Im getting ready to prime my truck with a 2k high build primmer. What I cann't make my mind up on know is whether to use a single stage or 2 stage paint. So my question is, What are you guys putting on your trucks. Im thinking of going 2 stage (base coat clear coat) but Ive seen some nice single stage paint jobs this year at the shows. So Im back on the fence again. Let me know what you guys think about the paint. The color Im painting is Black. Thanks

 

How much money do you want to spend ? You get what you pay for in clear coat and the good clear cost a lot of money.

 

Single stage is fine for colors without metallics, if you use something like ppg concept you can get pretty good results. If you want a color with metallics then bc/cc is definitely the way to go.

Check out http://southernpolyurethanes.com while your at it, they have some great products at reasonable prices. I would also recommend epoxy primer before your 2k and before your base coat or single stage, you can reduce it as a sealer. Make sure you don't go overboard with the high build.

Here's some good information as well:

Perfect Paint Job

-Justin

 

a 2 stage paint has a specific recoat window between base and clear. so it can add an extra element of planning, which can make things more difficult to do if you are crunched for time, like many of us tend to be.

just a thought.

 

Black?? Yow.. that's a challenging color. The bodywork better be REALLY good or else the quality of the color coat won't matter.

Single stage or 2K.. depends on what yer after. For a DD, I'd go single-stage but it is not that forgiving. Gotta spray it right or you'll spend a ton of time cutting and buffing. A 2K is slightly more forgiving IMO because you get one more chance to fix it before laying on the clear.

I shot my 68 Stang with Nason (a Dupont brand) single stage urethane back in 1992 and it is holding up well. Visit my garage.

 

I've used both. Agree with a mettalic stick with base/clear. Getting a single stage mettalic to lay on right is an art... there aren't many bodymen who can do it. I sure can't but I do OK with the base/clear mettalic.

On my dent I used single stage - Autocolorlibrary.com's house brand of acrylic enamal. It went on well and is holding up well after a year and change.

Agree at least the first prime coat should be epoxy or even an alkyd primer. The 2k surfacer smooths well but doesn't stick to or protect bare steel very well.

 

ok in choosing,base coat what are some of my better options,Im leaning toward mustang candy apple red mettalic,sort of burgandy like.thanks

 

Thanks for the great advice. The only reason Im going back black is because it was black before and the body is in really good shape. Im shooting straight black, no mettalic. I really like the black on the new ford trucks. My cousin has a 2010 F150 Platnium that is black and I love the mettalic in it. But right know I cant afford to buy that paint. I did look into PPG and some of there clear is 300 bucks. There mid grade clear is just as good and it dont cost that much. My truck isnt going to be a DD but Im going to drive it as much as I can in the summer months. I think b/c would be more forgiving to just in case I get a run or something like that. Plus you can buff it easier to. I'll check some of the sites and the info you guys put up. I need to post some pics up of my truck and get you guys up to date on what I have done. Ive done alot of work and took alot of pics. I need to quit being lazy and post some. Anymore thoughts, let me hear them.

1974 F100
Built 302 C6 trans
3:50 gear short w/b

 

You can shoot single stage 2k urethane now to cut cost. It will cut and buff just fine (even runs) and you can throw some clear over the top of it down the road if you like.

I've shot clear over single stage urethanes a lot.

These guys are right about base coats locking in metallics better (it's so easy it's almost like cheating)

But with black, heck, nothin wrong with single stage, and remember, you can clear over it later too.

(that's how we used to do it before chalkboard flat BC's came out)

You can block out a single stage with 2000 grit, shoot clear over it and wow... beautiful.

 

Just had mine done with single stage. I think it came out pretty good. Less money than base/clear so might not feel as bad when I get that first scratch.

 

I think a lot of it depends on what you will be doing with the truck.

My trucks get uses/abused in the dirt, etc. along with being drivers and grocery getters. Therefore I'll be doing a single stage & most likely painting the things myself to save some $$. As long as my trucks are all 1 color (well, not a patchwork of different colors due to using parts from multiple trucks like they are now) then I'm ok with it. They just need to look presentable from 5-10' out.

Like jdscooby said - I won't feel as bad WHEN I get the 1st scratch then and it will be easily repairable if need be. My trucks often look like they've been "keyed" due to what we call "mexican pinstriping" = all the scratches from scrub brush being dragged along the side as we make our way through the desert trails in Baja & here. Single stage makes it so I can buff these out much of the time.

While it doesn't sound like the OP's truck will see anything like this single stage might still be a good choice due to the black color he wants.

 

hey jdscooby, that is SHARP!!

Very nice!

 

Thank You, now to start on the interior

 

jbscooby, very nice truck. Your paint job looks very nice, I hope mine comes out good as yours. I did get to check out a truck today that had single stage paint on it and I liked the shine it had. Im not building a show truck or a work truck. Im building a truck to drive to the shows and cruise inns around home. I talked to the shop Im going to buy my paint from and he said some of his friends really like the single stage paint. If the truck wasnt black to began with I wouldnt be painting it black but since it is and I only had minor spots to fix them Im going back black. It did have a cheap paint job on it before and the clear was peeling bad on the hood, top and the top of the bed. Thats one other reason I was thinking of single stage. Thanks again for the info and ideas. jdscooby, show some interior pics also. One morething on your truck. I have a set of stainless windshield chrome I was thinking of putting on mine. Did you replace your rubber on your windshield and if so who did you get it from. Theres alot of opinons out there on window rubber. Thanks Scott

 

What brand of paint did you go with.