Why the hell is red automotive paint so expensive? Just because they can? Go into an auto paint store and tell them you want red paint and stand back....wwwwhhhhhooooowwwweeee that stuff is expensive (that's the paint store drone speaking). Yet there is no difference in prices between colors in the other types of paint.
In reply to spitfirebill:
I'm not sure why, but the red pigment has always been more expensive than any other color. I'm sure someone here will know why.
I was unaware of this discrepancy in "real" automotive paint but I can tell you it is not present in the rattle can isle where I get my color.
I for one, am all for it.
If it will slow people down from repainting EVERY OTHER DAMN CAR red, I will be happy.
(yes, I have an issue)
I'm also glad that the "resale red" crowd is getting gouged 
doesnt seem to be a problem for barn paint...
The spotted owl and baby seal blood used for pigment is getting harder to come by.
aircooled wrote: I for one, am all for it. If it will slow people down from repainting EVERY OTHER DAMN CAR red, I will be happy. (yes, I have an issue)
Well eexxxxxxcccccuuuusssseeeeee me!
My 64 Spitfire was Triumph 32-Signal Red and the 80 was Triumph 32-Carmine Red.
Do you also hate BRG?
Well I guess the question is why is wall paint, spray bomb paint and pretty much all other paints (Tractor Supply paint, etc) the same price? I don't think there was difference in the Tower paint spray bomb I got. I'm sure its some rare or precious pigment only found in auto paint.
Red automotive paint is really hard to get right. It, for some reason, fades very easily, and so it's very special. It's not abnormal, though, for real automotive paint it's always more expensive than the rest of the colors.
spitfirebill wrote: Well eexxxxxxcccccuuuusssseeeeee me! My 64 Spitfire was Triumph 32-Signal Red and the 80 was Triumph 32-Carmine Red. Do you also hate BRG?
Yes, you are right to be ashamed. The first step to recovery is acknowledging your problem 
BRG? I don't see a lot of cars painted that (maybe in the Spridget crowd?). I actually like BRG. It's not flashy enough of a color the "repainting" crowd I am mad at.
Interestingly, I don't think I have ever seen a Corvair in BRG, could not even find a coupe on the Google. I did find a Rampside though. Not bad.
The BRG I lust over is the dark shade Jag used on some of the D-type racers. I want a TR3 or 4 in that color, I don't care if its not a real Triumph color.
The short answer is that the pigments they used to use were outlawed due to carcinogen issues in production. The replacement pigments are rarer and hence more expensive. Same goes for yellow also.
Thanks Don. I shoulda figured.
I'm colorblind and don't see most colors the way other folks do. I do see red, black, white, and yellow and so most of the vehicles I've owned are one of those colors. I priced out the single stage red urethane PPG paint for my current project and it's $600.00 a gallon without activator and reducer!! Sure wish I could see green or something.
Currently have 5 red, 1 yellow, 1 black, and 1 white vehicle. Black and white are hard to keep up with and very few vehicles look good in yellow to me, so I have to pay the price on the red.
I heard red pigment comes from a single mine in Germany. Dunno if that's true.
Rad_Capz wrote: I priced out the single stage red urethane PPG paint for my current project and it's $600.00 a gallon without activator and reducer!!
When I was buying the red paint for the 64 Spitfire it was $70 gallon for PPG Destar within the hardener. Hence my heightened state of pissivity. Yes I know it was a LONG time ago. All they have done it take the good stuff out and upped the price.
Don49 wrote: The short answer is that the pigments they used to use were outlawed due to carcinogen issues in production. The replacement pigments are rarer and hence more expensive. Same goes for yellow also.
When did that happen? I remember paying more for red lacquer back in the 70's.
We are arguing about paint colors, facts and truth have no business here.
I like Primery Colors.
Primer Red, Primer Gray, Primer Black, Primer Brown, and Zinc-Oxide Primer.
bravenrace wrote:Don49 wrote: The short answer is that the pigments they used to use were outlawed due to carcinogen issues in production. The replacement pigments are rarer and hence more expensive. Same goes for yellow also.When did that happen? I remember paying more for red lacquer back in the 70's.
Do you remember when Ma Bell used to screw you over top get colored phone that was not black? I think black and beige were cheap. The other colors cost you dearly. This was right after they actually started selling you phones instead of renting them.
The red paint i just priced for my nieces truck was the exact same as the other colors.
Tractor supply implement paint for the win!
When I had a shop doing custom painting, I was told that the red pigmemtation used real gold in it. Pigmentation for various colors is made foerm very different chemicals, and for most automotive paint, the pigmentation in reds are simply more expensive to manufacture. The cheaper brands and smaller quantities like spray cans and TSC stuff is made with cheaper fillers. And, they may be selling all their paint lines at the price of red paint, and making more profit off of the blues and greens they sell.
You'll find the same when buying artist's paints for crafts. In the quality paint lines, reds cost more. The chemicals and compounds used to make the pigment are simply more expensive.
In reply to spitfirebill:
My guess is that manufacturers that don't charge more for their red paint spread that cost increase over their entire product line.
If you want proper paint and you want red, there is simple solution, buy mis-tint red. As red is indeed hard to get right and quite often your auto parts paint store will have a gallon someone got wrong..............I got a gallon of PPG in the aforementioned color for $20 back in 2006. A friend who did paint for years told me that red (I don't remember why) does indeed cost more to make. He was the one who told me to check the screw up rack / bargain shelf. As it was for the race car I wasn't concerned about it matching an exact color.
Tom
You'll need to log in to post.
