In This Article
This Nissan Silvia S13 wears one of Alpha's slickest pearls: Tinted Purple, a color that sits near-black in the shade and flops to a deep purple the second sunlight hits it. Kden Customs sprayed it for owner Luis Bautista, then added Celestial Purple roof graphics over carbon fiber to finish it off.
Tinted Purple is part of Alpha's Tinted Series, known for an insane pearl glow. On the S13's flat panels, that black-to-purple flop is the whole show. Here is how the build came together and the exact system behind it.
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Download the Free PDF →Meet the Builder: Luis Bautista
Kden Customs handled the paintwork on this S13, and it shows in the details: full prep, a booth, and clean custom graphics over carbon fiber. The build ran the complete Alpha system — DTM primer-sealer as the black ground coat, ready-to-spray Tinted Purple basecoat, Celestial Purple basecoat for the roof graphics, and HS Glamour clearcoat over all of it for depth and gloss.
Photo credit: Kden Customs
The Color: Why Tinted Purple?
Tinted Purple is a pearl from Alpha's Tinted Series, built around a fine purple pearl that makes the paint flop from black to purple as the light moves. It is not a candy — it is a pearl with great coverage and a deep glow, which is why the S13 reads almost black in shade and lights up purple in the sun. On Kden Customs panels, that flop does all the work.
Tinted Purple was designed to be sprayed over a black ground coat, so that went down first. The DTM black sealer gives the pearl its intended foundation: full coverage, the true purple flop, and the depth the color was built to show. The pearl reads at its strongest over the recommended undercoat.
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See Tinted Purple in person — risk-free.
Return the painted samples for store credit toward your paint.
Shop the Tinted Purple Sample →Every Way to Get Tinted Purple
Whether you're painting a full vehicle, a motorcycle, a guitar, or just touching up with a spray can — Tinted Purple is available for every project size. Each kit includes matched products sized for the job.
Tinted Purple Vehicle Paint Kit
$714.93 USD
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Tinted Purple Paint Basecoat
From$17.50 USD
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Tinted Purple Spray Can
$59.99 USD
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Celestial Purple Paint Basecoat
From$17.50 USD
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Tinted Purple Guitar Paint Kit
From$130.72 USD
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Tinted Purple Wheel Paint Kit
From$412.91 USD
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Tinted Purple Brake Caliper Paint Kit
From$152.71 USD
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Tinted Purple Bike Paint Kit
From$225.70 USD
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Tinted Purple's flop lives entirely in the pearl, so lay it uniform: same distance, same overlap, every pass. Any inconsistency in the pearl shows up as light and dark blotches when the light shifts — even passes over a black ground coat keep the black-to-purple flop reading clean across the car.
What's Inside the Vehicle Paint Kit
These are all the products included in the Tinted Purple Full Vehicle Paint Kit. Every product is already matched and compatible — no hunting across brands, no guessing on ratios.
DTM Primer-Sealer (AP-7541) — The foundation. Sprayed as your black ground coat, DTM primer-sealer gives Tinted Purple the dark base it was designed for and bites directly to properly prepped substrate.
Tinted Purple Basecoat — Ready-to-spray Tinted Purple basecoat — the Tinted Series pearl that flops from black to purple. Mixes 1:1 with reducer and covers with a deep, glowing pearl.
HS Glamour Clear (AC-4521) — HS Glamour clearcoat locks in the color and delivers the wet gloss that makes the purple flop pop.
Alpha Urethane Reducer (AR-3000 Series) — Alpha urethane reducer thins the basecoat to spray viscosity, matched to your shop temperature.
HS Activator (AH-7100 Series) — HS activator kicks the clearcoat so it cures hard, glossy, and durable.
TSS Cheat Sheet — The TSS Cheat Sheet keeps every mix ratio and step in reach while you spray.
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: Prep and Bodywork
A pearl flop only reads clean over straight, evenly sanded panels. Get the S13's body dead flat before any color goes down. Block with OptiGrit abrasives through the grades, keep your scratch pattern uniform, and clean the surface before you seal. A flat, consistent substrate is what lets Tinted Purple's flop read evenly instead of blotchy.
Step 2: DTM Black Sealer
Tinted Purple was built to go over a black ground coat, so the first spray is DTM primer-sealer in black. This is the foundation the color was designed for: it delivers full coverage and the dark base that gives the pearl its black-to-purple flop. Let it flash to a uniform, even sheen before color.
Step 3: Tinted Purple Basecoat
Mix Tinted Purple basecoat 1:1 with Alpha urethane reducer and lay it over the black. Keep your passes even and your overlap consistent — with a pearl this is what keeps the flop reading uniform across every panel. Build until the color covers full and even.
Step 4: Celestial Purple Roof Graphics
For the roof, this build layered Celestial Purple graphics over carbon fiber. Mask your lines clean, lay the graphics, and pull the tape while the paint is fresh for crisp edges. Pairing Celestial Purple with the Tinted Purple body keeps the whole car in one family with two personalities.
Step 5: Clear, Cut and Buff
Lock everything in with HS Glamour clearcoat mixed with HS activator and a touch of reducer, flowed out wet and even. After it cures, wet-sand with fine OptiGrit grades, then compound and polish until the reflections go dead flat. That final step is what gives this Kden Customs S13 its glassy purple shine.
Watch the Build
Build footage from the shop — process, transitions, and the finish in motion.
Kden Customs Tinted Purple + Celestial Purple build
Ready to Paint Your Own Build?
Everything on this Tinted Purple S13 — DTM primer-sealer (your black ground coat), ready-to-spray Tinted Purple basecoat, HS Glamour clearcoat, reducer, activator, and cheat sheet — in one kit.
Build Your Tinted Purple Kit — $714.93 USDLooking for a different color or kit size? Browse all car kits →
See It in Action
Watch Luis Bautista's Tinted Purple build below, plus TSS painting tutorials and explainers — swipe through.
"What Tinted Purple looks like in the shade vs the sun — happy with the results." — Luis Bautista
Frequently Asked Questions
Tinted Purple is a pearl from Alpha's Tinted Series, not a candy. It uses a fine purple pearl to flop from black to purple with great coverage, so the basecoat lays down easier than a candy while still giving that deep, glowing shift.
Because that is how the color was designed. A DTM black sealer gives Tinted Purple full coverage and its intended depth, and the black-to-purple flop reads strongest over black. It is the foundation the pearl was built on.
That is Celestial Purple, sprayed over carbon fiber for the roof graphics. Pairing it with Tinted Purple on the body keeps the whole car in one purple family with two different personalities.
Every Product Used in This Build
Tinted Purple Vehicle Paint Kit
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Tinted Purple 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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Clearance & Flash Sales
Discounted kits, closeout colors, and flash deals — check back often, these move fast.
Shop Current Sales →Big thanks to Kden Customs and owner Luis Bautista for putting Tinted Purple and Celestial Purple graphics on this Nissan S13. Follow @kdencustoms and @kawaiijdm to see more of the build.
Want to be featured? Tag @thespraysource or email sales@thespraysource.com.
