Old English White - a cheaper alternative?

[davew1949]

Just tried a little test spray using ESM's Old English White paint (which I have used before with "good" results - the "good" is in inverted commas not due to the paint but due to my indifferent spraying proficiency. The paint itself seems fine) against Bull Motif's OEWhite and Halfords Rover Arum White.

To be honest I would have difficulty telling the difference. I sprayed the whole of an admittedly pretty small panel with ESM, then, when dry, the top part only with Halfords Arum and the bottom with Bull's OEW so any colour difference would definitely show up at the joins. All I can say is "It's all a pretty good match" with Halfords being perhaps a very slightly better match than Bulls. Now things might be different on a large panel in full sunshine with a very discerning audience, but to my poor old eyes I'm certain either would be good enough to enable me to paint part panels and blend in with polish/rubbing compound.

Now Halfords costs £5.99 for 300ml against ESM's £11.50 and Bull's £9.95 (+VAT +p&p) for 400ml so I will definitely be getting more paint for my pennies with Halfords. I must admit the Halfords nozzle doesn't seem as flexible as ESM's which is able to deliver a vertical or horizontal fan, but it is the same as the nozzle in the Bull's can, and you could presumably change one spray top for another if you already have the better one.

So unless someone knows something about Halfords paint that I don't, in future I think I know where my "Old English" will be coming from.

Dave

[RobMoore]

I did a bonnet repair a short while back and used ESM paint (Aerosol) the repair ended up looking the best part of the bodywork noce finished, I was amazed at just how good the ESM can was the nozzle was very high quality. The match however was nowhere near the rest of the car lol so I ended up borrowing a m8's gun and compressor and buying 2 litres of paint from a local supplier
Paint = £36
Thinners £6
Add some filler £5
and G3 rubbing compound £26
some wet n dry for £2
total outer body respray £75

You do get what you pay for and the ESM can is far superior if your only painting the odd panel then I would recommend the ESM can highly, if painting more then try and loan a gun and compressor.
You can indeed change the nozzle from the ESM can onto any other can just be sure its clean and make sure you turn your can upside down and spray out to prevent it drying in the nozzle.

[bmcecosse]

I bought a large tin of OEW from Tom Roy at the 'National' recently - it cost a lot less than either of these two. You could of course do virtually all the spraying with the cheaper Arum white - and then just a final thin coat of the genuine OEW. Spray cans should be heated up - ONLY in hot water - before use - and of course - vigorous shaking. And use an undercoat that's very near to the final colour - so for OEW, the white primer from Poundland will be fine - it's actually a very good spray can - and good paint too! I sprayed all my kitchen unit doors with it last summer - saved me the cost of a new kitchen - for a while anyway

[chickenjohn]

The ESM cans are excellent- a great match to my travellers black paint. It possibly does not match due to the original paint fading, and as said for a whole car it is far more economical to buy 5l of cellulose (it is still available for pre 72 classics!)

For paint, don;t think cheaper- think better. If you are doing the paint job yourself, it is already vastly cheaper than a professional re-spray, we are talking a few hundred in materials versus a few thousands for the pro job. So as an amateur painter you are already 10x cheaper- so you should be focussed on quality- buying the best cellulose paint and thinners and taking care so you get the best possible DIY paint job.

At this point Jonothan would chime in with his porfessional wisdom if he had sadly not been banned.

[chickenjohn]

-snip-
Now Halfords costs £5.99 for 300ml against ESM's £11.50 and Bull's £9.95 (+VAT +p&p) for 400ml so I will definitely be getting more paint for my pennies with Halfords. I must admit the Halfords nozzle doesn't seem as flexible as ESM's which is able to deliver a vertical or horizontal fan, but it is the same as the nozzle in the Bull's can, and you could presumably change one spray top for another if you already have the better one.

So unless someone knows something about Halfords paint that I don't, in future I think I know where my "Old English" will be coming from.

Dave

Yes, i'm pretty sure Halfords paint is cheap nasty single pack acrylic- which will play havoc if you have to overpaint in the future with celly, wheras the ESM is high quality cellulose with a very good nozzle that gets close to gun quality finish. The ESM paint is of the quality of cellulose you can buy from pain suppliers.
Don;t buy the Hellfrauds, you will get a better finish from the ESM cans.