PaintBusters
DEBUNKING LEGENDS ONE EXPERIMENT AT A TIME
Real paint.
Real process.
Real results.
PaintBuster exists to provide unbiased, honest experiments that show what paint actually does and how long it really takes to paint cars on the line.
Why PaintBusters?
Paint Performance Verification
Watch our technical demonstrations below to validate drying times and material cost efficiencies for the latest automotive coating technologies.
LET THE DATA DO THE TALKING
The PaintBusters Story
In January of this year (2026), we were under attack from the competition in one of our dealership accounts. We received an email from the body shop manager detailing how all paint manufacturers were going to be able to submit bids for the business. Here is an excerpt from that email, which outlined the exercise:
"We are all using an example of a brand-new OEM hood for a 2026 GMC Sierra 1500, Color Code: 140X - white pearl. We will be painting the top side and underside of this hood complete, start to finish. I need each of you to provide each step in your process and a complete list of each product that will be used in this example, as well as the cost of each product. This needs to be concurrent with the manufacturer’s recommended application process. We will also need our total cost of completing this operation.
Our second example will be a new front bumper cover on a 2026 Yukon Denali, Color Code: 170H - red 3-stage metallic. We will be painting only the outside of the bumper cover complete, start to finish. I need each of you to provide each step in your process and a complete list of each product that will be used in this example, as well as the cost of each product. This needs to be concurrent with the manufacturer’s recommended application process. We will also need our total cost of completing this operation.
In a production collision center, TIME is the most important item that can make or break your operation. We sell TIME. This will be talked about at length."”
Upon receiving this information, I immediately said to myself, “"There are so many ways for anyone to make themselves look cheaper and better in this endeavor. How about we just video this operation from start to finish and record, in real time, what it takes in material and time in the booth to successfully complete this exercise?"”
From there, it took on a life of its own.
While doing this - which is VERY time-consuming - an idea came out:
Let’s do this with every line of paint. UNBIASED. HONEST. and TRUTHFUL. with each line. What works and what doesn’t.
We were sitting on the tailgate of my truck, joking around about how this was so much like the show MythBusters, and we looked at each other and almost simultaneously said, “PaintBusters.”
And at that moment, PaintBusters was born.
It is a monumental task to do this with all paint lines and no bias. Many hours of video, and many hours of watching paint dry. Recording every detail to ensure that our commitment to truth and honesty is met in every moment.
While this is an ongoing process with many different avenues to explore - which we will - our commitment to being truthful, honest, and transparent will never be in question.
Larry Pechacek
