czarredd

Wanted to know if it's possible to add a clear coat to a single stage paint job. What are the pros and cons of this? If you've done this, could you share a pic? Thanks

DUB

NOT enough information included in your request.

SOLID or METALLIC COLOR???

IS the single stage paint fresh...as being WET when it is still in the booth....or has it had time to dry and cure????

Photos are not going to show you a darn thing....just 'saying'. There is NO WAY in a photo to tell if the car has clear on it or not.


Gosh I hate this...it seems like every time I try to give advice people get pissed off when I suggest or ask questions to HELP them out.....SO ...here it goes...AGAIN!!! I AM NOT attacking your intelligence. BUT I DO know about this stuff really well. And I am NOT writing that you don't know 'jack-squat'...OK.

IF the car has not been painted.....WHY are you wanting to use a single stage paint and then apply clear??? WHEN applying a basecoat is better...then applying a clear coat.

The reason I wrote 'better' is because the film thickness of a single stage is a lot thick than basecoat....and if you add clear on top of that single stage....the film thickness can get to be quite thick. ONCE AGAIN...I do not know who is painting it...if they know how to set-up a paint gun correctly...how they paint and other variables.

YES it is 'do-able' and has been done....and I would do that WAY BACK in the mid-80's when the clearcoat was now being a common thing from the car manufacturers. AND...the older colors did not yet have a formula in the current basecoat systems coming out...so we would shoot single stage and clear it when painting it. But even though 'we' did it that way...does not necessarily make it the best way. Because when it takes chip...the chip is DEEP.

DUB

czarredd

Thanks for the info. It would be solid red though.

DUB

And that is it....none of the other questions I asked are going to be answered??? Ok then... Best of luck in your endeavor.

DUB

czarredd

Thanks again for your valuable expertise on this. My car is red with a really bad peeling clear coat. Even though I know a base/clear is better, I know a guy doing really economical single-stage jobs that look good and I was thinking that with an added clear coat it would look even better, but blame it on my ignorance as I don't know and appreciate your expert opinion. I was thinking I could the single-stage spray from him then later get it clear-coated...but sounds like this isn't a good idea. Thanks again.

DUB

Not a problem...

YES...getting it painted by him and then allowing it to cure and going back in to apply clear is like doing 2 paint jobs...and is not cost effective. NOT WRITING that it is not a good idea...but if going through all that...shoot BC/CC or have him add a coat of clear to his pint he is shooting while it is wet. There are variables to consider...and he should know these variables.....and hopefully it comes out as you plan.

DUB

John S 1961

what car?

czarredd

'88 Vette

DUB

You have to be REALLY CAREFUL ....knowing that it is a 1988.....the added paint film thickness on the urethane bumpers ( if clear is added) can crack and fail due to this excess paint film thickness the second they are lightly bumped in certain areas where the bumper cover has more flex to it....ESPECIALLY if the new paint job is being applied over prepped factory paint that is already adding paint film thickness.

DUB