RET

The GT finally went to the body shop yesterday for repair and a same color repaint of the entire car. The original paint is single stage with no clear coat. It held up very well but had accumulated its share of road rash and a couple of thin spots from being polished too many times.

I need to decide about the paint type and I would appreciate comments regarding single stage paint versus paint with clear coat.

I am inclined to select a single stage paint: it was originally so; single stage paints, in my limited experience, seem to last longer; and, every vehicle that I have owned that was clear coated developed leprosy after a few years.

Removing all of the trim, seals, locks, mirrors, headlight assemblies, bumper covers, and etc., was a time consuming experience and I suspect that replacing all of the bits and pieces will take much longer....

GlenL

What color did you have that got single stage?

Clear coat is simply prettier. A good body shop can do it well. I'd go that way.

Bjbpe

Strongly recommend base color plus clear coat. Much nicer than a single stage. I recently repainted my "other" car with the color plus clear coat and it has a nice deep shine which I don't think would be atainable with single stage.

JHowell37

An '89 that's dunkelblau is base/clear.

Charley B

It all depends on how long you intend to keep the car. For less than five years a clear coat will be best, for over five years a single stage will serve you better. (jmho)

whiteNSXs

Personally, I prefer single stage for solid color as polishing can restore the shines very nicely. Clear coat can flake and wear out. Repair is more labor intensive if needed. In the case of Dark Blue, I would do single stage if it was my car. Maybe my eyes are wearing out but I do not see 2 stage being shinier than single stage.
Steve

docmirror

Dunkelblau was a metallic with a clear. Go back with that.

Range Rover

I would go with single stage. It is easier to polish and restore the shine. With clear coat, over time, the paint underneath the clear coat will fade, and there's nothing you can do about it. You can always polish the clear coat, but you'll just have very shiny yet dull paint.

RET

Thanks for the comments.

I really don't know if there was a clear coat on the car when it came from the factory originally (...or what it should have been...), but there is no clear coat now....

Polish it anywhere and the cloth turns blue, I do not know if was repainted/resprayed, but if so, it must have been stripped as the paint is very thin.

FWIW, the painter thought that it was original and so did Dan the Podguy.

JHowell37

Metallic paints are almost NEVER applied as a single stage. 99.999% are base/clear.

FBIII

Nothing worse than flaking peeling clear coat.

whiteNSXs

If Dunkelblau is "Dark Blue K5", it is a solid blue according to my 1985 928 paint swatch.
Steve

RET

The color code is L347, Dark Blue (Dunkelblau). It is not listed as a metallic paint, and it does not look metallic at all. It is a solid, nearly black, dark blue.

whiteNSXs

I am old school. I have seen newer cars with flaking and burnt through clear coat on solid colors and just wonder why clear coat is needed. Maybe it does have its advantage over single stage paint in some areas. I don't know. I just know that single stage paints shine like heck when it's done right.
Steve

MainePorsche

My thoughts on what should be your decision are what is quoted, by others, above.
I do have a problem with the clear coat on my car. Car is still original Indischrot from factory, but the PO put on (nice) GTS mirrors that were clear coated. After my four years with the car, the clear coat on them is starting to peel and it looks awful. I will say that I am extremely happy with the original paint. It is really holding up well, and with a nice waxing it looks great.