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Old 10-28-2019, 10:27 PM   #1
mrtexas
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Default Single stage or base/clear

This question isn't about an old Ford but it could be. I'm buying a 2003 white MR2 and from a different seller a blue hardtop. Will have to paint the hardtop to match. Paint on MR2 is 16 years old and faded somewhat.

My question is single stage or base/clear for the hardtop? Base/clear is very shiny and 16 year old paint not so much.
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Old 10-28-2019, 10:52 PM   #2
deuce_roadster
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

For me it boils down to where you are going to paint. If you have a PROFESSIONAL downdraft paint booth with zero dust/bugs/debris Base/clear is fine. If you don't have a perfect place to paint, with the multiple coats you need to apply, you multiply the odds you will be getting small places to fix in the final product.
It is for this reason I use single stage urethane. If you look at pictures of my wagon (and my buddy's wagon I painted Lyon blue) and my 40 coupe, I painted both of those in my gravel driveway. Yes, I wet-sanded compounded the final coat.
In my previous shop, I did have a home made paint booth and I did a couple of Base/clear jobs but I still had issues.
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Old 10-29-2019, 02:56 AM   #3
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

I'd do single stage. less you want a trailer show finish. Then hand rubbed lacquer.
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Old 10-29-2019, 03:25 AM   #4
mrtexas
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

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Originally Posted by deuce_roadster View Post
For me it boils down to where you are going to paint. If you have a PROFESSIONAL downdraft paint booth with zero dust/bugs/debris Base/clear is fine. If you don't have a perfect place to paint, with the multiple coats you need to apply, you multiply the odds you will be getting small places to fix in the final product.
It is for this reason I use single stage urethane. If you look at pictures of my wagon (and my buddy's wagon I painted Lyon blue) and my 40 coupe, I painted both of those in my gravel driveway. Yes, I wet-sanded compounded the final coat.
In my previous shop, I did have a home made paint booth and I did a couple of Base/clear jobs but I still had issues.
Thanks great advise I hadn't thought of. Single stage would be 3 coats. Base/clear probably 6.
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Old 10-29-2019, 04:42 AM   #5
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

Something to consider is if the color you are spraying is a solid or a metallic. If it is a metallic I would shoot it in base/ clear. It is easier to get the metallic even with base/ clear. It is easy to get stripes when shooting single stage metallic.
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Old 10-29-2019, 06:31 AM   #6
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

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.02 cents...i have a friend who painted his brand x truck in his back yard with a single stage BLACK. One of the best home sprays i've ever seen. He wet sanded & buffed & it is really nice....just say'n. m
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Old 10-29-2019, 11:00 AM   #7
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

My pickup is single stage urethane that I painted in my driveway. Looks great after 19 years and it was easy to work with. Get a good respirator if you do it yourself.
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Old 10-29-2019, 03:48 PM   #8
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

White is actually a hard color to match, so I would start with a "test part" and see how you like the tone of whatever paint you use. I used to have a ton of various toners - to tweak white as needed. As the car has old paint on it now - it might not really match a new OEM formula. I'd also detail/polish the car before I did the top - will help you better match not only the color/tone, but the level of glossiness when you polish whatever paint you use.

As others mentioned, if it is an iridescent or metallic color, then unless you're extremely good at spraying, have the right equipment and know how to lay down the paint very evenly, you'll be better off with two-stage. This way you are only polishing the clear coat. My guess is that the car is two-stage (has to be), so also consider that in your ponderings . . .
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Old 10-30-2019, 09:01 AM   #9
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

Lots of great info. For single stage solid colors some manufacturers have an option of adding clear to the final coats after coverage is achieved. This is not over the single stage but into the single stage. Concerning tinting and White in particular. White can be hard to match since most starting formulas already contain black and/or chromatic colorants (red, yellow, blue, green, etc.). Therefore when adding additional colorants to an existing formula, the hue of your white can move a completely different direction than the colorant added; its called "crossing the color wheel" which cannot be corrected by additional colorants; the only fix is starting over with a new mix. Example: if the white formula includes yellow and then you add blue (to make the white "bluer") the white becomes "greener" not "bluer" (blue and yellow make green). The best option in this example is to leave the yellow out of the formula and add blue if needed. Hope this brief "color theory" is helpful.
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Old 10-30-2019, 10:44 AM   #10
Bored&Stroked
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

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Originally Posted by Michael Allen View Post
Lots of great info. For single stage solid colors some manufacturers have an option of adding clear to the final coats after coverage is achieved. This is not over the single stage but into the single stage. Concerning tinting and White in particular. White can be hard to match since most starting formulas already contain black and/or chromatic colorants (red, yellow, blue, green, etc.). Therefore when adding additional colorants to an existing formula, the hue of your white can move a completely different direction than the colorant added; its called "crossing the color wheel" which cannot be corrected by additional colorants; the only fix is starting over with a new mix. Example: if the white formula includes yellow and then you add blue (to make the white "bluer") the white becomes "greener" not "bluer" (blue and yellow make green). The best option in this example is to leave the yellow out of the formula and add blue if needed. Hope this brief "color theory" is helpful.
Exactly! This is why one learns to really look at "white" in the sunlight - if you're good, you eventually start seeing the colors in it. Takes some practice . . . and you waste a bit of paint/toner in the learning process.
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Old 10-30-2019, 10:58 AM   #11
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Default Re: Single stage or base/clear

Yes white can be a bugger to match. The one thing going for you is that the top is a separate part. Is there a gasket between the top and the body that shows?
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