Painting the body black - Need Experienced Input
 

I'm disasebling the car myself and stripping paint the body guy is doing the bodywork. I've asked him to paint jambs and such so when I reasemble the entire exterior car could be painted without having to do the jambs. Anyway, he tells me that he can paint the whole fender or door and in a few weeks could do another piece and it would match since dupont black is dupont black and no metal flake. Recomends single stage versus bc/cc since they car won't see the abuse of an everyday driver. What are folks thoughts ? I've seen this guys work and it's really good.

He's right about solid colors like black. You can paint them panel by panel... no problems. But I would go base coat clear coat.... I've do it the "quick" way with single stage. If you ever have to touch up a panel... base coat clear coat is the way to go.... Not much more time... and just a little cost extra. You will be happer with BcCc

black is black?
 

your guy is going to use a toner for single stage paint no big deal there <there are alot of different color blacks out there without metal flake some appear black some brown.single stage black looks awesome when wet sanded and buffed.good luck steve

Personally I would go with a single stage. Don't know if you have ever seen PPG DCC in black but it looks like super buffed out laquer paint, which gives it a deep gloss black look.

When painting Black...remember every little imperfection will show..Rob

I painted mine in single stage PPG Concept Black. It is verrrrry deep. My opinion is that clear coated black looks "plastic" to me. Just my .02 Jeff

I agree with 69gtoconv. The thing about BC/CC,if you get orange peal in the besecoat then clear over it,the texture will always be there. With single stage ,you can sand it down slick as glass

If you are in it for the long haul, you should consider the two stage. It is a lot more durable, can be wet sanded for a show appearance and will give the car the depth that only a base/clear can give in my opinion. Especially for a black car, the sun is just going to attack that car and the paint. The clear helps protect the paint from the elements.
Spend the extra money and have it done right. How much extra will he charge for the two stage? A gallon of clear is a hundred bucks or less...

Most of the serious rodders that I have talked to really like black in single stage and PPG Concept in particular. That is what I will be using on my 67 GTO in a few weeks. If the car was a daily driver or sit out in the sun for extended periods of time I would use BC/CC for the extra protection.

FYI, painting the jambs first then, the outside panel later sounds OK in theory but, your going to end up with nasty, rough overspray in these areas that is going to be a PITA to hand rub out later. Unfortunately, they should be painted with the outside as you move around the car.

I was told by an old bodyman that dark solid colors will show more depth when using a single stage paint as compared to BC. As for durability, I think a urethane single stage paint should stand up as well as a BC paint. (BTW the clear is usually urethane too ). Also panel painting solid colors is usually not a problem. Just make sure you have enough paint before starting. Also the panels should be painted in the same position as they are bolted on the car to duplicate the same flow out condition as if you painted the car in one shoot. HTH

Exactly why I chose the single stage for mine as it will never be a daily driver or out in the sun much (cept for top down weather!)

Okay, a picture of mine (shameless plug)

I prefer spraying non metallic colors single stage because the pigment is closer to the surface, which makes the color more brilliant. Clears look great when first sprayed, but after a while they discolor and the fine scratches you get from regular use show up more because clear scratches are white as opposed to single stage scratches are body color. I've never bought into the belief that single stage paints will not last as long as b/c because if single stage paints had no uv protection, they wouldn't last a year in the environment. They are basically made of the same stuff, use the same reducers and hardeners and spray the same. Besides any vehicle that you care enough about the finish will spend little time outdoors compared to a late model daily driver. You will probably repaint the car because you are tired of the car before the paint goes bad.
As for the color, don't be afraid of black. Black is your friend. If you do ****ty bodywork it will show, but thats how you learn. Black is the cheapest color to buy, so mistakes aren't as painful to your wallet. Most of the cars that I have painted have been black and it is super rewarding when it turns out right. It is also the easiest to spray, because coverage is easier to monitor due to the way it absorbs light (you see the surface, rather than the color while you are spraying).
My dad has a 34 Ford pickup that I painted in PPG single stage black about 10 years ago. After 10000 miles it still looks good. I have a 1955 chevy pickup that I painted in PPG base clear a year later. After 4000 miles, It doesn't look quite as black as my dad's 34. Don't get me wrong, it still looks good. When the paint was fresh, it looked better, mainly because I color sanded more aggressively to get the orange peel out. I just feel its not worth the extra step to use clear on solid colors.
The only advantage I see for clearing non metallic colors (other than black) is that it is easier to deal with runs. I've never had much luck doing spot repairs in non metallic colors with b/c. Metallics are easy to fix because the flake hides alot of defects.
Most of the cars I paint people ask what clear I used. It just goes to show that most people can't tell the difference between single stage and base clear when they are done well.

Dave