Longhaul

I'm getting ready to do some body and paint work on my 88 5spd vert. I have searched the forum but can not find whether or not the 88 year had a clear coat or just a glossy finish.

mort2002

iTrader: (1)

some one PLEASE correct me if im wrong. i belive it depends on the color of your car. i know that white did NOT have clear coat. but when i had my grey 88 i am pretty sure it had clear on it. my friends black 87 had clear casue it all was falling off..lol hope that helps. somone with a lil more knowlege my pipe in with more info!

Longhaul

It's a black car. I plan to start pulling dents next week.

pmr2000

Well the '88 brouchure says all but red/white/black were Metallic or Mica paints, so does that mean no clear coat on those?

jkimbro

iTrader: (3)

If you're going to paint it....paint it. What does it matter what it was 18 years ago? I'd clear it.

classicauto

iTrader: (3)

Any solid colours were single stage. Pearls and metallics had clear.

Longhaul

My paint color is described as "Brilliant Black". The black is still there, but I think the brilliant has worn off.

jkimbro

iTrader: (3)

^

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

pretty much. white and red dont, but the silvers and blues, and i guess black does

reatrdedspleen

ALL cars being repainted should get a clear coat. otherwise just go buy some spray paint from kragen, and spray that on there.

I was pretty sure ALL FC's had clear coat on them. it dosnt JUST make the car shine, it protects the paint.

Longhaul

I was thinking about putting on a carbon fiber hood. It is for my model year, but for the turbo. Do they have the same fitment? It's on ebay right now for ~$500

reatrdedspleen

All hoods are interchageable.

when your dealing with aftermerket body parts, sometimes the fitment isnt perfect. But with a hood, id imagine it would be fine. not too much you can really **** up with a hood

Longhaul

Excellent. That's one less body part to de-dentify. I bought the car in San Fran. It has door dings in the door dings. I guess that happens from living on the side of a hill. It also looks like the neighbor dropped his hamster cage on the hood a few times...

classicauto

iTrader: (3)

Yes and No.

Facts: Clear coat is a UV protectant as well as neutral (colourless) medium in place for polishing.

Clear-Coat is 100% urethane based (real clear, some economy's are acyrlic-urethane)

Single stage urethane has the same gloss retention, holdout, polishability (if its a solid colour) as clear coat, without the possibilty of inter-coat adhesion failure.

Single stage urethane is resiliant to UV, but on a daily driven, ran through the car wash type of car, it will dull within 6-8 years or less depending on abuse. However it CAN be polished back to 100% original.

Single stage urethane takes less time to spray and is overall a more inexpensive paint due to the lesser amount of stages involved.

The ultimate choice is really a matter of cost. Either will perform amazingly.....hint - watch the "junkyard dog" episode of American hotrod where they are wet-sanding the red on the Bel-air....the sanding water is red....=single stage urethane on a show car - thats right

Wankel7

Take the pop top off a soda can...lightly drag it across the paint. If it leaves a mark (It wipes off) NO clear coat. No mark...clear coat.

classicauto

iTrader: (3)

Another method is to lightly wetsand a down low area and see what colour the sanding dust in the water is. Body colour is single stage, white is BC/CC.........

Terrh

iTrader: (7)

what if you have a white car? :P

classicauto

iTrader: (3)

Thats the kanundrom.....

You'll never know till you peel it back with a white car.

raptor22

I know my red 87 has clear...because it is peeling in a few places.

Wankel7

Read my post on the first page