Car paints primarily serve the purpose of changing your vehicle’s look, and color along with covering certain defects and protecting the car’s surface from elements. Most people probably don’t think about the brand when refinishing or repainting a car.
With myriads of paint manufacturers offering vast products, folks can select from, choosing the best automotive paint brands has become a crucial decision. Be alert, the wrong choice can lead to a botched paint job.
No doubt, you want the best paint to protect your vehicle from the elements and ensure your car looks new for as long as possible. Thus, the need to pick an effective paint before taking the car into the paint booth. To ease your task, there are a lot of great paint brands out there, and the listed ones in this guide are perfect for your needs.
Best Automotive Paint Brands
While various paint brands are available in the market, it can be hard to know which one is the best for the job. But with so much at stake, it is worth taking some time to research the best automotive paint brands.
Such an action would ensure your car’s exterior looks appreciable, and protection from rust and weathering is certain. To save your time and labor, here are the top 10 automotive paint brands today.
Dupli-Color
Dupli-Color is a famous name amongst the premium automotive paint brands available. With over 80 years of experience, many car owners rely on this company for the perfect touch of automotive paints.
Impressively, this company’s products come designed with every car part in mind and can help with small repairs and the entire covering of the vehicle’s surface.
Dupli-Color offers a fine finish and the ready-to-spray options make it easy to apply without requiring any mix.
You don’t have to freak out about these paints leaving a messy result since they are less likely to run. The drying time is exceptionally quick, and you can get over with your automotive finishing in no time.
This car paint marque has its product manufactured by Sherwin-Williams Company, a top paint manufacturer known for producing innovative market products. All products from this label meet customers’ needs, and you can check out the automotive paint product line of Dupli-Color to find the right option that fits your project.
Speedokote
This paint brand has been offering car owners and auto experts the best quality services for several years. It would interest you to know that Speedokote is one of the best brands of automotive spray paints, functioning under the umbrella of Speedkote LLC Inc.
This company’s product line holds vast paint options suitable for different automotive projects. Speedokote’s satisfactory standards guarantee tremendous results. Whether as a professional painter or a DIYer, you would find this marque’s paints pretty easy to use.
Several reviews suggest this brand’s product offers excellent coverage and dries evenly. What’s more, you can get these car paints at affordable prices. Thus, Speedokote is one recommended option if you are in the market for the best automotive paint for ‘the money,’ which gives off lasting results.
Rust-Oleum
Whether you want to conceal defects on your vehicle resulting from removing car decals or you want a new look for the car, Rust-Oleum is one brand that you can rely on. This brand produces innovative paints and coatings that work well for consumers, putting the needs of professionals and regular car owners to mind.
While this chemical company focuses on offering one of the most durable automotive paints and catering to customers’ demands, they are also conscious of the environment and treat the surrounding with respect.
Thus, you can rely on this brand to provide paints that help conceal scratches, prevent rust formation, and reduce the chances of having a blotchy paint application without harming the environment.
Since 1921, Rust-Oleum has been helping car painters focus strategically on renovation and maintenances. This trademark headquarters is in Vernon Hills, Illinois (USA), and has manufacturing units across Newcastle, UK, and Belgium.
Kindly note that Rust-Oleum is a subsidiary of the renowned RPM International, Inc., a multinational company that specializes in sealants, building materials, coatings, and several other related services.
POR
The paints supplied by POR Products, Inc. (earlier known as Absolute Coatings) are effective, placing them among the best paint brands for classic cars. This label has its headquarters in New Rochelle, New York, and owns a state-of-the-art facility where they research, manufacture, and develop effective products.
From its early days (established in 1923), this marque has been dedicated to redefining and innovating superior-quality expertise and services. Hence, you would find POR has a legacy as one of the leading suppliers of coating products, with excellent options that work well for various automotive applications.
Such paints comprise different colors and sizes, and there are excellent choices that you can spray directly on the metal frames of the car without the need first to apply an undercoat or a primer.
Another awesome characteristic of POR automotive paints is their drying time; they are quick to dry. The UV resistance that comes with most POR car paint would further ensure that the covering lasts long on the surface of your vehicle without any discoloration.
CRC
CRC automotive paints are products of CRC Industries, one of the world’s leading suppliers of formulations and specialty products. This company has more than 1,300 advanced formulas and items manufactured to meet the needs of various industries, including the automotive industry.
Production and distribution span across marketing areas in North, South, and Central America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. Amazingly enough, this company upholds systems that comply with regulatory and statutory requirements and allows operations that improve productivity.
The multipurpose paints from this brand are suitable for car use, working effectively for touch-ups and spraying vehicle rims and other accessories.
There are versatile choices that match contractor applications and everyday factories. You would appreciate the brand’s quick-drying technology, as most of their automotive paints dry quickly after application.
Meguiar
Meguiar is another famous name that makes up the top automotive paint brands list. This company is focused on car care and maintenance; hence, it engages in the research and development of high-quality products.
This brand has been around since 1901. Meguiar has been specializing in various formulations that work for the surface of cars. Thus, you would find that this marque has top-quality paints, tires, wheels, and interiors.
If you are keen on concealing scratches or other blemishes, you can rely on Meguiar to provide effective solutions that would do just that without risking further damage. Such paints can help enhance the gloss of the vehicle surface, thanks to the productive polishing compounds in the brand’s formulations.
According to recent news, Meguiar is now owned by 3M, a leading firm that manufactures thousands of products with cut-edge technology and sells in diverse markets. Thus, you can rely on Meguiar’s automotive paints and check out the available options suitable for your project.
SEM
SEM is one leading manufacturer that supplies innovative adhesives, paints, and several coating products for automotive applications. Hence, it is among the best automotive touch-up paint brands.
Since this marque is determined to revolutionize the refinishing industry, it supplies flexible coatings, and folks can find products that allow them to customize their vehicles. SEM is a company established by George Snecker and Williams Elliot in California to provide customers with high-quality paints.
This company ventured into the automotive aftermarket in 1973, introducing their first product (Topper) for changing vinyl car top colors. The paint product line from SEM has vast options that would suit your needs.
As for variety, these products are available in various colors, and car owners can quickly pick the most preferred hues to improve their car’s look. Hence, you can comfortably take on projects on restoring your vehicle’s door panels, vinyl seats, and carpets with appropriate paints from this label.
Performix
With over a hundred years of studies and development, you can rely on the experience of Performix to provide advanced solutions. Performix products are manufactured by Plasti Dip International, a famous firm known for developing adhesives and protective/flexible coatings since 1972.
Since Performix specializes in manufacturing unique protective coatings, their products are pretty durable and can effectively lift your car’s appearance and protect the surface from harsh weather conditions.
The flexible coating technology of Performix is outstanding; once applied, it remains supple and such products do not appear brittle or start to deteriorate even when exposed to cold or other weather elements.
Again, you can rest assured that the paint’s formulation of most Performix products would help prevent rust formation and insulate against electric shocks. If you have little painting experience, you can check through this brand’s product line to find the best automotive paint for beginners.
Krylon
This brand is owned by Krylon Inc., established in 1947 by Howard E. Kester. This firm has since transformed the paint industry and emerged as one of the largest aerosol paint suppliers worldwide.
Products from this marque include those required for home use and multipurpose options. There are plastic, rust-preventive, specialty, craft, and brush-on products. If you seek automotive paint that would restore older vehicles or fix blemishes, you can rely on Krylon to get effective finishes.
You can find different finishes – Satin, Gloss, Matte, Metallic, Primer, and Semi-Gloss. Generally, many reviews suggest Krylon paints to be cost-effective. Most people want their car’s paintwork to dry as quickly as possible; this brand comes to the rescue, as there are options that can dry within 10 minutes.
Kindly note that such paint products are quite durable and are available in varying colors. Also, the company puts experts and regular people in mind, providing options that are pretty easy to use.
Rust Bullet
Rust Bullet is your go-to brand if you are looking for effective solutions that prevent rust formation and coatings meant to uplift your vehicle’s appearance. Rust Bullet, LLC is one of the top coating manufacturers worldwide.
This firm also specializes in corrosion control and rust inhibitive coatings research and development, with about 35 distributorships and resellers globally. While Rust Bullet offers products with one of the best technologies, they also show great concern for the environment.
The company further claims that there are no heavy metals in these paint items. They meet with the United States’ EPA basic and secondary standards – environmental protection is a paramount issue to this label.
It is fascinating that these products are UV resistant and may not necessarily require a topcoat since their final result is outstanding. Although super strong and durable, it sticks readily to surfaces and leaves a smooth finish even on rusty surfaces.
FAQs
What is the highest quality automotive paint?
Paints usually are categorized into three major groups; urethane, metallic, and acrylic paints. While each of these paint types has its advantages and disadvantages, most people consider urethane paints to be the best.
You can spray urethane paints on surfaces with existing paints, and there would be no adverse reactions. Furthermore, this paint type adheres and dries quickly, with chip resistance. You should expect urethane paints to last more than acrylic paints when maintained properly.
What paint do auto manufacturers use?
Most modern cars come painted with acrylic enamel or acrylic polyurethane paint and would often have a basecoat pigment and a clear topcoat. Such coatings are pretty durable if properly maintained.
Auto manufacturers like Lexus and Acura often have the best quality paintworks alongside top brands.
What is the easiest automotive paint to use?
If you are DIYer planning to handle your car’s paintwork yourself, you should consider getting acrylic urethane paint. These options are quite easy to apply and would also last for an extended period.
You can rest assured that such automotive paint would not give you fits even though it is your first painting experience. Furthermore, the comfort level with this paint is pretty high since it doesn’t “run” quite much.
What paint color emerges as the “hardest” for cars?
So far, black and red appear to be the hardest paint colors to apply on vehicles. Every flaw during the painting process would most likely be visible with black paint. You may encounter difficulties when working with red due to many hues that may not suit automotive applications.
Also, it is pretty challenging to care for them. Such options require constant cleaning and waxing, considering how much they reveal dirt, scratches, dent, mud, dings, and other blemishes. So, while you may find these colors the most stunning among others, it can be pretty challenging to maintain them properly.
What color is easiest to paint a car?
White is the simplest color you can employ for painting cars – it has the easiest fix. The fact that this color blends in with less difficulty is great, and you can find a million shades available. What’s more, such a color is pretty easy to take off, so you wouldn’t face many challenges when you decide to change your vehicle’s color in the future.
Final Words
There are several factors car owners should consider when looking for the best automotive paints. Thus, it may seem challenging to pick the right options from the many options available. But you can rely on the best automotive paint brands in this case.
So, while you seek the best places to buy automotive paints, you should consider the marques that offer the best products. The brands mentioned in this guide are among the leading suppliers in the industry, and you can trust them to offer a solution that works best for your car.
