VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Body - Sheet Metal, Paint & Wood single stage vs. 2 stage

I would like to start a discussion as to the choices in painting systems and their advantages and disadvantages. Here are my impressions as a novice to the subject. Everyone, please tell me if you agree or disagree:
1. On the early cars and trucks single stage looks more authentic.
2. Many paint manufacturers can only mix certain colors as single stage. (i.e. ppg.)
3. Unless you are restoring a museum piece, use a 2 component paint. acrylic?
4. Durability? I live in Hawaii and the only paints available to me are from NAPA as other suppliers cannot ship here. The only single stage they could do in black was Shopline. After a month of cure the Shopline finish could easily be softened with acetone. I have never found that to happen with any other 2 component paint. Will I need to cover it with a clear coat to hold up? Would it look strange to use a clear coat on the black and not on the second color which in my case is a green?

Seeing as NAPA is your only choice it would be best to discuss it with them either where you purchased your paint or direct to their corporate home office. I am far from being a paint expert, but I believe there should be a hardener that can be added to the paint. How the paint is applied and what the conditions are at the time will make a difference in outcome. There are members on the site who do have chemical backgrounds so perhaps they may comment on the acetone etc.

Terry,

I would certainly not classify myself as an expert on this topic, but I have sprayed a couple antique vehicles, and I've used both single and two-stage paints.

You may be right that single stage looks a bit closer to original, but in reality, a really good job done with single stage acrylic enamel today probably looks better than the original paint job--at least if done by a pro.

The two-stage process, while a little more labor intensive, is probably an easier/safer process for the amateur painter; if you make a mistake you can redo it before clear coating, and even the clear coat can be re-worked. It's a lot tougher to make adjustments on single stage acrylic or urethane, after the fact.

It is true that some paints come only in single stage, others only in 2-stage, while many can be mixed either way. I have successfully combined on the same vehicle a single and 2-stage paint (i.e., different colors on different parts of the vehicle) and it came out fine.

I don't think I would clear coat over a single stage paint unless it specifically says that you can do this on the tech sheet that came with the paint--you have to be careful about mixing brands, types, etc. Usually it is highly recommended to go with a complete "system" for your paint, i.e., you need to use primers, surfacers, and finish coats that are all compatible. It's essential to study the tech sheets on all of your paints before using them, and certainly before contemplating mixing paints from different sources.

Good luck!

Jim

terry I would think other then the paint,you being in Hawaii would need a controled environment,with the high humidity there.I'm sure the reducer and hardener would be an important factor in a good final result...Just my 2cents