To Lacquer or not to Lacqer

[Keith66]

Hi All

 

My 1972 TR6 will be painted soon(ish).

 

Body is off the chassis, (yes braced etc) and the underneath (body colour over stonechip) and engine bay will be done then once the body is on the chassis the rest.

 

It will be done in a modern two pack paint, but the big question is whether to use multiple layers of clear lacquer?

 

Obviously this wil give a long lasting shine but will it look wrong?

 

I’d rather drive than polish but it will be an original spec car (mostly).

 

Thoughts?

 

Cheers

 

Keith

 

[peejay4A]

Two pack with no lacquer looks quite like a cellulose finish. This is how my car is painted.

[RogerH]

Hi Keith,

is the lacquer going to be 2 pack also. If so then you don;t need the base coat to be 2 pack.

 

If the base coat is to be 2 pack then you don't need the lacquer.

 

Roger

[Geko]

looks more like a "need" and "want" question... epic in essence

Edited October 9, 2014 by Geko

[stuart]

Hi Keith,

is the lacquer going to be 2 pack also. If so then you don;t need the base coat to be 2 pack.

 

If the base coat is to be 2 pack then you don't need the lacquer.

 

Roger

Err not quite like that Roger. If you want a lacquer finish and are going the 2K route then you would need a base coat and a lacquer, the two need to be compatible. The base coat is sprayed as a flat finish and the lacquer gives it its shine. If you dont want to go down the lacquer route then you would use solid colour 2K and thats it. FWIW Peter straight 2pack finish looks nothing like cellulose finish.

Stuart.

[RogerH]

ooops! that's where I'm going wrong

 

Roger

[peejay4A]

You're the expert Stuart but that's how the 2 pack no lacquer finish was sold to me. I've not compared it to a cellulose finish in the same colour.

[Red 6]

I have just had 2 cars painted. Both solid colours both 2 pack and both lacquered, result........fabulous! Yes to lacquer.

 

Both cars were painted in Glasurit , one was white and the other red. The cost was about £80 per litre

 

Incidentally the base colour has no gloss or sheen it is just colour it is the Lacquer that gives it the shine, just like modern water based paints (which are much more expensive) Having said that there are different types of 2k, another type I used also by glasurit has the shine built in which might explain any confusion about finish.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Red 6

[Keith66]

Hi All

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

Basically my understanding is that 2k paint started off in car factories in the 1970/80’s and all modern cars and refinishers now use 2k.

 

Painters, even for Classics use 2k and you have to go to a real specialist to get anything else, so mine will be in 2k.

 

But you can have 2k with or without it Lacquer, I’m not sure if the colour layer is different if lacquer is used or if it's just the method of application, but that does not really matter, it’s purely down to the aesthetics.

 

Modern cars (and the examples I’ve seen of my painters work) have a really deep lustrous shine and I’m not sure how well that might sit on a 1972 Blue TR6.

 

So just some thoughts from all you guys (and girls!!) out there about the cars you have, what you’ve seen and how they look with the different finishes, if anyone has noticed the difference!!

 

I can remember having old bangers on the late 80’s (so the start of 2k) and such cars painted with a lacquer looked really shiny and it was referred to as “knacker lacquer”

 

It’s only going to get painted once so I want it to look right.

 

For ref my painter says he is happy to do either it’s just that with a lacquer the shine will be better and perhaps more importantly will need less care so more time to drive and less to polish?

 

Thanks

 

Keith

[Red 6]

Preparation is the key.

 

A shiny car will show how good the preparation was.

 

A particular problem with older cars is the panels stress over time which leads to ripples in the metal, I am thinking of say the door of a vitesse/herald or a rear wing of a 4a/5. These ripples have to be removed/covered otherwise they will stand out like a sore thumb hence the prep has to be even more thorough. To add to the problem you are painting the car in Blue. If it is a dark blue say Royal Blue or even Sapphire blue then the prep is even more critical.

 

What I can tell you is that if the prep really is first class then a blue car with a bright deep lacquered finish will look even better than stunning.

 

As you said you will only be doing this once!

 

ps make sure you get a spare 1/2 litre of colour for any future mishaps.