How good can a paint job with no clear-coat look. I know guys paint there cars but don't do a clear coat.
How good can it look?

 

Depends on the type of paint used...

Some paints need the clear coat to bring the color out...commonly referred to a bc-cc (basecoat-clearcoat), other paints do not need a clearcoat. Some places will apply a clearcoat over paints that are not bc-cc paints, to keep the paint protected or to "deepen" the shine.

 

what's wrong with the appearance board

 

My car doesnt have a clear coat, and i even painted it myself

it turned out ok, i think it takes a little bit more maintenance then with clear coat.

 

Thanks guys. Mark, I don't know why I didn't ask this in the Appearence Board...

 

Check my sig - my car doesn't have clear coat on it either, and nobody believes me when I tell them.

 

pskel350: Did you use a laquer paint?

 

To be honest, i dont know....lol. I bought it from Napa, I just bought cheap paint because i knew i was gonna have it repainted this spring. I just had to get the car painted for prom, finished it up the day before It was well worth it

 

looks damn good

 

That's what everyone says - I've had painters and mechanics both comment that it's impossible there's no clear.

And the paint job was only 1500 Canadian too. I wish that my friend would have paid the shop and extra 300 or so to do it right, but for 1500 CAD (1000 US) it looks damn good years later.

 

The non clearcoat paints work out just fine for a quick fix but the basecoat clearcoat lasts longer. because of just putting on 2-3 coats and being done with it the (B.C.C.C) your getting more coats and protecting it better. Like you have a total of 5-6 layers of paint. Also an agvantage to clearcoating is you can choose how glossy or dull you want your car to look. Me I put 4 coats of clear on my 86 Monte Carlo SS and it gives it a wet look.

If you want pics just email me at red_82_z28@yahoo.com

 

In '97, I had my car painted at Maaco for $380. I did all the prep myself, and brought them a perfect car. I went cheap on the clear coat (dumb, I know), and paid $50 for a "mixed in clear-coat" instead of $120 for a "full wet clear-coat". I bet they didn't even bother to mix a clear coat in.

Anyway, I've got a ton of chips in my hood that show my primer underneath. If I had the full wet clear coat, the rocks would've just chipped the clearcoat, and not the color coat. Just something to think of if you do a lot of highway driving.

And as for the Maaco paint, it looked great until I stopped regularly washing/waxing the car... now, it's shot to hell. And that's why I bought a Devilbiss HVLP paint gun last fall, and why I'll be spending $380 in paint and doing it myself- instead of paying Maaco $380 for paint AND the work. I hear for $380, you can buy some pretty decent paint.. and that Maaco buys the cheapest stuff they can get.

 

how many years........

 

More and more people are shootin the acrylic-enamel "1 step" It's an all in one paint that most have probaly heard of before. You have to play the mixture game with the hardner/reducer to achieve a super shine, the first 2 coats are laid on I'd say a medium thickness, not a mist, but not on the verge of running either, chemicals mixed per the manufactuers destructions. Then the final coat after the 2nd has tacked up, you mix more hardner than is called for and shoot in on just to the point of running. Once that's stuff dry, you buff as usual and if done properly it'll look just as good as bc-cc. Disadvantage, not as easily repairable as bc-cc, but is cheaper and less labor intensive then bb-cc.

 

2003 is the 6th year....