Kevin in Atlanta

I am looking at a 928 painted Meteor Metallic and the owner says the car needs a re-paint due to oxidation. Having owned a car painted Meteor Metallic I don't recall there being a clear coat. Am I wrong?

FLYVMO

I am pretty sure all metallics are clear coated from the factory...but I am standing by to be proven wrong. If clear coated the underlying paint should be fine, just need the clear coat polished.

Cheers!
Carl
90GT Project

Mike Frye

Mine is Meteor Grey Metallic ('85). It's got a clear coat that's starting to show signs of wear here and there.

My car was resprayed at some point though, so it's not original. I imagine the clear coat was to emulate the original paint/clear coat combo.

illini-heel

It depends on the year. By 1987, most OEMs were spraying clear on all colors (even non-metallics). It is a safe assumption that high end cars were clear coated prior to that. Today, there isn't an OEM ouside of India that doesn't apply clear to all top coats. The primary reason for this is UV inhibition.

Kevin in Atlanta

Ok, I was wrong. If the clearcoat is oxidizing can a competent body shop restore it without a full respray or should I suck it up and get the job done right?

hacker-pschorr

Many base colors were single stage long after 1987. My friends red 993 is single stage from the factory.

FLYVMO

If there is sufficient thickness left on the clear coat it can be buffed and polished. A competent shop can give you a better idea of what is needed.

Cheers!
Carl

Bill Ball

The solid color non-metallics were not clear coated at least through the late 80s. My GP White 89 is single stage. I have a spare fender and hood from a 90 GP White and it is single stage.

Mike Simard

I had an 85 meteor grey back in the day and don't think it had clear. It had some bodywork done after an accident in 1990 and had to have panels matched and I looked over it. If it had clear, I didn't realise it.

BTW, isn't that the best color?!

depami

My 86.5 has clear.

Adamant1971

As did my 85 before it was re painted.

MarkRobinson

my '91 911 turbo is single-stage Guard's red. My prior turbocharged MM 928 had been painted too many times to tell :/

FLYVMO

According to the Porsche "Two coat Metallic Paint Repair Procedure" manual, the metallic paints ARE base/clear, in other words, a base color coat with the metal flakes, covered by a clear coat. I know that many solid colors (i.e. Guards Red etc) were single stage (i.e. no clear coat)

Cheers!
Carl
90GT Project

pcar928fan

Hacker is quite correct and this statement above is incorrect! My '94 GTS in Grand Prix White is single stage as is my '88 S4 in Dark blue.

Nearly all metallic paints from at least the early '80's forward (and for all I know maybe EVERY metallic and pearl from the beginning of time) were clear coated...

Mike Frye

Yeah man! Low key enough to drive everyday, classy enough to look great doing it.