which manufacturer/model has hardest clearcoat/paint?

[twobucket]

definitely one consideration in my next vehicle purchase.

[swanicyouth]

Probably like a Lamborghini or something. Maybe a car to consider.

[twobucket]

lets keep it to a non-exotic brand..

[swanicyouth]

Maybe VW / Audi.

[Nick McKees37]

lets keep it to a non-exotic brand..

The paint on my 2010 Mazda 3 was the hardest I've ever come across, and I've worked on plenty of different vehicles.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

I would give the nod to German paint. Any color besides Jet Black.

[swanicyouth]

Then, Maybe Mazda.

[swanicyouth]

I would give the nod to German paint. Any color besides Jet Black.

I'm trying to understand this Jett Black soft paint anomaly. Since we are working on clear coat (not color coat), shouldn't the paint color underneath the clear coat be irrelevant to how "hard" the paint is?

Unless one was to speculate BMW uses some special soft clear coat for Jett Black that they don't use on other colors. I don't know for sure, but this I doubt.

My theory is the JB "paint" is as "hard" or as "soft" as all the other colored cars painted that day - that it is just is easier for the human eye to actually see the slightest defect on those colors.

Please chime in all. I'm curious to what you think. I don't know for sure, but that is my theory.

Mike?

[twobucket]

I have a dark color metallic paint on my 2013 Audi. hmm didn't feel it was that hard... maybe medium hard.

It would be nice if there is hardness meter like paint thickness meter.

[TD_05]

Mike- I tend to agree with your theory, although a different clear for that specific paint isn't out of the question. I've heard that BMW jet black is pretty soft. I just got a S4 with brilliant black. I still have yet to correct the paint, but from what I can tell, Audi's have really hard clear's. But with the lack of metallic fleck in the brilliant black, it shows defects especially well / more easily perceived...

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

I'm trying to understand this Jett Black soft paint anomaly. Since we are working on clear coat (not color coat), shouldn't the paint color underneath the clear coat be irrelevant to how "hard" the paint is?

Unless one was to speculate BMW uses some special soft clear coat for Jett Black that they don't use on other colors. I don't know for sure, but this I doubt.

My theory is the JB "paint" is as "hard" or as "soft" as all the other colored cars painted that day - that it is just is easier for the human eye to actually see the slightest defect on those colors.

Please chime in all. I'm curious to what you think. I don't know for sure, but that is my theory.

Mike?

Yes. As you have mentioned in your first paragraph, the hardness of the color will never be known as we detailers don't polish the color. We are only polishing the clear coat.

I would not speculate the BMW uses different clear for different models. I would imagine the when the vehicle rolls down the assembly line only the color is changed out for each car but the clear would all be the same regardless of what color is on the car. It just doesn't make sense to use multiple clear coats just because of a color change.

When I worked in the body shop back in Las Vegas we were spraying Martin Senour paint. Regardless of color that was sprayed the clear was all the same. Of course mixtures and temperature are a different topic. We can discuss those if you would like.

I agree with your assessment that JB is as hard or soft as others painted that day.

The biggest gripe is that Jet Black will marr easily, scratch and swirl easily, and not finish properly as other colors. I believe as well as you that it is because of the perfect black background underneath it without any metallic's blurring what you would see otherwise.

Yes JB can be somewhat of a pain to finish out properly but I believe it is no different than say your BSM. With a heavy amount of metallic flake, hazing left over from a fine polish and say a white pad may be so minute that it is unnoticed on BSM, whereas on JB you will see it.

Hope this answers your questions. Will be happy to discuss further,

Mike

[Mike Phillips]

From experience the hardest paints I can remember would have been on new Audi's but not all Audi's.

Audi Soft Paint - Making Generalizations about Hardness and Softness (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/31888-audi-soft-paint-making-generalizations-about-hardness-softness.html)


This paint was as soft as butter...

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2BlueAudiSenstivePaint02.jpg


This paint was rock hard...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2217/2014_Black_Audi_Q5_001.jpg





I still think Corvette clears are consistently hard. I'll find out in a few weeks as I have a 2014 Stingray to detail.


:)

[swanicyouth]

Thanks for your input Mike & Mike.

[FUNX650]

definitely one consideration in my next vehicle purchase.
Something else I consider regarding this matter:

Clear-Coat paints seem to have one of these two-fold sufferings...with scratch-sensitivity laying at their core:

-Being hard/too hard:
Harder to scratch. But once scratched/swirled/blemished-up..."Somewhat Difficult" to buff out.

-Being soft/too soft:
Easier to scratch...But once scratched/swirled/blemished-up...
"Easier" to buff out.


Both...I'll refer to them as: Categories...Both: IMHO...require due diligence throughout their
buffing processes because of their being (among other factors):
-So thinly applied/sprayed (think: "burn- throughs"); and:
-Their tendency to be quite averse to high heat (think "paint shifting").


So...For "enhanced buffability":
If the facts of each and every vehicles' CC-paints "hardness/softness-levels" were truly known...
What would be the correct CC-category that a person should choose for their next vehicle purchase?

I wonder:
Would that knowledge really have the most influence on which vehicle to purchase, for 99.9% of the consumers?

:dunno:

Bob

[AeroCleanse]

I would give the nod to German paint. Any color besides Jet Black.

I can say that a black VW Jetta Sportwagen I take care of has ultra soft paint.