Single Stage or Basecoat-Clear? Which Automotive Paint is better? -Autobody Q&A

Welcome to Learn Auto Body and Paint.com and Paradice Garage. Thanks for watching the video and checking out the blog today. Giving you some ideas on which paint to use (single-stage or base coat clear coat) and answering some AutoBody questions to help you out with your Car Projects.

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QUESTION: Which paint is better single-stage or base coat clear coat?

I wouldn’t say one is a lot better than the other. I would say it’s really depending on your budget. Some people like a single-stage, some people like the way single-stage lays on depending on the brand that you get.

Single-stage is also very durable and heavy-duty. It’s not gonna peel off if you prep and paint right. It’s a thick paint so it’ll last for years, with easy coverage, and less prep. You don’t have to be that picky with prep because it fills up a lot of sand scratches, so you don’t really need to sand down to 400. I like to paint over like a 320 and it’ll cover. 

With basecoat-clearcoat costs a little bit more money. A little tedious with prep, but as far as customizability you have more room to play with pearls and flakes with basecoat clearcoat than you do with single-stage. I mean you could still put clear on top of single-stage, it just I would say it all comes down to your budget. If you want to have a cheaper, working with a lower budget go with a single stage if you’re not super picky.

–It seems single-stage chips easy?

Not necessarily, it depends on how your prep is under it. If you’re using the proper prep as far as maybe putting a sealer or a good 2k filler primer under it. Then it should not chip that easily unless you’re painting directly over a hard fiberglass body kit without a cushion in between, without a good 2k filler primer-sealer then that will rock chip like crazy.

QUESTION: I spray a single-stage white. Would it be ok if I painted the front end first then a week later paint the rest of the car will the color match?

Yes, absolutely. You will not have issues with color matching as long as you’re painting a stock color. So if you’re doing on my cat metallic whatever it is, just make sure your paint is mixed really well before you paint.

And then on the next round when you do half of the rest of the half of the car, make sure you mix it really well again then blast it so you should be fine. You’re gonna come into issues if you’re ordering new paint from a dealer. Even if you buy like those kit paints and you get two different gallon kits, you could have a little color difference if you sprayed them separately. 

So if you’re working with a kit color and you got two quarts, different kits, I would mix them together to half a gallon in another can or something and then break that up so on the next paint job you got the same exact color that you use right. Hopefully, that helps.

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Watch the full video for more Autobody Q&A

-Tony

For more helpful links:

How To Prep a BUMPER for Painting? – Autobody Q&A LIVE from Paradice Garage

How To Fix Runs On Clear Coat – Auto Body Q&A

Single Stage Paint Tips & Ways To Paint Door Jambs 

The Correct Way To Paint Metallic Clear Coat: Auto Body Q&A

Explaining Painting Candy Over Silver: Auto Body Q&A