03 Z-oh-6

Color will change under different lighting conditions?

Swiftrider08

No, even though that does happen. Tint coat means a tinted clearcoat (tinted towards the basecoat color) is applied prior to the "regular" clearcoat being applied. This method allows less basecoat paint to be used (keeps cost down), but still allows the color standard to be met and also meets film build requirements.

BetterMostC6

I just purchased a special touch up kit for my JSB car. The tint coat is blue tinted with a gold metallic in it. The base coat is much heavier in texture and color than the tint coat.

cclive

I thought that with a 'tintcoat', the clearcoat was actually tinted, and there was no actual 'clear' on top.

Swiftrider08

Yes, you are correct. It is done both ways in the automotive plants. Some only use a tinted clear and some use both tinted and standard clear.

talon90

As has been indicated in the thread the "tint coat" is in fact a tint component applied to the clear coat.

All Corvettes are painted in three steps. A primer coat (changed depending upon the final color of the Corvette panels being painted), a color coat and a clear coat. In the case of the tint coat colors an additive is put in the clear coat to alter the look and color of the color coat.

Mike's LS3

I thought tintcoat process included a tinted clear coat followed by a clear coat?

bonnell

Me too. There is something additioanl here because the tint coat adds $750 to the sticker price.

C6LSx

With regard to the JSB factory tintcoat; you both are indeed correct.


JSB is a traditional 3 stage paint system (excluding the primer coat) with the second stage tint coat being very akin to a custom pearl coat.

If painting a panel piece in JSB; 3 coats or 5 coats of the Jetstream Blue base or ground coat will produce virtually the same color hue and saturation.

When the second stage JSB Tint Coat is sprayed over the base coat; the amount of tint coat is what creates the refractory elements thats causes the JSB color hue and saturation to change based on light absorbtion.

The photographs posted by other member showing the JSB C6 in various outdoor lighting and indoor lighting conditions bests defines how the tintcoat absorbs and reflects light creating visual changes in color hue and saturation.

The tintcoat or pearl coat is actually a combination of a diluted blue tinted clear coat with the metallic refractory elements blended into the mixture.

Overspraying or underspraying this important 2'nd stage is what will cause two adjacent panels on the vehicle to not match correctly.

Once the 2'nd stage tint or pearl coat is sprayed; the vehicle is finished with a hardened clear coat for added gloss and paint protection.

It is customary when doing paint repairs or matching 3 stage paint systems in the automotive body shop/paint business for the painter to spray what is know as a "let down panel" with the second stage tintcoat.

A "let down panel" is nothing more than a sample piece of finish painted material that helps the painter insure that he has the proper amount of 2'nd stage tintcoat sprayed over the 1'st stage base coat to insure for example that the the JSB spoiler you are having painted matches the rear bumper and hatch deck.

BetterMostC6

It is a 3 step process on the tri coat paints. Base, Tint, and Clear

bonnell

That is great info! Thanks for posting it.

b4i4getit

A tint coat is just something that GM invented so they can charge hundreds of dollars more for a paint job that costs them pennies more to produce.

talon90

In contradiction to what was posted above, no there is no additional clear coat added to the Corvette "tint coat" colors.

The additional cost comes because the line must shut down and change over a clear coat robot to a tinted clear. This involves a total tear down of the robot, the atomizer and the delivery system. It must be cleaned, filled with the tinted clear for the production run and then the whole process must be done over again. The paint shop is space limited and alots x number of robots to colors and x number of robots to clears. For conventional clear coat colors several colors can be painted with the same clear forumlation. For the tint coat colors, changes must be made to the clear for each of the various tint coat applications use differnt additives.

There is also additonal cost for the tinted clear itself as it is formulated with pigmentation that the standard clear coat does not have.

While it is done both ways in other factories. Some with a second clear coat some without, the Corvette does not get a follow up clear with the tinted colors.

All Corvettes are painted with a primer, a color coat and a clear coat only. No additonal clear is added.

Just one last piece of information from the Bowling Green Assembly plant website fact sheet:

BetterMostC6

Oh you can be sure of that statement!

cclive

Exactly. The color applied at the factory is only three steps, regardless of color. Primer, color, clear or topcoat. If the topcoat is not clear but tinted, then GM calls it a "tintcoat". But this is the final coat, no "clear" is applied on top of it.

A refinisher may use more steps, but at the factory, its only three, including the primer.

3 Z06ZR1

More than pennies, They pay for the paint which is not cheap.

talon90

Excellent detail and very technical post but it is not the process that the Corvette uses.

Swiftrider08

Incorrect. GM did not invent the tintcoat process, that came from the paint vendors. There are many automotive OEM's using tinted clears. Not unique to GM at all.

b4i4getit

That was not the point I was trying to make. GM offers many of the same colors on other vehicle lines but does not charge a premium for them. It seems that they can get away with this so they do it.

talon90

Not that it will likely change your opinion but other GM paintshops don't have the limitations of space and equipment that the Corvette paint shop has. They can more easily leave tint coat spray lines operational and not have to swap them with conventional clear as often as the BG plant does.

Regarding the colors and the charge for the colors, it is still a choice and folks can vote with their wallet if they don't want to pay the upcharge.