What is the difference between metallic and metal flake paint?

Red Camaro, orange Camaro, blue Mustang-is this you? We look at 5,000 cars during the Car Craft Summer Nats alone, so we've seen every type of paint job imaginable. The musclecar hobby is making a huge comeback since the import scene ebbed a bit, so that means more competition at car shows for that glittering trophy (if you are into that sort of thing) and more guys vying for that crowd of dudes offering street cred.

Pete Santini has been painting cars since the late '70s. Inspired by the choppers of that era, his art is combination hot rod and outlaw biker. His office has several cool helmets and tanks on display. The shop is smeared with color.

Last summer the things that got the most attention, aside from ludicrous power from surging big-blocks, were interesting and different applications of hot rodding mainstays, most notably custom paint. Now let's not get crazy here; we're not talking full candy glitter and murals of nekkid Aztec warriors enjoying the lamentations of the women. We are suggesting you use techniques from other motor-vehicle cultures in small doses to sweeten up your ride. Just don't overdo it.

Since we've only heard of such techniques and never really tried them, we called Pete Santini of Santini Paint and Body Werkes in Westminster, California, to get a lesson on something that isn't just a coat of base and a coat of clear. Please use sparingly.

What about metallics?The difference between metallic paint and metalflake, as Santini puts it, is "the difference between fine sugar and the chunky healthy stuff." If you want to see stuff in the paint, use metalflake; if you want a little more shine, use metallic. "If you want chocolate milk, put chocolate in the milk," says Santini.

PressuresWe asked if there are special air-pressure considerations when shooting flake. Santini says that he likes to run 25-30 psi at the trigger, which translates to 6-8 at the fluid tip. You can regulate the pressure using the trigger. Using less air keeps the flake from bouncing and tumbling on the surface.

Here is a tech tip from Santini. Tape off the driprail so it doesn't get shot with the metalflake topcoat. The paint is thick, making it nearly impossible to get the molding back on without mangling it.

Santini usually uses a silver basecoat under a silver flake regardless of what the final color is going to be. The neutral silver base allows for any candy topcoat without affecting the final color. Whatever the color, the topcoat has to be translucent or you won't see the flake. Duh! The tape stripes are for the nekkid ladies Santini will add later, but this is a family magazine.