Single Stage vs. Base/Clear

[82wagonlimtd]

OK, I will be repainting soon and am having a tough time choosing.

Lemme hear goods and bads for both please...


thanks.

Andy

[RustyJeep]

You can buff out a good single stage enamel finish...if you ever get a scratch. If the clearcoat starts to peel...you're screwed.

[porchpiggy]

A friend of mine does body work on the side for years, one of those that does excellent work but takes forever. i worked for him about a year part time, and he was starting to more and more use single stage poly. From a looks standpoint I could not tell the difference, they both wet sanded about the same, polished out good. I think it comes down to simplicity, time savings, two or three coats and you're done, as opposed to four or five coats. Or if you really want the "super shiney show look" you can get with a couple extra coats of clearcoat that you won't get with single stage. I've never seen any problem with the single stage though. :cool:

[ May 12, 2002: Message edited by: porchpiggy ]</p>

[Stangerize]

Depends alot on what you want to do with the rig. I have a single stage PPG polyurethane on mine in firecracker red and it looks good. If you're going to show it go with clear. If you are going to off road it and possibly scratch it, then want to fix it, go with the single stage.

[joe]

Clear coat looks good...for awhile. My 90 XJ(clearcoated) looks like it's molting and it's looked that way for years. :(
The original factory paint on my 72 J-4000 is in better shape than the 90 XJ's.
I'm no painter but CCing just looks like a way to use cheap paint and then spiff it up with a shot of clear over it?

[OBX-AUTOMOTIVE]

CLEAR-COAT..I DONT CARE FOR IT... SHOT IT LOTS OF TIMES..FACTORY REPAIRS....COST MORE!!! ...I KEEP TELLING YOU GUYS ..URETHANE!! WILL KILL YOU...PEOPLE FOUND DEAD PAINTING THIS STUFF!!!IT GETS UNDER YOUR SKIN...YOU SHOOT THAT CRAP!!!AND YOU CAN TASTE IT!!! WITH A MASK AND WITH AN OUTSIDE AIR SUPPLY!!!.. ACRYLIC ENAMEL WITH HARDNER...YOU CAN CLEAR COAT IT TOO, IF YOU LIKE!!! THE BEST WAY TO GO!!!!! MY TWO CENTS!!! HOW MANY CARS DO YOU THINK I'VE PAINTED IT 30 YEARS!!!!! TO MANY :D :D

[OBX-AUTOMOTIVE]

YOU WANT A SHINE..WITH A SOLID COLOR!!! TRY NITROCELLULOUS!!! NO ACRYLIC IN THE LACQUER....HAND RUB ABOUT 20 COATS,OF THAT STUFF!!! YOU'LL GET A SHINE!!!! :D :D

[SpruceMoose]

garys right on the money. when they started using poly on airplanes, every now and then you would hear about someone who walked thru the hangar while painting was going on. they never make it to the other side. it coats your lungs. thats it. bye-bye. unless you have all the right equipment (and you dont, or you wouldnt be asking these questions), stick with enamel. ok, 20 coats of hand-rubbed laquer looks great, but who has the time??? or desire???

and the clear-coat thing was this: the EPA came out with new rules for how long paint could sit there and flash off after a coat was applied (too much pollution from all the painting going on). if you cant let it sit for a few days, it will orange-peel. so, to get a somewhat nice finish, you put up with orange-peel on the color coat, and cover it up with a clear coat to get a smooth shine. just go look at a new car paint job. look under the clearcoat. you'll see.

sm.