Last weekend I painted two samples using 4th Dimension base coat and Finish 1 clear coat. These were not acrylic urethanes as I originally thought. They are acrylic enamels. I read that they don't last as long as urethanes (5 years or so), but hopefully I'll have a new truck before then However, I will be waxing my truck regularly after I paint it, after not washing or waxing it once in the 10 years I've owned it (I've been busy!).

First I sprayed the Ford Gem Green metallic. My Finnex FX-3000 with a 1.4 mm set did a great job with the base, and my Finishline 4 FLG-670 with a 1.3mm did a wonderful job with the clear. The clear looked more like steam coming out of the gun. The finish is very slick, and there will be no need to cut and buff if the truck turns out this well.

When I took the panel out into the sun, I was amazed by how good it looked. The paint looks black until you get the right angle, then it looks dark green, just like that F-150 I was drooling all over at a Rooms-2-Go parking lot a month ago. I thought my mind was made up and painting the sample of the Tundra Spruce Green Mica would just be a formality.

However, it turns out that I like the Spruce Green Mica better. Go figure.

Those guys did a good job matching the paint.

Got my photostream working. Toyota Spruce Green Mica