Arguments between Single stage and Base Coat Clear Coat.

[Clewisiii]

All.

I was only planning to do Base Coat Clear Coat.

But one of the paint suppliers gave me a quote for both products.

Single stage would be easier on the stainless trim and wheel Disc's that need to be painted.

What are your thoughts either way.

[billyoung]

Most quote on quote current improvements are not so much however I am sold on basecoat clearcoat paint. It is not brittle and therefor does not chip easily and also does not fade as easily. My opinion.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

My advice is to go with basecoat / clearcoat.  Even if you
plan to show the finished car at the national level, it's
accepted without any issues by judges.  That fact, together
with the greater ease of upkeep, increased durability,
and depth of finish makes it a no-brainer.

My '55 Eldorado was done in base/clear and I don't regret it.

Mike

[Bryan J Moran]

I'm going to ask a dumb question but - can someone explain "base coat clear coat"?  Is it a 'base' of the original color in enamel? Lacquer? And is it already shiny or does it need the clear to add 'gloss'?

I'm not even sure what "metallic" paint is and how the old paint from the 1970's achieved "gloss and shine".

[Clewisiii]

Single stage is just that. A paint that is both the color and gloss. The paint itself is polished and buffed for a shine.

Base Coat Clear Coat is a base of the color, then a clear top coat that provides the gloss and UV protection. When you polish you are only cutting into the clear, not the base color coat.

Metallic paint as we use it is a very fine metal flake suspended in the paint. Metallic can be difficult. The way you spray down the paint can affect how the metal flack lays down. If you spray it inconsistently you can see the difference in the reflection in the metal flake.

[David Greenburg]

As someone who has spent well over half of their life maintaining Cadillacs painted with single stage paints, the first because I was convinced by a purist that I should repaint my car in the original paint - lacquer, and the second because it is a cherry original car with mostly original paint, I would strongly encourage you to go with base/clear. Maintaining lacquer is a big time pain in the cheeks. My experience is with black, which is undoubtedly the most difficult, although I can't imagine dark blue is that much easier.  It's true that freshly polished lacquer looks fantastic, and it can be difficult to get two-stage paint to match the gloss of lacquer, but unless you have staff to help maintain it, I'm not sure its worth it, especially for a car you plan to live with and enjoy, as opposed to flipping, or keeping in a glass case except for an annual or semi-annual concours event. If you ever find yourself on the west coast and want to experience life with  lacquer paint first hand, I'd be more than happy to turn you loose in my garage for a weekend with a couple of bottles of Meguiars #7 and a stack of micro towels.

[dn010]

I've been painting cars using single stage urethane paint and I'll never go back to using anything else. Dries rock hard and is very durable compared to others. You can mix clear in with single stage urethane or you can simply spray it over the single stage if you're not satisfied with how shiny it is to begin with.

[Moody]

Having restored cars for a living, my first question is what color are you going to paint it? If it's a solid color, by all means go with single stage. Less chance delaminating between separate topcoats, easy to touch up and repair, if needed. It's a bit harder to buff and polish, but keeps its shine longer between polishing.
If a metallic paint is your choice, base/clear will enhance the metallic and give a better luminosity of the little particles.
I'm doing base/clear on my car, and going with MotoBase and SPI clear coat.

[Bryan J Moran]

Thank you for the education.  Regarding Lacquer, which I understand is simply not applied anymore - WHAT "goes away" that requires constant maintenance?  Is the paint "breathing" and evaporating shine?  Is the environment hard on the paint, rain?   

[Moody]

That's basically right. Lacquer is constantly "working or moving", so to speak.

[David Greenburg]

Just to be clear, I was referring to lacquer.  I do not have experience with other types of single stage paint.  Not that I recommend it, but lacquer is still available.  TCP Global, for one, sells it.

[Moody]

To me, a lacquer paint job polished to a smooth finish is the best looking paint you can have on a car. Base/clear is nice and durable, but the look of lacquer surpasses it in achieving a classic finish. There are few shops that would tackle a lacquer paint job these days.

[TonyZappone #2624]

Base coat clear coat is probably more durable, more shiny, etc.  It just doesn't look like the original color to me.