paint differences?

[new2bmw]

I was wondering how you can tell if a car has base/clear or acrylic enamel? is there some telltale signs that differentiate the two? I just don't want to get screwed on a paint job.
thanks

[egk2]

I don't get it, are you looking at a car or getting yours painted?

Any car that I've ever seen with acrylic enamel didn't have a clear coat, they dry with glossy hardeners, when you polish, the paint comes off on the pad.

Base/clearcoat is the way to go imo, lasts longer and more durable, plus if you fuck up the clear you can buff it out.

[Garageaholic]

If you want professional, you want base/clearcoat.

I have an acrylic/enamel paintjob (did it myself) and only professional bodyshops can tell the difference because it's simply not as glossy as a professional base/clear.

[AndrewBird]

Actually, I spoke with a very high end professional auto restorer and he said on anything that doesn't have flake in it, he prefers single stage only. He said you can get a much deeper look out of it. One point he made was that all car manufacturers use two stage and that they aren't choosing it to get the best paint job. I.E. - They are doing it because it is cheap.

This is all his opinion however, but I do regard it as damn near truth after seeing the work this guy does. He definitely knew his shit.

Really, to the average person, I think both types can come out just as good/bad as one another. It really comes down to the brand of paint as far as looking good. Once again, this is my opinion, not truth.

[egk2]

Actually, I spoke with a very high end professional auto restorer and he said on anything that doesn't have flake in it, he prefers single stage only. He said you can get a much deeper look out of it. One point he made was that all car manufacturers use two stage and that they aren't choosing it to get the best paint job. I.E. - They are doing it because it is cheap.

This is all his opinion however, but I do regard it as damn near truth after seeing the work this guy does. He definitely knew his shit.

Really, to the average person, I think both types can come out just as good/bad as one another. It really comes down to the brand of paint as far as looking good. Once again, this is my opinion, not truth.

An acrylic enamel paint job is cheaper than a base/clear coat one. You can clear over an enamel acrylic paint job to make it glossier though.
You can spray a car with single stage and be done with 2 or 3 coats, it dries glossy but with 2 stage, you will spray double that which is why it costs more to do.

I believe car manufacturers use base/clear coat paint jobs because they last longer, have better shine, more durable and easier to repair.

Is this guy older? He probably likes enamels better because that's what they used in the 70's. Most shops use urethanes now.

[atomic]

ALL PAINT JOBS COME OUT GOOD ACCORDING TO HOW IT WAS PREPED TO BEGIN WITH !!! You will IMO get a better job and easier to take care of and last years longer if you go with a base/clear system. This guy might know his shit from what he has been spraying since the 70's but todays technology is far superior than the paints that were used in even back in the 80's or even early 90's. To get a very deep wet look after it has been cleared and cured some it just needs to be colorsanded, which a reputable shop will usually do for you, to remove any orange peel from the paint. It helps flatten out the high to low parts of the paint which gives it a distort free deep wet look. Very professional looking and even it if get enough clear on it and lets say some jackass keys your car it will more than likely sand and buff out without harming anything that is unless that gouge the shit out of it. Which most key jobs are not that deep since they are scared shitless of what they are doing in the first place and just get into the top coat. Now on a single stage same circumstance you are screwed you will have to repaint because same type of key mark will go through some of the paint!!! GO WITH BASE/CLEAR FOR BEST RESULTS !!!! Single stage reds or blacks that you see on the road that are faded pink or grey looking is what happens to a single stage paint job once it gets tons of sun