Single Stage Paint

[mis3]

I read somewhere in this forum that Honda is single stage paint. What is single stage paint? Do we detail the car with single stage paint differently?

Is Mercedes single stage as well?

[Mike Pennington]

Re: Single Stage Paint

In general terms - Single stage is a paint system that utilizes no clear. Sometimes called a traditional paint, but approx 95 - 98% of new cars today have a clear coat paint system on them.




The good news is, weather you have a clear or not you still treat it the same way.

The easiest way to tell if you do have clear or not is to use some kind of safe paint cleaner, like SwirlX or Ultimate Compound and work it into the surface. If the color of the car comes off on the applicator, then you do not have a clear. If no color comes off, then you do have a clear.

Keep in mind, if color does come off, it is ok

Check out this thread showing a single stage paint from last Saturday's Open Class

[BarryK]

Re: Single Stage Paint

In the past all paints were single stage paints.
What that means is that the paint - typically lacquer, enamel, or urethane, is sprayed on with as many coats as the painter wishes, than that paint is usually wetsanded and buffed out to a nice glossy finish. The paint itself provids both the color and the glossy finish.

Modern paints are are now almost always 2-stage paints, also referred to as Base coat / Clearcoat paints.
The difference is that the base coat is sprayed on and provides the color. Afterwards a clearcoat is sprayed over top of the color (base) coat. The base coat ONLY produced color and basically has no gloss or shine to it at all. All of the gloss, shine, and reflection comes from the top clearcoat which also acts as a clear protectant coat over the base coat such as you would get with a clear coat over your choice of stain or natural wood on a piece of furniture.

With a few exceptions, and usually on more exotic cars, almost all production cars now come with 2-stage paints, NOT single stage paints.

The easy way to determine if a vehicle has a single stage or 2-stage paint is to test it. Grab some polish or a compound and put a drop or two on a terrycloth applicator. In an out of the way area of the vehicle gently rub the polish onto the paint surface. If the applicator pad ends up with the color of the paint on it it's a single stage paint. If the applicator comes back "clean" without any of the vehicle color on it than it's a 2-stage paint with clear coat.

Just to confuse matters, in the past, especially on custom paintjobs many times they would apply a single stage paint than top it with clear lacquer to gain a better gloss & shine but this is not typical from a standard factory paintjob.

Generally you can detail a vehicle the same whether it's single stage or 2-stage paint but it's also good to keep in mind that single stage paints really like the oils provided in many polishes and glazes such as M80 but your "standard" detailing regiment of proper washing, claying, polishing, waxing, etc is all the same regardless of single or 2-stage paint


EDIT: opps, Mike types faster than me and beat me to it. He also has a nice chart I don't!

[Mike Pennington]

Re: Single Stage Paint

In the past all paints were single stage paints.
What that means is that the paint - typically lacquer, enamel, or urethane, is sprayed on with as many coats as the painter wishes, than that paint is usually wetsanded and buffed out to a nice glossy finish. The paint itself provids both the color and the glossy finish.

Modern paints are are now almost always 2-stage paints, also referred to as Base coat / Clearcoat paints.
The difference is that the base coat is sprayed on and provides the color. Afterwards a clearcoat is sprayed over top of the color (base) coat. The base coat ONLY produced color and basically has no gloss or shine to it at all. All of the gloss, shine, and reflection comes from the top clearcoat which also acts as a clear protectant coat over the base coat such as you would get with a clear coat over your choice of stain or natural wood on a piece of furniture.

With a few exceptions, and usually on more exotic cars, almost all production cars now come with 2-stage paints, NOT single stage paints.

The easy way to determine if a vehicle has a single stage or 2-stage paint is to test it. Grab some polish or a compound and put a drop or two on a terrycloth applicator. In an out of the way area of the vehicle gently rub the polish onto the paint surface. If the applicator pad ends up with the color of the paint on it it's a single stage paint. If the applicator comes back "clean" without any of the vehicle color on it than it's a 2-stage paint with clear coat.

Just to confuse matters, in the past, especially on custom paintjobs many times they would apply a single stage paint than top it with clear lacquer to gain a better gloss & shine but this is not typical from a standard factory paintjob.

Generally you can detail a vehicle the same whether it's single stage or 2-stage paint but it's also good to keep in mind that single stage paints really like the oils provided in many polishes and glazes such as M80 but your "standard" detailing regiment of proper washing, claying, polishing, waxing, etc is all the same regardless of single or 2-stage paint


EDIT: opps, Mike types faster than me and beat me to it. He also has a nice chart I don't!