Paint question - single stage vs base/clear

[tirwin]

Would the original paint for a black '83 SC be single stage? I'm assuming so.

The PO suspected that a door and possibly part of a rear fender got resprayed at some point. I would assume a quality shop would've matched whatever was original - single or two-stage. If it has been repainted you can't tell visually.

The reason I'm asking is there are some minor scratches and water spots in a few places I'm going to attempt to polish or wet sand out. I want to use the least aggressive approach to get the job done.

I've read that black single stage tends to be on the soft side. Is that true?

[Dpmulvan]

Go to paint and bodywork forum and ask Porsche 962 he's the go to guy for paint questions.

[tirwin]

Thank you, sir.

[Drisump]

If original, it is a single stage paint. Upon investation I found out my black 85 is single stage. To improve the look of the paint in my experience, clay, compound with a random orbital polisher (light cut foam and compound), and seal with a quality "hide" sealant. You can top it off with your favorite flavour of wax or final sealant. When compounding be especially aware that outside edges are vulnerable to over polishing and you can over do it. I personally don't mind the patina my car has worked so hard to build...LOL. I drive my car a lot but only do these operations every couple of years. Cheers

[tirwin]

Thanks. I have a DA polisher and all the stuff but I there are a couple of spots that are stubborn.

[psychoideas]

if you get a clean white rag with a little mild cutting compound on it and give a spot on a panel a light rub, inspect the rag, if it has black paint on it it's solid color. if it has no color on the rag then your paint is 'Clear over Base'.

[tirwin]

That's a good tip. It is definitely single stage.

I made good progress but there are a couple of scratches that I have not been able to remove. I need to get something a bit more aggressive for the scratches and spot treat them and blend. Can't feel them with a fingernail so they are not deep -- just visually annoying.

[Joe Bob]

Sometimes it depends on where you live and the air quality rules. In CA, it's water based primer and final coat with a final water based clear. You may not have a choice.

[javadog]

This is one of those things I am happy to pay a pro to do. There's a lot of skill involved and someone that does this for a living is infinitely better than someone doing it for the first time. You only have a limited thickness of paint on the car, the idea is to remove as little of it as possible. I had to repaint an original-paint 914-6 because a previous owner buffed the paint himself and it got too thin.

JR

[tirwin]

Made a lot of progress today but it is a lot of work.

Understand your comment JR but I find it hard to find 'pros' anymore.

Pretty pleased with the results so far.

[timchar]

That looks great Tim. Good job. Tim

[cgarr]

Hey Tim:

I think they only used one black these years like VW did, its nice because it is an off the shelf black, no mixing, its just black, negro, noir

[javadog]

Originally Posted by tirwin

Understand your comment JR but I find it hard to find 'pros' anymore.

It is getting hard to find independent detail guys, so I use the "detail guy" at a restoration shop. Any decent shop will have at least one guy that does their color sanding and polishing.

Good luck with your project,
JR