single stage or 2 stage?

[79 blue monster]

trucks at the body shop and they wanted to know if i want a single stage paint job or a 2 stage. in my opinion the 2 stage looks alot better with clearcoat and all, but the manager has a truck that is single and looks better than any 2 stage i've ever seen! so i am wondering what your guys opinion is.

[88Jimmy4x4]

2 stage

[Firebirdjones]

They both have their good and bad points.

Your single stages can look nice if the time is spent to cut and buff, and a very good quality paint is used, the finish will look rich and deep. It's also much cheaper (less materials needed to purchase) and later down the road if a repair is needed, it's much easier to shoot and blend a single stage paint and keep the repair smallish without shooting the entire panel.

Two stage (base/clear) can provide a better looking finish, but again I stress good quality materials used. It's more costly, since you are buying more materials. You'll use nearly twice as much clear as you will paint since base/clear systems are generally 50/50 paint/reducer but your clears are generally 4:1 clear/reducer. So a gallon of clear doesn't go as far.
The other draw back is when a repair is needed later down the road. Once a spot is repaired you can't simply blend and leave it. On a base/clear system you'll have to clear that entire panel for a correct undetectable repair even if the spot is only the size of a dollar bill. So repairs obviously are more costly too for both materials and labor.

Just some things to think about. Most of my customers seem to be split 50/50 on which paint system they prefer. I still seem to do alot of the single stage stuff simply because I think people want to save money in this economy.

[mrhino]

base coat/ clear coat is the better way you can make it look better and it will hold up longer. however you can clear over single stage. in fact a lot of guy will do black or dark colors in single stage then clear over it. gives it a rich deep shine. if you use good products should turn out nice either way
Im right in the middle of doing mine in black right now.

[79 blue monster]

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

They both have their good and bad points.

Your single stages can look nice if the time is spent to cut and buff, and a very good quality paint is used, the finish will look rich and deep. It's also much cheaper (less materials needed to purchase) and later down the road if a repair is needed, it's much easier to shoot and blend a single stage paint and keep the repair smallish without shooting the entire panel.

Two stage (base/clear) can provide a better looking finish, but again I stress good quality materials used. It's more costly, since you are buying more materials. You'll use nearly twice as much clear as you will paint since base/clear systems are generally 50/50 paint/reducer but your clears are generally 4:1 clear/reducer. So a gallon of clear doesn't go as far.
The other draw back is when a repair is needed later down the road. Once a spot is repaired you can't simply blend and leave it. On a base/clear system you'll have to clear that entire panel for a correct undetectable repair even if the spot is only the size of a dollar bill. So repairs obviously are more costly too for both materials and labor.

Just some things to think about. Most of my customers seem to be split 50/50 on which paint system they prefer. I still seem to do alot of the single stage stuff simply because I think people want to save money in this economy.

yeah saving money is my big thing too, but doing a single stage just makes me feel like i'm cheeping out on the paint. i want a good paintjob, so i might just have to wait and save for 2 stage

[ont_guy_38]

Solid colors=single stage....metallic colors= 2 stage

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by 79 blue monster

yeah saving money is my big thing too, but doing a single stage just makes me feel like i'm cheeping out on the paint. i want a good paintjob, so i might just have to wait and save for 2 stage

Alot of brand names, and those brand names also have off brands that are cheaper. But prices are all over the place. Some spray and lay down better than others, some are more durable. Hit your local paint store, go through some color charts and check some pricing. You'll find a wide range of prices depending on the brand and color used.

I've had good luck with Omni single stage paints, but not their 2 stage base/clear systems. Omni is an off brand of PPG I've used per customers request on occasion. I've had issues with their clear being a bit too soft. Looks beautiful after wet sanding and buffing, but simply installing a car cover or wiping off dust caused fine scratching and the paint started looking hazy. Had to be buffed again.
Haven't had that issue with their single stage enamel. Could have been a bad batch of clear. Haven't used it in a while.

I prefer Sikkens if the customer wants to foot the bill. You can easily spend $1500 or more on materials depending on the color.