I know some one who has the same car as I do but he says he has no clear coat. He says he has 2 stage paint and when he applies wax he gets color transfer. He is wanting suggestions for a good detail before winter comes so he can protect his paint. I have not seen the car personally so I dont know what it looks like. I want to help this guy out but if what he says is true, I have no idea what to reccomend him to do. Except get his car repainted...lol Need suggestions fast what products would any of you reccomend for this guy, does he need to be carful with applicators he uses or what.
2 stage paint
- Thread starter oaevo8u
- Start date
Eliot Ness
Active member
His car may have been repainted with a urethane finish that does not have a clear coat. Also, depending on color, some cars came with either a SS or CC paint. It is normal to see some paint transfer when waxing or polishing on a finish that is not CC.
Pretty much any of the products out there are compatible with either a clear or non-clear coat finish. Some like meg's #7 are geared toward SS paint, but many use it on a CC also.
You should recommend that he use a good paint cleaner like AIO or Megs ColorX to first clean his paint, then apply a good wax/sealant.
If he's a good friend you can always help him polish out any paint defects first
Pretty much any of the products out there are compatible with either a clear or non-clear coat finish. Some like meg's #7 are geared toward SS paint, but many use it on a CC also.
You should recommend that he use a good paint cleaner like AIO or Megs ColorX to first clean his paint, then apply a good wax/sealant.
If he's a good friend you can always help him polish out any paint defects first
Eliot Ness
Active member
I believe that the 2003 Mitsubishi did have a 2 stage red paint (sorry I didn't notice your sig before).
Without seeing the paint/condition it's hard to make more than general suggestions. It's also difficult w/o knowing how much work he wants to devote to the car.
Without seeing the paint/condition it's hard to make more than general suggestions. It's also difficult w/o knowing how much work he wants to devote to the car.
EdLancer
New member
oaevo8u said:
If you have a Japanese car and in your case an Mitsu, all solid color paint will NOT have a clearcoat, but all metallic paints will have a clearcoat to bind the metallic flakes. I would just use NXT to seal the paint and top with #16 over the week.
Eliot Ness
Active member
oaevo8u said:
Does he want a sealant that will last a long time, a quick cleaner wax (like NXT) that topped with #16 will give some longevity, or something more exotic? If his paint is in good condition then the NXT (2 coats 24 hours apart) and #16 combo may be a good place for him to start. It will look good, won’t cost too much, and is easy to apply. Here are some pics of NXT and #16 on red SS paint: http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45159
There are dozens of products that will yield good results if used properly, it usually boils down to personal preference and how much time/money he is willing to spend.
If he's really serious and wants that red to look hot then after all the paint defects are taken care of (swirls, marring, etc.) and he puts on a few coats of sealant have him top it with Souverän. At $70 it's not cheap but it looks hot on red! It's also a "beauty wax" so it won't last too long, but it is soooo nice and easy to apply. If winters are a problem then #16 may be the answer because it's known for its longevity. Then in the spring he can go for the Souverän.
I think a good polish to clean up the paint (like Meg’s #80), followed by VM, followed by two coats of EX (24 hours apart) and topped with Souverän would make him very, very happy. But as I said before, so would a lot of other products.
Eliot Ness
Active member
oaevo8u said:
I guess you first have to determine what corrections need to be made (i.e. are there scratches/swirls, etc. and if so how bad). Not knowing how hard the paint is you'd treat it like most any other detail and start with the least agressive polish/pad you think is needed and then bump it up from there. If his finish is in good condition then AIO may be all the cleaning he'll need before SG.
As a reference, DACP (#83) was used on the 1990 Miata (ss paint) I provided a link to in my previous post, and that finish came out very nice. DACP (on the unofficial Autopia agressiveness scale) is rated at a 6. 1ZPP is rated at a 5 (higher= more agressive).
So I'd say pick the two polishes you like the best and have him start with the least agressive of the two on a polish pad, then step up if needed.
I like the 3M line (PI III RC & PI III MG) and Meg's (#83 & #80), but once again it boils down to personal preference and most any of the polish lines discussed here will yeild good results if applied properly.
Neither clay nor polish if used correctly is going to harm his ss paint. I've both wet-sanded and polished ss paint with very good results.
Eliot Ness
Active member
oaevo8u said:
That's the ticket Sean :xyxthumbs
What works for you is what's best for you to help him with. If you use the 1Z products you may even want to have him try MP or maybe even AIO first, just depends on the condition of his paint and what his goals are. If just AIO and SG make him happy, great. If not then step him through the 1Z polishes.