My old boss swore by 2-stage paint jobs and I always agreed until I met a hot rod guy who changed my mind

I was at a car show last weekend and this old timer showed me his single-stage urethane job on a '71 Challenger, said he hasn't touched a clear coat in 20 years. He argued it's faster to fix a scratch and the depth looks just as good if you sand and buff right, which got me second-guessing everything I learned. Do you guys think single-stage is making a real comeback in production work or is it just for show cars and nostalgia?

2 comments

2 Comments

charliew9914d ago

Wait, your old boss swore by 2-stage and you're just now hearing single-stage can look just as deep? lol That's wild. Single-stage urethane has been the secret for a lot of old-school guys forever, especially on solid colors like black or red where you can wet sand and buff to a mirror finish without worrying about peeling clear. I think the real trick is how quick it is to spot repair a scratch, you don't have to match clear layers, just sand and rebuff that spot.

the_nina13d ago

Hold on, WAIT. You're telling me single-stage urethane can wet sand and buff to a mirror finish without any clear coat? That's messing with my whole understanding of paint. My old boss had me convinced that two-stage was the only way to get a deep gloss, and now I'm finding out we've been overcomplicating everything for years.