In This Article
A two-year, metal-up rebuild ending in a coat of candy red that swallows the night — that's the Lehman Paints repaint on Terryn's Nissan 240SX (S14). The whole car wears Phantom Red, a three-stage candy-and-pearl basecoat sprayed over a black ground coat so the red reads as deep as it looks under those rooftop lights.
Here's the full system that got it there, and how you spray the same finish on your own build.
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Download the Free PDF →Meet the Builder: Terryn
This S14 was sprayed by Lehman Paints, a professional painter who walked Terryn through every step of a two-year project. The car came down to bare metal, got blocked straight, then ran the full Alpha system: DTM primer-sealer as the black ground coat, Phantom Red basecoat, and HS Glamour clearcoat over the top.
That's a pro-level result, but it's the same kit a first-timer buys — the system is what makes the finish repeatable, not the hours behind a gun.
The Color: Why Phantom Red?
Phantom Red pulls the best of three paint types into one basecoat: pearl, candy, and traditional basecoat, so it lays down with the coverage of a basecoat but reads like a candy. On Terryn's S14 it goes from near-black in the shadows to a glowing wine red where the light hits, with a fine pearl flickering under the gloss.
The Phantom Red basecoat is built to be sprayed over a black sealer, and that's exactly what Lehman Paints laid down first. The black ground coat is the foundation this color was designed for — it delivers full coverage and lets the candy read at its deepest, giving you the saturation and depth the red was built to show.
Risk-Free
See Phantom Red in person — risk-free.
Return the painted samples for store credit toward your paint.
Shop the Phantom Red Sample →Every Way to Get Phantom Red
Whether you're painting a full vehicle, a motorcycle, a guitar, or just touching up with a spray can — Phantom Red is available for every project size. Each kit includes matched products sized for the job.
Phantom Red Vehicle Paint Kit
$854.93 USD
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Phantom Red Paint Basecoat
From$17.50 USD
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Phantom Red Spray Can
$59.99 USD
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Phantom Red Motorcycle Paint Kit
From$425.65 USD
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Phantom Red Wheel Paint Kit
From$412.91 USD
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Phantom Red Brake Caliper Paint Kit
From$152.71 USD
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Phantom Red is a candy, so your coverage lives in consistent, even passes rather than heavy ones. Keep every panel wet-on-wet and your gun distance identical from roof to rocker so the candy depth matches across the whole car.
What's Inside the Vehicle Paint Kit
These are all the products included in the Phantom Red Full Vehicle Paint Kit. Every product is already matched and compatible — no hunting across brands, no guessing on ratios.
Your black ground coat. DTM primer-sealer goes straight over prepped metal and bodywork to give Phantom Red the dark foundation it was designed for: full coverage and maximum candy depth.
The color itself, a three-stage candy-and-pearl basecoat that sprays like a basecoat but reads like a candy. Sprayed over the black ground coat for the deepest, truest red.
HS Glamour clearcoat is the wet, glassy gloss that locks in the candy and gives that mirror reflection you see on the hood and roof.
Alpha Urethane Reducer (AR-3000 Series) —
Urethane reducer thins the basecoat and clear to spraying viscosity. Match the reducer speed to your shop temperature for clean, even flow.
HS Activator (AH-7100 Series) —
HS activator is what kicks the clearcoat so it cures hard and glossy. Mix it fresh with the clear right before you spray.
The TSS cheat sheet keeps the mix ratios and spray order in front of you while you work, so you're not guessing mid-job.
Optional Add-Ons
The vehicle paint kit has everything you need to go from prepped surface to finished paint. But depending on where your project is starting, these add-on bundles can save time and money on the prep and masking side:
Bodywork Bundle
$175.00
Body filler, abrasives, and everything for panel repair. Ideal if your project needs dent or rust repair before paint.
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Light Bodywork Bundle
From $92.99
Dolphin Glaze finishing putty and OptiGrit sanding abrasives. Perfect for filling pinholes, minor scratches, and light surface imperfections.
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Mask & Mix Bundle
$75.00
Mixing cups, strainers, masking tape, and masking paper. Everything you need for clean, precise masking and easy paint mixing.
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Linear Blocking Tools Starter Set
From $236.50
CNC-cut polycarbonate sanding blocks with lifetime warranty. Produces perfectly flat, straight panels for a professional finish.
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OptiGrit PSA Sandpaper Bundle
$64.99
Complete PSA sandpaper set in 80, 180, 220, and 320 grit. The full grit progression for blocking and prep, sized for long boards.
Shop NowThe Complete DIY Process
Step 1: Strip, Block, and Prep
This S14 came all the way down to bare metal before a drop of color went on. Get the body straight and the surface clean: block any filler work flat, then scuff every panel with OptiGrit so the primer has a mechanical bite. A finish this deep shows everything underneath, so prep is where a candy job is won or lost. If you need supplies, the Bodywork Bundle covers most of it.
Step 2: Lay the Black Ground Coat
Phantom Red is built to be sprayed over black, so DTM primer-sealer goes down first as your ground coat. It seals the bodywork and gives the candy the dark foundation it was designed for — that black base is exactly what lets the red read at full depth. Let it flash to a uniform, even black before you move on.
Step 3: Spray Phantom Red Basecoat
Thin the Phantom Red basecoat with Alpha urethane reducer and build the color in even, consistent passes. Because it's a candy, your depth comes from uniform coverage panel to panel — keep your gun distance and pass speed identical across the whole car so the roof matches the rockers. Let each pass flash before the next.
Step 4: Clear It with HS Glamour
Once the color is uniform, lock it in with HS Glamour clearcoat, mixed fresh with HS activator and reduced with the same urethane reducer. This is the glass: flow it on smooth and let it lay out for that wet, mirror gloss on the hood and roof.
Step 5: Cure and Reveal
Let the clear cure fully before you reassemble. When you pull it into the light, that's when Phantom Red earns its name: near-black in the shadows, glowing wine red where the light catches it. Keep a Phantom Red spray can on the shelf for touch-ups down the road, and check the TSS cheat sheet if you ever need to re-reference the mix.
Ready to Paint Your Own Build?
Everything Terryn used — DTM primer-sealer (your black ground coat), ready-to-spray Phantom Red basecoat, HS Glamour clearcoat, reducer, activator, and cheat sheet — in one kit.
Build Your Phantom Red Kit — $854.93 USDLooking for a different color or kit size? Browse all car kits →
See It in Action
Watch Terryn's Phantom Red build below, plus TSS painting tutorials and explainers — swipe through.
"These last two years have been quite the journey and the final result is extremely gratifying." — Terryn
Frequently Asked Questions
Phantom Red is a candy-and-pearl basecoat, and it was designed to be sprayed over black for full coverage. The black ground coat, laid down with DTM primer-sealer, is the foundation the color was built on. It delivers the deepest, truest red and lets the candy read at its strongest.
Yes. Terryn's car was pro-sprayed by Lehman Paints, but the Phantom Red vehicle paint kit is the same system. The candy rewards consistency over speed: keep your passes even and your prep clean, and the kit does the heavy lifting.
Keep a Phantom Red spray can on hand, it's the same color in aerosol for chips and small repairs. Because it's a candy, blend touch-ups in light, even passes and clear over them with HS Glamour clearcoat to match the surrounding gloss.
Every Product Used in This Build
Phantom Red Vehicle Paint Kit
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Phantom Red Paint Basecoat
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DTM Primer-Sealer AP-7541 Kit | Alpha Automotive Paint
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HS Glamour Clearcoat AC-4521 Kit | Alpha Automotive Paint
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Urethane Reducer AR-3000 Series | Alpha Automotive Paint
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HS Activator AH-7100 | Alpha Automotive Paint
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Limited Time Deals
Clearance & Flash Sales
Discounted kits, closeout colors, and flash deals — check back often, these move fast.
Shop Current Sales →Huge thanks to Terryn for sharing this two-year S14 build, and to Lehman Paints for the spray work. Catch more of Terryn's build on Instagram and YouTube.
Want to be featured? Tag @thespraysource or email sales@thespraysource.com.
