Topic: paint; omni line vs very expensive ppg line

[big bad blue]

 Doing a 1970 Grabber Blue car and want a killer paint job. I have used Omni in the past with good results, single stage.  This car will be BC/CC or maybe a single stage/clear. My question is, is the expensive line worth the difference? 58 dollars vs 256 dollars a quart. At least 3 quarts. Freaking stuff must have Gold/Platinum/Ceramic/silver in it. Don't get me wrong I would pay up if it was a great difference. But I don't want to pay Cobra Jet price for a Six cylinder.
 Second half question, Why is it so expensive? The reason I am concerned is Grabber Blue is kind of an on the edge paint. Some really like it, some really don't. Seen some I like, some not so much. Actually the ones I like aren't probably correct. Thanks for your time.

[Bossbill]

I've shot Omni before and I really liked it. It seemed like a good value for the car I was repairing. The base coat/clear turned out really nice.
In talking with my painter he says the difference isn't in the quality of the finish when just shot. It's in how long it lasts before dulling out.

I had the Boss shot over 25 years ago. It's done in PPG (Deltron, I believe) and the paint still looks great.

[CharlesTurner]

For cars that are relatively sheltered and kept out of the elements, paint longevity isn't as much of a factor.

I'm sure there are other factors that play into paint cost/quality though.

[Bossbill]

Pic of Omni BC/CC applied to a car.

[rrenz]

as a professional painter I've sprayed omni. its a decent paint and lays out nice. if your looking in that direction nason is another one of my favorites. just shot some on my 01 convertible. like previously mentioned for a car that will be babied I think any paint will stand the test of time. once sanded and buffed out I can make the cheapest paint look like a high dollar job. for a car outside exposed to the elements thats another story. you then start to get into UV protection and so on...

[ddonzella]

I've shot both Omni and PPG single stage. The difference I quickly noticed was that PPG covered with less product and contains more solids than Omni. I used more Omni to get same coverage. Additionally when using black Omni it did begin to fade after 3 years, (on a vehicle which is left outside in S. Florida).

[67gtasanjose]

IDK why but I do feel your pain(t).
I bought 6 quarts of Deltron for my Coupe about 1-1/2 years ago with the idea I'd have enough left over for any "just in case" situations...OUCH! (add on for the high-end PPG clear :O ).
You might imagine the look on my face when the painter asked for an additional 2 quarts! (and the price went up almost 20% from initial purchase).

Well, I DO NOW HAVE 3 -quarts leftover so that sheet better last indefinitely at that price! I thought a quart "buffer" would be adequate and my estimations were spot-on at 6 quarts.

[J_Speegle]

On daily drivers type cars I've not had luck with Omni and long term ( three year or more) exposure to sun light in the west

Just my experience - Guess that is why its cheaper 

[jtboss302]

I've used them both and the above comments are true.  The expensive ppg paint has more pigments in it and the coverage is MUCH better and takes less material. Also if you aren't an experienced painter, the more coats of paint you have to apply for coverage, the more chances for mistakes and also the more chance you have for dust or anything else to get in the paint.  While the omni is more like water and takes more paint to cover.  BUT it is much cheaper.  My ppg dealer obviously carries the cheap omni and also shopline.  They actually advised that I could save lots of $$$ by using the shopline paint which is much cheaper and then using a good ppg clear for much better protection.  For a driver I would do that, but for an expensive restoration I just pay the piper and shell out the big bucks.   It's not something you can go back and change....at least not easily