Paint choices

So I want to redo the Vette. I know most of my time will be spent getting down to a useable surface, sanding, blocking, prepping, etc. The guy helping me said to stay away from single stage metallics cause if you have to sand you can get unevenness from the metallic in the paint. I really want to do this.

His suggestion is two stage so final sanding can be done to the clear coat. I ain't gots lots o money and would be happy with a ten footer in terms of quality.

Suggestions?

Single-stage in a solid color will be a-ok, but he is totally right about metallics. You just can't sand them, so they have to be clear-coated, even for a 10-footer.

Stupid question...can you clear a single stage metallic? Would you even want to?

base/clear. Why go through all that prep and skimp on paint?

Cotton wrote: base/clear. Why go through all that prep and skemp on paint?

My first couple of paint jobs were with the same set up as the first post. When my DD BMW got the front bumper and grill panel got knocked in I did my first base/clear. It was much easier to put down and had a much nicer finish. I never was able to not get orange peel with the single and never had an issue with base clear. If you watch for sales (not in a hurry) it is pretty minimal difference cost wise (unless your rustoleum it).

Okay so it looks like base/clear is the way to go. Especially since I want a metallic.

Brands you have used and the issues you've had with them?

vwcorvette wrote: Okay so it looks like base/clear is the way to go. Especially since I want a metallic. Brands you have used and the issues you've had with them?

House of Kolor and Glasurit are both good. I LOVE Glasurit, but it's real expensive. House of Kolor is a bargain for what you get in my opinion. They also have a nice selection of metallics, so you should check their site out.

I've used PPG shopline and hated it, but shopline is their low end line...I'm sure their high end lines are much better. It took a lot of coats to cover and the metallics were hard to get uniform, so I stopped using PPG shopline. I have not tried any of there upper end lines because I decided to swap to Glasurit. More money, but man does it spray and cover much better. Colors are more vibrant too.

I've also used single stage tractor paint on my truck. Mainly because it has a lot of dents and dings I wasn't going to fix, so flat black helped not call attention to them.....nothing calls attention to body imperfections like a fresh glossy coat of paint. The paint on it was horrible, so I didn't mind using tractor paint on it, but I wouldn't use it on something nice.

For clear I use SPI's universal clear. You can order direct from them. It's a great clear for the money. I want to try a clear from House of Kolor or Glasurit, but I still have a gallon of the SPI to go through first.

I don't like the look of base/clear paint. However if you have to have metallic then you have t o go b/c. I didn't have any issues at all with PPG shopline. It was priced very reasonably and the guy I painted the bike for was ecstatic with it.

I didn't paint the no hoe, he brought that to me after I was finished.

I didn't have any issues with my BMW that I painted with a single stage acrylic enamel either. Laid down nice and flat and shiny. Barely had to do any color sanding. My new BMW is going to be single stage as well. There is just something about a clear coat that doesn't look right to me. But like I said if you want metallic then clear coat is the only way to go.

nicksta43 wrote: I don't like the look of base/clear paint. However if you have to have metallic then you have t o go b/c. I didn't have any issues at all with PPG shopline. It was priced very reasonably and the guy I painted the bike for was ecstatic with it. I didn't paint the no hoe, he brought that to me after I was finished. I didn't have any issues with my BMW that I painted with a single stage acrylic enamel either. Laid down nice and flat and shiny. Barely had to do any color sanding. My new BMW is going to be single stage as well. There is just something about a clear coat that doesn't look right to me. But like I said if you want metallic then clear coat is the only way to go.

The solid color shopline isn't bad. I painted a buddy's jeep with it and and had very good results. It did take a couple of extra coats to get good coverage. What pissed me off with shopline were the metallics.....wanted to stripe like crazy.

What bothers me about cheap paint is it generally doesn't cover as well, so you have to lay down more coats. More coats = more time, room for error, and allows for more contamination. Still, the solid color shopline I would use again, but not the metallics unless it was something small. Large panels, like hoods, roofs (and long flat sides on big cars/trucks) are where you really start to notice the issues with lower quality metallics.