Hi Folks, I have searched the internet (read a lot of opinions) but haven't found an answer to the question "When did Porsche end their single stage paint process and begin clear-coating over the base coats?" Was there an actual date the single-stage paint ended, or was it slowly fazed out? Many guess that it was in the late '80s but no definitive answers.

 

I don't belive there is a hard date. The guards red and black paint remained single stage beyond the rest well into the late 80's.

So long story short it depends on the colour.

 

My 91 911 is single stage Black paint. I believe this is true for all 964 years.

Jeff

 

It probably depends on the assembly facility. Its unlikely that an existing line would make such a drastic change so a new paint procedure probably coincided with a new model. 993 maybe?

 

On the 928 line it was mixed. Black and red were single stage, most everything else was two stage.

 

My 78 was base plus clear from the factory.
I think metalic paints are all base plus clear . Mine is Copper Brown Metalic.

 

Thanks for the input guys, I've been asked this question by numerous owners over the years (and again yesterday) which prompted me to ask here. Cheers

 

It's worth a look on Pelican's paint and bodywork forum, if you haven't already. Alpine white remained a single-stage colour during the '80s as well, as far as I know.

Here's the Pelican link, if you're not familiar: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/paint...cussion-forum/

 

a few years ago a French guy (forget his name) spoke at a UCR social and he personally advises most of the carmakers on their paints and techniques etc. He said around 87 all cars switched to two stage paint. He works for Mequires, and I have his card somewhere, and he lives in Montral.

 

Thanks for the link Charlie. Danny, yes the French guy was correct with respect to most auto manufacturers beginning in '85. I guess most if not all makers in North America had switched over by '87. Seems like Porsche was still hangin' in there with single-stage with base-colours (non-metallic) well into the '90s though. Cheers

 

actually I ment to say he said all colours on Porsches changed to two stage around 87. I am just repeating what he said.