undercoat to stick well. Also, it is really forgiving to work with. I have redone a few areas with the rattle cans and you can't really see any lines or difference from the places that I used a nice spray gun.

 

[Srjeeper]

Gillespie

Gillespie is what I used on all my vehicles and I'm very happy with the way it's held up. The couple times I've had to do a touch up, there is no color difference that I can see. Now my vehicles are kept inside, but I have some display barrels that I keep outside and they look like the day I painted them.

As with any paint job, the serface prep is the first and most important step.

Gillespie is a one part paint that's most affordadable and easy for the average painter/hobbiest to use.

 

[waterboy]

Using Gillispie for the past five years and am very happy with it. Have painted four trucks and even my golf cart. The M715 that I use on the farm takes a lot of abuse and the paint holds up very well. Got it from Rapo which is only about an hours drive from me.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

May 30th, 2010.

SixSpeed:

What kind of finish are you trying to replicate? Semi-Gloss, Flat, or Ultra Flat? If your Unimog was either German Army or Swiss Army in origin, the original paint was a variation on OD Semi-Gloss, which is evident on my S404.114 Swiss inside the cab & Bed... Whatever the specification was, it was a very tough paint from what I have seen. The flat and ultra flat may cause your truck issues, as they do not encourage water to run off, and on flat surfaces, drain gutters and such, you will tend to get rust issues if the vehicle spends much time in the weather. I cannot speak about Gillespie or RAPCO, or any other paints on that order, as I have been using Rustoleaum camouflage to touch up the trucks I have 686A tan and Woodland green, and it seems to work and hold better then a lot of paints as regards fading, but the NE Texas sun beats the living hades out of any painted surface in short order....(Only Death Valley could be worse, I'd guess).
Between you and I, I would talk to either the Sherwin Williams or PPG folks, and try to get a color match in their paint line(s) that would be the equivalent to Imron, as that is what we used on locomotives being repainted, and it seems to take weathering and tree limb scratches about as well as any finish can, and to borrow a term from Wreckerman:"It's tough as Woodpecker's Lips". When I paint a vehicle, I would rather not have to go back in less then ten years to attend to it again, and some equipment I painted in the mid 1980's (railroad cabooses) made it twenty years in the Northern Ohio Valley climate before they needed repainted, and the underframe areas have yet to need repainting.....

The Swiss and German Unimogs used a RAL number for their green, I'll look around in my notes and see if I have it for you.....

Good Luck,

 

[glcaines]

The paint which came on my Unimog from the factory was unbelievably tough and I'd like to replace it with something tough as well.

Why not contact Mercedes and find out the name of the paint manufacturer, type of paint and RAL number? If the original paint was so good, I would bring it back to the original.

 

[thehaas]

enamel stays softer does not sratch down to primer like new car paints that are base coat clear coat .i used my truck a lot and enamel will hold up better to branches mudd walking on power washing as long as epoxy primer is under neath.if not using for work and want ultimate shine base coat clear or single stage urethane better for acid rain stains or chemical its a fully hardened product unlike enamels even the additive that goes in enamel does not equal urethane

 

[68t]

Gillespie is the best. I been using it for several years now on my ww2 mv. Yes it will fade out white some over the years, if left out side in the weather, but all OD paint will, especially od drab. but it will not peel or crack. All the folks around my area buy gillespie from rapco he a good man and honest.