Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

I'm going to be ready to have the top coat of paint thrown on the truck in the next couple of months. That being said, I had the body taken down to bare metal last year and had black epoxy primer put on for the time being. Now after driving with that, I've really grown fond of the flat 'hotrod' black appearance.

Now my question is, durability wise, which is the better option to go with? It's my understanding that with gloss black that has a good clear coat, any minor scuffs/scratches can be buffed and polished out although with satin black, that isn't really an option. On the flip side, I was also told using a special clear coat for the satin, minor scuffs and scratches can be fixed easier than having to repaint the whole body panel that got scuffed.

I hope that all makes sense. I just do not want a paint job that gets lightly scratched and there's nothing that can be done other than repaint. It is an everyday driven truck and not a garage queen.

Thanks for the input!

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

I've had satin black with no clear on it & it was a paint to keep clean.

If I was to ever have anything satin black again it'd be painted then use the satin clear coat. Also, it seems to lay down better & streak less making for a better looking paint job.

I've heard the satin clear does allow for some paint scratch correction but I cant vouch for that personally.

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

Might look nice now but is the epoxy u.v. protected,might chalk up and fade later.The one I,ve seen that has UV in it is S.P.I. black epoxy.

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

I'm not sure atm to be honest although I want to get it painted this summer whether I go with Gloss Black or Satin Black. Just trying to determine if Satin Black will have the durability side with a satin clear coat or if it will be a pain, as I have heard, regardless of satin clear coat or not.

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

My brother's truck was satin black. Single stage. Looked okay though honestly I have seen SPI epoxy look better. Here is his:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...4/IMAG0606.jpg
It got left under a really sappy tree and had to be scrubbed down pretty good. It looked kinda spotty. I'd assume the good scrubbing ended up polishing the paint a bit.

I love the stain paints (any color really) but I don't know if I would ever do one just because its hard to lay down the paint and harder to make repairs.

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

You actually have two very reliable options.
1) SEM has a "Hot Rod Black" HR010 that's very durable, easy to clean and won't chalk.
2) Five Star has a flat clear 5165 that you would spray over your color, in this case, black. It's uv stable, easy to clean but technically challenging to spray. It can be sprayed if the instructions are followed to the letter!!

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

So with either of those options, let's say the wife makes a mark in the paint with her fingernail by accident (for example, opening the door and hand slips resulting in the scratch). Not all the way through the top coat by any means but it has that dull mark where you can tell something happened, how could this mark be removed? With a good gloss clear, this kind of mark could be buffed/polished out.

Are these types of minor surface scratches/scuffs/blemishes correctable with any of the flat/satin black options?

Thanks for all of the input!

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

Short answer? No.
Good points for sure! Any flat finish will buff to a shinier finish if a repair is attempted no matter how insignificant the repair.
A high gloss finish when damaged seldom gets even shinier...it tends to go dull so buffing restores the gloss.

What those finishes do however is provide a UV stable flat finish that's smooth, won't chalk and won't trap dirt unlike a dry sprayed finish that has a rough surface so washing and drying is as easy as any other shiny coating.

Chrysler/Dodge (yuk...spit...cough...) has the SEM Hot Rod Black style black accents on some of their sports cars and trucks... next time you see one, give it a close inspection to see if that's what you want or not.

Years ago, I had a 1979 (K5?) full size Chevy Blazer, 3" body lift, 33" rubber and it was primed in black primer. Looked Killer!! The more I drove it and washed it, the shinier it got.

Reminds me of the good ol' days of polyester suits! The more you wore them, the shinier they got!! :lol: (dating myself now... oops)

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

This pretty much confirms my concerns with that style of paint. As much as I like that look, I believe it is more"delicate" than I would like for this truck. Perhaps I'll have a weekend cruiser later down the road I could try this on.

I really appreciate everyone's help and input.

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

1k satin May blend for repairs?

Re: Gloss Black vs Satin Black
 

2 and half year old thread warning.