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Paint - Base/Clear or Single Stage?


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I know it's a matter of personal preference, but I'm almost at the decision point regarding the type of paint to use on my '51 B3B. What type of paint have other Pilothouse owners used, and why did you choose it. Did you paint your truck yourself or have a professional shop do the work? Are you pleased with the outcome? Did you experience any problems? I've searched this site and haven't found any threads that really go into painting. I understand that each system has pros and cons. Any and all details are welcome.

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this forum is full of paint threads....were you at the main page when you did you search or within a thread...if in a thread the search is limited to the contents in the thread....using the search feature and advanced search you can check all or any group of sections this forum is broken into....

 

there are 521 pages of threads with using just paint....using search on paint brand returns 12 pages....

 

I would gather by this question you are not going to paint the vehicle yourself.  If you are sending it out, my first advice is not ask so much here as to discuss this with your painter.  Many folks will only shoot a system they are familiar with and not bounce around a lot with different makers and systems.  If I am wrong and you are going to paint his yourself, is this your first attempt to paint and if not what systems have you used in the past and which gave you the look and results you were aiming for.  Do you have a proper area to shoot this paint, won the proper safety equipment and have adequate clean air supply and quality painting equipment on hand?  Paint jobs cost a bit of money for a reason and it is not just paint cost...

 

Personally to answer a part of your question is that I prefer the single stage enamel on the older cars.....but many here like urethanes, BC/CC and to be honest with you....most folks shoot what they have available or comfortable using.  Modern paints are typically BC/CC .  Ask a dozen painters and get a dozen different answers.  Many say the BC/CC is for the novice as they can easily color sand and recoat the clear till they get the finish they want...

Edited by Plymouthy Adams
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If you have never painted OR if you don't have a really good shop to paint in, it's a much better option to farm out the painting, as many things can go wrong on your own...and it can go beyond wrong with a "backyard" painter, so for the huge investment and in reality the end result of your truck, get a good shop to do the work that has a track record and will repair their own mistakes.

 

If you go through a shop, they will tell you what brand they use and have the best experience with, and that's likely the best route.  If you paint on your own, then BC/CC is a good option because if you lay on the clear heavy, you can sand and polish out 90% of your flaws

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Great timing as I just finished painting my wheels - yep, just the wheels. It turned out to be a greater challenge than I had anticipated.

I learned a ton and expect if I were to continue and paint the truck proper, I would learn a ton more. 

 

At at this point, I concur with @Plymouthy Adams

     “Ask a dozen painters and get a dozen different answers.”

Armed with my new-found knowledge, if I were to paint my truck; and I may, I’ll go back to the local paint store with a box of donuts and jug of coffe and continue making a pest of myself

? ...then start with the inside tailgate.

 

1) MP 171 Epoxy Primer then Defleet Essential ESSS - ‘cause that’s why the paint shop crew reccommended

2) Did it myself ‘cause that’s how I roll.

3) Love how it turned out

4) Took a week longer than I had anticipated because of all the mistakes I made along the way - despite the amazing advice and knowledge gained here.

 

 

 

 

7C1D559D-047C-428D-B8BE-47FB8DAA1DF7.jpeg

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wright or wrong I painted the inside of my cab with single stage for those hard to get to areas (under the dash, the seat support etc.) cause I am lazy that way :) 

but the outside I am going with a bc/cc because of my paint scheme and it was suggested to me it would hold up better with a quality clear.... $$$$$

 

1 hour ago, Todd B said:

I thought that resulted from a divorce 

I am sure you meant because of arm restyling for possessions  :lol:     

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I painted both these trucks in my garage about 20 years ago with single stage Centari by Dupont.  I still own Old Yeller and it looks like it did right after I painted it.  Being garaged helped.

 

1 Old yeller 30.jpg

1 old yeller 19.jpg

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IMHO, single sta ge looks fine on older cars.  That's what I'll use on my Pickup.  But, I'll be using a solid, no metallic,  red, similar to the original colors available.But, if a metallic were used, base/clear would be my choice.  The clear can slightly flattened with an additive if you want to avoid the plastic look.

 

It will likely get painted in parts, doors, hood, tailgate, fenders etc.  A metallic would be almost impossible to get a good match.    Metallics are really hard to apply without mottling in single stage and will look slightly different if gun distance, speed or air pressure is not the same from panel to panel. 

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11 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

I saw that bright yallar truck and that bright red tree....now that you mention it, I do see a pond......lol  it is a nice setting....any fish in that pond?

 

Yup.....It's stocked regularly with trout for the kiddies. It's part of our Nevada County Fairgrounds.

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sounds great....years back we used to ride the motorcycles and camp twice a year and our favorite places we would stop was an out of the way private camp ground in NC with a stocked trout late....excellent eating when cooked over coals with butter, lemon and black pepper...dash of salt.  You living the life....!

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I'm not a body guy or a painter, but I've painted enough cars to know a little bit on the subject. Both single stage and BC/CC will work fine. Personally, I've made my decisions on a few things. For me it first comes down to if it has metallic in it, what kind of "look" I'm after, and how much I want to spend. If it is a metallic paint, my opinion is to use BC/CC. It's more forgiving with the metallic paints, and you can wet sand and buff with good results. If it's a solid color, I look at how much I want to spend on paint, and how I want the vehicle to look (a period correct look, or a better than new look). Depending on the line (quality) of paint, single stage is normally cheaper. Single stage also give a more period correct look and finish. If you are after a flawless, better than new, perfect paint job, then you probably want to go with BC/CC. 

 

In the end, as other said, its all about the result you're after. I personnally prefer single stage on 40s-50s cars/trucks.  Here is my truck in single stage, and here is a 48 Desoto I painted in single stage. The Desoto has very cheap urathane single stage and it looks great. I think there is maybe $750 in the entire paint job (primer, material, paint and filler). 

1.jpg

111.jpg

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Had mine painted with a single stage and to me it just looks "right" on these trucks. It lives outside and still looks pretty fresh with very little maintenance. One thing I see all the time here in SoCal is clear coat failure. The sun and heat seems to cause a lot of this here. When it happens it just looks like crap.

Jeff

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To answer the first reply to my original post, my very first search used the word "paint" and I realized right away how many replies exist that contain the word "paint", but I didn't see any replies that specifically addressed the question of comparing the two major paint systems. That's why I tried to be very specific in the title to my post. Although I am new to painting, I do know how to use the search function. 

 

Here's my situation. I have full access to a professional paint booth located in a professional body shop / classic car restoration business. My truck is located there now and I'm getting a lots of great advice from the owner, a friend of mine,  who has been in business for over twenty years. Although I am new to car restoration, I have already spent many hours doing the filler work and sanding required to properly prepare my B3B for a very nice paint job. There were a few rust problems with my truck when I bought it. I have had all of those problems professionally corrected by having the bad spots cut out and replaced with new metal at the same shop. I have discussed the painting system to be used with the owner. He recommends BC/CC, but I want to consider all options before making a final decision which is why I appealed to other Pilothouse owners about their own personal experiences. I might or might not do the final paint. I've primed the doors and cab and am getting ready to prime the fenders and grill. So far, the priming looks great, but in the end, it's the paint that will be seen.

 

I want to thank everyone who replied to my post but especially to those who replied with photos of their vehicles done in single stage. Those vehicles look great and I'm leaning toward SS myself. Thanks Again!

 

 

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was not an intent to insult you and your computer skills at searching on the forum...I posted what I did as you stated you could not find any threads that went into painting, I knew there were many threads that did.  At this point it seems you need to make the call...DIY or let the shop do it...With access to the full enchilada....I would have to give it a go and that was how I go my feet wet painting cars....three day access to a professional spray booth for 50.00  But for sure you need a bit of confidence.....as you are working along side a pro in a body shop.....here is a tip that may help you...on replaced doors or hood assemblies removed and replaced....take these panels and do some practicing with different systems of paint that could have been left over from other jobs.  Build a level of confidence, get a feel for the paint gun you will be using...not many people in a prime situation to explore and learn as you are right now.

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16 hours ago, 52b3b Joe said:

I'm not a body guy or a painter, but I've painted enough cars to know a little bit on the subject. Both single stage and BC/CC will work fine. Personally, I've made my decisions on a few things. For me it first comes down to if it has metallic in it, what kind of "look" I'm after, and how much I want to spend. If it is a metallic paint, my opinion is to use BC/CC. It's more forgiving with the metallic paints, and you can wet sand and buff with good results. If it's a solid color, I look at how much I want to spend on paint, and how I want the vehicle to look (a period correct look, or a better than new look). Depending on the line (quality) of paint, single stage is normally cheaper. Single stage also give a more period correct look and finish. If you are after a flawless, better than new, perfect paint job, then you probably want to go with BC/CC. 

 

In the end, as other said, its all about the result you're after. I personnally prefer single stage on 40s-50s cars/trucks.  Here is my truck in single stage, and here is a 48 Desoto I painted in single stage. The Desoto has very cheap urathane single stage and it looks great. I think there is maybe $750 in the entire paint job (primer, material, paint and filler). 

1.jpg

111.jpg

 

That's a great looking car and pickup. 

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22 hours ago, Reg Evans said:

I painted both these trucks in my garage about 20 years ago with single stage Centari by Dupont.  I still own Old Yeller and it looks like it did right after I painted it.  Being garaged helped.

 

1 Old yeller 30.jpg

1 old yeller 19.jpg

Reg,

Centari is great paint, and does hold up well.

Buddy of mine painted a 56 Chev 25 years ago in Centari black and white, still looks good, and this car sits outside year round.

Here is a car I just painted for my son, BASF Limco Low VOC Acrylic Enamel Metallic....

20180819_063120_resized.jpg

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