Aesthetics: Clear Coat v. Single Stage

aanv · 02-01-03, 02:10

I haven't posted before, but I have lurked for a long time. So I think that my post is probably grown up enough to go in the main forum.

I've come to the conclusion that I like the look of well-maintained single-stage paint better than clear-coat finishes.

I saw a wonderful dark blue on an early 80's Mercedes 300D which was much more interesting than the bright happy blues on newer cars.

But to make the finish comparison more accurate, I've been focusing my attention on black paint. I liked the black on an older Jeep (one with fake wood trim on the outside) much better than the black on new volkswagens and volvos.

Does anyone else feel this way? Obviously clear-coat is here to stay, but does anybody know whether there's a way to make a clear-coat less reflective (shiny with deep pools but not bouncing off reflective), in short to make it look more like single-stage paint short of removing the clear coat layer?

Accumulator · 02-01-03, 08:31

aanv- Welcome. Heh heh, that's some first post (I wonder what some members will think of your wanting a "less reflective" look), but I'll chime in. And whatever YOU like is what YOU should strive for

I DO know what you mean. My XJS looks EXACTLY the way I want it to with its old, single stage paint. I WOULD NOT like it with a super-reflective clearcoat and a synthetic sealant. It's just the way I want THAT car to look. Only silver car I've ever felt that way about, but there you have it. On black, I'm reminded of how older Cadillac black looked back in the days of old-school paste waxes (funeral home cars).

For your goals: stay away from the purely synthetic approaches (like Klasse and Zaino). If you MUST use one for the added protection, top it with carnauba (one without "polymers" mixed in). Different waxes can look VERY different. I'll bet PPG and 3M Showcar Paste would be too reflective for you, for instance. What color are you working with?

mpawelek · 02-01-03, 10:52

Not from an aesthetics point of view but rather more practical, I don't like the new cleat coat system because the average home hobbiest cannot apply it safely without respirators and a really super clean environment. I have painted the Pyroxyln Lacquers used since the early 1900's and have it on my 1919 Model T. They can be applied in multiple coats and wet sanded for a really mirror look. They are almost at the last stage of being phased out by the EPA and will soon be extinct here in the U.S. Acrylic Enamels with hardeners are also great for a home paint job and I have used it on my 1931 Model A, but these also are being used less and less as the newer "water based" paints become more and more popular. I must admit though that the base coat/clear coats appear to be matched easier on repaints after wrecks etc. I just hade the hood and front bumper cover on my '96 Z3 repainted this last month to repair the 200+ rock chips and the color match after 6 years is perfect, even in full sun one cannot tell the difference. There are pros and cons to all these paints...Michael P.