Single Stage vs. 2 Stage

ben54

New member
Is one look superior to the other? I noticed that Toyota uses single stage on their black cars, but a lot of other manufactures use 2 Stage for black. Are you supposed to treat them differently, or can you do the same routine on both?
 
I'm not sure I understand your question. Single stage to me is no clear coat. two stage as you put it is base coat (color of car) and clear coat
 
My own personal opinion is that black looks better as a single stage paint ... I think the black looks blacker and less cloudy. On other colors I prefer BC/CC.
The only problem is the single stage paint requires more upkeep to make it look great.
Most of the newer product will work very well to take care of single stage paint.
This is my opinion only and I am sure there are others.
 
Beemerboy said:
I'm not sure I understand your question. Single stage to me is no clear coat. two stage as you put it is base coat (color of car) and clear coat

You are correct, my question was the difference in look for single stage vs. color with clear on it.

I did tend to notice that single stage black did look darker, but didn't consider the additional upkeep.
 
I love to work on single stage paint, I have one coming up this week. 60 Impala station wagon repainted single stage, lowered with 20 inch low profile rims, I'll take pics.

Here is the before and after on a trooper with single stage paint you can see why I love it
 
Can you still use all of the normal PC, Wax, Claying procedures on single stage (non-clearcoat) paint, or are there special things to do?
 
I do all the same things that I do on CC cars. On this car I washed clayed which I'm not surewas nessary. Then used a wool cutting pad on a rotary with light cut compound, then polish with the PC another cutting pad, then glazed for a rich looking finish, then waxed by hand
 
Glaze was originally created for single stage paint and that is where it really does a great job ... I was going to say that there is where it really shines but I figured I would get beat up.
If I had a car for show only, it would have single stage paint on it ... probably acrylic lacquer.
 
ben54 said:
Any other car company besides Toyota still use a single stage?

I detailed my sisters 2002 Mazda Protege 5 the other day and it is Single Stage. She paid extra for the paint and its yellow. Ill take some pictures next time it is washed.
 
02Silverado said:
I detailed my sisters 2002 Mazda Protege 5 the other day and it is Single Stage. She paid extra for the paint and its yellow. Ill take some pictures next time it is washed.

Are you posotive? That's crazy. Mazda hasn't used single stage in decades! I"ll have to look into that. I know you konw your stuff and your probably right, but wow. I wonder why.
 
oh yeah to answer the question. I feel they both have there pros and cons. Single stage does have some noticeable clarity when cheeper clears are used. Most factory clears fall into this catagory btw. Single stage is easier to restore when it starts looking like crap. Clear however is far more durable. It's also far more versitile. You can't put metalics or pearls in single stage paints. Doing any kind of graphics like flames, marbaliser effects or mirals don't come out as smooth with single stage as compared to base clear systems. the diffrenes go on and on. Personaly 99% of the time i will stick with base/clear. Just about the only time i'll go with single stage is when i'm repainting something that was already single stage. I just can't sacrifice the durabuilaty or the reflectivity.
 
Koop said:
Are you posotive? That's crazy. Mazda hasn't used single stage in decades! I"ll have to look into that. I know you konw your stuff and your probably right, but wow. I wonder why.


Yeah, I couldn’t believe it also. She has had the car for about 2 1/2 years and never has detailed it. So I first tried DACP with a cutting pad on my DeWalt DA. The pad is already yellow but when I did a section to test, I noticed my pad was a little more yellow. I had my employee at the same time get some marks out with Adhesive remover and he said the paint was coming off on to the towel. It shocked me to. So I didn’t get the look I was wanting and grabbed the rotary. Sure enough, yellow paint all over my pads. The clarity was so nice. I can’t remember how much more the yellow paint cost, but I know it cost more. My dad grinded them down some but they were pretty firm with the paint price. I feel that it is a good think she got it with single stage, even though not knowing, because she doesn’t take that great of care of her car so when its time to detail it I comes out pretty good.
 
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