I`m sure this has been discussed before but I couldnt find anything,so here gos.What are my choices and what did you go with?
Thanks
Kenny

There's several good choices out there but personally, I don't think you can beat SPI Universal Clear www.southernpolyurethanes.com

It's very easy to spray, you have to really try to make it run, it's as durable as any, mixes 1:1 so you get 2 gal sprayable for about $180 plus shipping.

As an added bonus, you get the best support in the business.....from the owner himself! :thumbsup:

Check out the SPI forum to read up on it...... http://spi.forumup.org/index.php?mforum=spi

There are other good one's out there but I just don't think you can beat the quality, usability, support & price of SPI.

And no I don't sell it.....I just use it!

I'm no expert painter... but I would stick with the same brand as the base coat you used. All the major manufacturers make a number of different types of clear, for different finishes and applications.

The PPG clear I used on top of PPG's DBC base matches the description Sid gave pretty well, except for the $100 a gallon part... Is this a case where you get what you pay for? The PPG clear was over $400 a gallon.

JIm's right on with utilizing the same manufacturer as your base coat. My personal favorite is Dupont Chromapremier. A little spendy but well worth it. Works well for amateurs as it is an air dry system.

I did a typo on the price :clonk: It's actually around $180 for 2 gal sprayable. Still very good compared to the big boys!!

The lower price is not an indication of quality in this case. It's due to not having the overhead of the BIG companies like PPG, Dupont etc... No huge CEO bonuses, sponsored race cars, high dollar paint booths....free to the big clients & very costly to the little guys like us.

You can use SPI clear over most any base coat but I would check with Barry (the owner) just to be sure..... or ask on the forum.

Lots of happy SPI customers out there!

PPG GLOBAL as a base and PPG clear. Best of the best. Per my body shop buddy whose been in the industry for 18+ years, he notes the fact that PPG paints can be re-matched very easily in the event you need to in the future. PPG is a high solids paint and you can see the difference in both the way it sprays and lays.

As for their clears, they will not yellow over time, as do some other brands.

Do not make the initial mistake I did, of using PPG's budget brand called Omni. Huge mistake.

Modern paints from bottom to top are systems...hi tech stuff
mixing brand systems 8times out of 10 u will get way with it..thu u may find a slight reduction on finish...not noticable unless panels are placed side by side.
The rest of the times you will have a disarster on your hands to a distaater that is going to raise its head a couple yrs down the line.
Plus u will find the paint manufactures will not cover under warranty

The big problem in mixing systems comes in when you mix different brand activators or use low quality reducers in the primers, bases & clears. No doubt that whatever brand primer, base or clear is used, the manufacturer suggested activator & reducer should be used.

However, once the product is properly applied, there's normally no reason a different brand base or clear can't be used. It's done every day in collision/body shops. There's no way for a shop to know what "brand" of paint is on a car that comes in. They prep it, prime, base, clear & blend with the line of paint they use.

I realize there are rare exceptions to this but I wouldn't hesitate mixing quality brands of primers, bases & clears as long as each is applied per manufacturers tech sheet.

On a Client's car i would never mix systems simply because of the liability that might come because someone else might think it is a bad thing. I would have no problem doing on my own car.

I feel that SPI is as good a quality material as you could get and would use more if there was a local jobber. SPI makes a high solids clear if that is what someone whats.

Barry is a very up front guy and will answer any questions someone might have.

The last 2 posts are made by guys ho from experiance know what they can mix and get away with....
However, once the product is properly applied, there's normally no reason a different brand base or clear can't be used. It's done every day in collision/body shops
If one isnt in the 'trade' stay with the 1 system.
There is a big diff to an insurance job on a car that is either not going to be kept by that owner for many yrs...and the car is not gong to have the same life time expectancy as a classic
By the tme any issues start to arise, the car has been sold or ready to be wrecked
It is not uncommon to see cars in wrecking yards and old sec hand sales yards to easy pick up repairs/resprays etc where the paint cracks/flakes etc

each paint MFG. has differing grades of clear.
I used Dupont to repaint and got their best clear which was conciderably more expensive but leaves a great shine and is harder than the ordinary stuff.

The last 2 posts are made by guys ho from experiance know what they can mix and get away with....

There is a big diff to an insurance job on a car that is either not going to be kept by that owner for many yrs...and the car is not gong to have the same life time expectancy as a classic
By the tme any issues start to arise, the car has been sold or ready to be wrecked
It is not uncommon to see cars in wrecking yards and old sec hand sales yards to easy pick up repairs/resprays etc where the paint cracks/flakes etc
I guess I run my shop with a different attitude I don't care if the person is going to sell the car the next day or keep it for twenty years it gets the same clear, who am I to judge what a person is going to do with their car & what about the next person who buys that car.

There's several good choices out there but personally, I don't think you can beat SPI Universal Clear www.southernpolyurethanes.com (http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com)

It's very easy to spray, you have to really try to make it run, it's as durable as any, mixes 1:1 so you get 2 gal sprayable for about $180 plus shipping.

As an added bonus, you get the best support in the business.....from the owner himself! :thumbsup:

Check out the SPI forum to read up on it...... http://spi.forumup.org/index.php?mforum=spi

There are other good one's out there but I just don't think you can beat the quality, usability, support & price of SPI.

And no I don't sell it.....I just use it!

The universal clear says the accelerator is "slow". They have several different ones with faster accelerators. Are they as user friendly from a run standpoint? It just seems that the longer it is tacky, the more bugs home in on the piece.

alan

I guess I run my shop with a different attitude I don't care if the person is going to sell the car the next day or keep it for twenty years it gets the same clear, who am I to judge what a person is going to do with their car & what about the next person who buys that car.


m8 im not digging at your Attitude...that is not the piont Im making..

The universal clear says the accelerator is "slow". They have several different ones with faster accelerators. Are they as user friendly from a run standpoint? It just seems that the longer it is tacky, the more bugs home in on the piece.

alan

SPI has 3 different activators that can be used with the clear depending on the temp of the booth/car. Here's a link to the tech sheet for the Universal clear... http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/tech%20sheets%20new/universal%20clear%20tech%202006.pdf which also says it can be applied over ANY base. I've only shot the Universal so I can't comment on the other clears.

The Polar Accelerator SPI has (if that's what your reffering to?) is to speed up the dry time, mostly used for cooler temps. Being in Texas, I have never had a need for this product.

I havent bought the paint yet but am thinking house of kolors shimrin fine stratto blue,any thoughts?

The HOK should work fine. I haven't used it personally but a buddy of mine uses it for graphics over PPG base. Also, there's a guy on the SPI forum that paints custom motorcycles and he uses it along with PPG, Dupont, R-M etc... for his custom work. He uses SPI clear exclusively over whichever base(s) he shoots.

You should be able to use most any quality clear over the HOK. Just don't use the lower grade stuff PPG & Dupont put out. If you go with one of them, get the top of the line they offer......just be prepared for the sticker shock.

Again, if you go with HOK just be sure to use their recommended activators & reducers depending on the temp. Also make sure and follow the tech sheet on application....how to spray, flash times between coats etc...

The biggest reason for paint failures whether using all the same product line or different product lines is due to not following the instructions for each one.

thanks alot I appreciate all your time and effort.
Kenny