Martin, I hope it is turning out to your satisfaction, I wish I had seen this thread earlier. Was the rust treatment system you used a urethane that will permanently seal the metal before the POR-15 putty was applied? Kent at ************** likes Miracle Paint for this, then he uses Bondo brand "short strand filler" which is a two-part catalyst mix (not the stuff we typically think of as Bondo that sands off into pink powder and contracts/cracks over time) to smooth or fill any gaps. Sometimes the Miracle Paint actually "fills" in a little bit and smooths over the surface, and can be sanded down/reapplied as necessary.

The original 040 may be a single-stage (no clear coat). The advantage, while clear coat is an extra layer of protection, is that you don't ever have to worry about peeling clear coat or sanding/buffing through it. When you compound the single-stage, you'll have some color residue on the pad/towel.

It looks like you picked a system/path and got it figured out. I also have recently used automotivetouchup.com brand spray, which is an exact match to my body color (and metallic at that). They automatically include a clear coat can, even if you don't need it (maybe save it for another purpose), and offer primer as well (I'll use it to paint the inside of my Euro light housings to match the cladding). They also have an add-on spray trigger which makes the can more controllable. It certainly wasn't as fine as an Iwata airbrush, but with tedious masking and "feathering" I was able to "blend" parts of the engine bay where I performed extensive rust remediation. The casual observer would not have a clue.

Yes I used KBS which I believe is a urethane base paint system. It might be similar to POR15 or Miracle paint. The KBS dries rock hard on the metal if applied correctly. I know Kent is using the miracle paint for his 'fiberglassing' tricks. I am rather using my welding skills here. I don't think that fiberglassing is as strong as a good weld and it won't last that long (my 2 cents).

040 Single stage: Does a single stage pain have the same appearance and look like the base/clear coat?
I think my car has clear coat on but I am not 100% sure. How would I see the difference?

Martin

Apply a bit of "cleaner wax" to an original painted area. If the polishing cloth you are using picks up the color of the paint then it is single stage.

Not necessarily a 100% test since if the clear coat has completely worn off the base coat will come off but it's a good 90% of the time test.


Color code 040 is black single stage in the original paint. Doesn't mean the car hasn't been re-sprayed somewhere in the past with a clear coat added.

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Hi Mike,

040 being a single stage paint originally.... That is interesting.
I know that my car was clear coated then, probably only the sides as there is the fine colored stripe along the car and a funny small flower in the rear corner.
I heard that the stripes were 'fashionable' at some point in time but I did not think about it. But now that you mentioned that the clear coat was not original it dawned on me. Do you know anything about this fashion?

The roof might still be the original color without clear because for some reason the clear coat stopped.
Can a single stage paint be a s shiny as clear coat? Probably.

Martin