I have a 2004 Z in Liquid Aluminum, but thanks to the previous owner the paint is in terrible condition (flaking, peeling, stained, worn clear coat, etc.). I have a V2 bumper on the way, and I'd like to repaint the entire car, but I'm looking into doing it myself. My brother has all the equipment I need, so I just need to order the paint. I want to get it close to the factory Nogaro Red color (paint code is A41), but because it's a tri-coat, it's a bit harder.
From what I've seen, Nogaro Red starts as a layer of white primer/sealer, then the red basecoat, then the transparent red midcoat, then clear coat.
I was originally planning on doing a standard gray 2K primer, then a bright red basecoat (Tractor Red from TCP Global's Restoration Shop), then clear coat. However, after seeing the process for the Nogaro Red tri-coat, I'm thinking it might be better to do the white primer to get that brighter red finish, but I'm not sure if I would need to choose a darker shade of red to compensate for the white primer so it doesn't turn out too bright/pinkish. Also, from what I've seen, the midcoat can be a risky job to get right, so I'm wondering how necessary it would be. I know I won't be able to get an exact match, I essentially want a similar bright red finish to Nogaro Red or even Ford's Race Red. Would it be possible to get a similar shade/finish by just doing the white primer, red basecoat, and clear coat (so no midcoat)? How much darker would I need to go to compensate for the white primer?
TL;DR:
-What's the best/cheapest way to get similar paint color/finish to Nogaro Red/Ford's Race Red? gray primer > Tractor Red basecoat > clear coat OR white primer > darker red basecoat (ex: Candy Apple Red?) > clear coat OR something else?
-Is the midcoat necessary to get the right finish? If so, can I make the transparent midcoat by mixing the red basecoat with a reducer?
From what I've seen, Nogaro Red starts as a layer of white primer/sealer, then the red basecoat, then the transparent red midcoat, then clear coat.
I was originally planning on doing a standard gray 2K primer, then a bright red basecoat (Tractor Red from TCP Global's Restoration Shop), then clear coat. However, after seeing the process for the Nogaro Red tri-coat, I'm thinking it might be better to do the white primer to get that brighter red finish, but I'm not sure if I would need to choose a darker shade of red to compensate for the white primer so it doesn't turn out too bright/pinkish. Also, from what I've seen, the midcoat can be a risky job to get right, so I'm wondering how necessary it would be. I know I won't be able to get an exact match, I essentially want a similar bright red finish to Nogaro Red or even Ford's Race Red. Would it be possible to get a similar shade/finish by just doing the white primer, red basecoat, and clear coat (so no midcoat)? How much darker would I need to go to compensate for the white primer?
TL;DR:
-What's the best/cheapest way to get similar paint color/finish to Nogaro Red/Ford's Race Red? gray primer > Tractor Red basecoat > clear coat OR white primer > darker red basecoat (ex: Candy Apple Red?) > clear coat OR something else?
-Is the midcoat necessary to get the right finish? If so, can I make the transparent midcoat by mixing the red basecoat with a reducer?