How to test for clearcoat paint

Mike Phillips · 08-16-2016, 09:07 AM

How to test for clearcoat paint

The switch to clearcoat paints started in the 1980s. Now days, the majority of cars, trucs, vans suvs, etc. have a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish. There are some exceptions with some car manufacturers spraying single stage for white paint jobs and a few companies offering tinted clearcoats, which can give off pigment when rubbed with a compound or polish. For the most part however, the majority of cars on the road and being built today have a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish.

Recently, we machine buffed a classic 1989 Mercedes-Benz. 1989 was a time of transition for a lot of car companies. It can be hard sometimes to simply LOOK at the finish of a car and determine with your eyes if a car has a single stage paint job or a basecoat/clearcoat paint job. So here's a simple test you can do to identify and determine the type of paint on a car.

Step 1: Pour a small amount of a white colored compound or polish onto a white applicator pad or white microfiber towel.

Step 2: Gently rub the compound or polish against the finish for a few seconds.

Step 3: Turn the applicator or microfiber towel over and inspect the results.

If you see the color of the car on the applicator this means you're working on single stage paint.

IF you don't see the color of the car on the applicator then this means you're working on a clearcoat paint finish.

Question: If I discover that I"m working on single stage paint should I do anything different?

Answer: You treat single stage paint like clearcoat paint except that generally speaking, single stage paints tend to be softer than most clearcoat paints. The exception would be single stage white paint because it uses Titanium Dioxide for pigment and because this forum of pigment is very hard it tends to make the paint very hard.

One more caution would be if you're working on an older car with single stage paint, don't buff on edges, raised body lines or high points on curved panels as the paint may be thin due to years of exposure, wear-n-tear and others that have worked on the car before you. Stick with quality brand names for compounds, polishes and waxes and you'll be amazed at how nicely most single stage paints will polish out.