Yellowbrother

iTrader: (2)

after my initial start of my ls1 motor to make sure wiring and motor is good....i pulled everything for hopefully one last time...now it's time for paint...

for any paint experts out there...i've been told two things...polar opposite of each other...

bodyshop - shop manager recommends urethane paint over basecoat/clearcoat because it being more durable

a vintage custom diy builder friend/coworker - disagree with shop manager...stating basecoat/clearcoat offers more durability and better paint protection vs urethane...he did say one thing that stood out to me which prob why the body shop recommended it...COST!!! urethane is cheaper than basecoat/clearcoat....

wat do u folks in here thinks??? if i go with this shop...should i press for basecoat/clearcoat??? or go with their recommendation??? if i choose one over the other...how can i know for sure what i'm getting...can a newb tell the difference between the two finishes???i dun wanna pay for one but get the other...u knoe???

nicholas1752

I am by no means an expert, but I have done some painting. I'm sure someone else more qualified will chime in. My opinoin is the base coat clear will allow more color options (candy 2 or three stage custom finishes) It also allow for cleaner two tones and things of that nature. Both paints now days are very durable and dry very hard and are flexible. I also think you will get a better finish with the BC CC. Hope that helps until a pro chimes in.

screaminChick-n

another thing......single coat urethan is cheaper to apply than basecoat/clearcoat. Also blemishes in paint are easier to fix in basecoat/clear application

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (6)

basecoat/clearcoat and urethane are not exclusive of each other, so I'm not sure that what those shops told you are conflicting at all. Whether you choose a single stage paint, or a 2-stage (basecoat/clearcoat) you can get either of them in urethane or other materials (enamel, lacquer, etc). Urethane paints are very durable, and can be wetsanded & buffed to the same gloss as a fragile lacquer paint job. Generally a 2-stage urethane paint will be more resistant to oxidation and fading, but frankly, a single stage urethane paint job is pretty durable too. The single stage paint on my truck is 5 or 6 years old now and still shines nicely dispite never being washed or waxed. If you're looking to save a few bucks, a single stage urethane paint job is the way to go. If you want that foot-deep mirror shine that you see on show cars, then you want a 2-stage urethane paint job and you want it wetsanded & buffed.

nicholas1752

Jim85iroc

He's got the right idea. I was rambling on about a mirror finish. I have used Valspar single stage on some work trucks that came out real nice and has lasted on manywork sites. Depending on what type of finish you want for your car may dictate the paint.

Yellowbrother

iTrader: (2)

well...as u can tell i'm no paint expert...and u are correct...the body shop manager mention urethane single stage...and then he said basecoat/clearcoat...so i was curious if i was getting the best paint job my money could buy...so i asked my coworker...he said most shop do basecoat/clearcoat...even oem paints are basecoat/clearcoat...he didn't say there was anything wrong with urethane...just that in his opinion basecoat/clearcoat offered better protection and is more durable...while the shop manager stated the urethane offered better protection and is more durable...

i mean both paint job can't offer better protection and more durable compared to each other....

gofastwclass

iTrader: (2)

One thing to think about is most body shops don't paint engines, they pant car bodies. For the real low down I would go to a CUSTOM shop, one that builds hot rods and paints engines regularly. One thing they will say is prep work is EVERYTHING.

Having said that, on all the engines my friends and I painted ourselves we used the same base / clear we used on the body with very good results. Understand, these cars were driven extensively on weekends but not subjected to excessively heavy traffic, towing or racing. We may have just gotten really, really lucky many times, I don't know. YMMV

BTW, we always use Valspar paints and HOK candies. I'm not saying it is best, it's just the brand and supplier we started using 10 years ago that never gave us reason to change.

Hope this helps.

ls1nova71

iTrader: (4)

It also depends on what color you are wanting. Metallics flow out better and are ALOT easier to spray in base coat clear coat. But like was said before they're both durable these days, with cost being the major factor. And for what it's worth, you can wet sand and polish single stage with very good results, and like you said yourself, how would you know the difference? Then how would anybody else know? But IMO if it's a driver and not a show car, I'd save some cash to use somewhere else.

ws6 beat

iTrader: (1)

the best single stage paints are polyurethanes while bc/cc is urethane. either will give good results bc/cc is more expensive and may be easier to fix but will also show scratches more because the clear scratches white, while say a black single stage doesn't. both are buff able. But single stage metallics and pearls are not buff able and require a clear coat anyway. I recommend southern polyurethanes universal clear with your basecoat of choice. If you dont have a decent gun the single stage will peel a lot more than the clear will.