Thinking of re-clearcoating my entire car. Anyone ever have it done? Wondering if there's anything tricky to it for a good body shop, whether prepping the existing paint is straightforward, etc.

 

Pretty straighforward for a body shop to do. The main thing is that they degrease & scuff the existing clear THOROUGHLY before they spray. If they rush the prep, the results won't have much durability. Make sure you get some kind of delamination warranty or such.

I've never cleared oem paint, but I've sprayed a lot of clear on repaints and spot blends on the BC/CC system, and the latter is pretty much the same drill as what yours will be.

I scuff with 800 grit myself.

P.S. You may want to have them spray an extra coat if you're getting it block sanded flat, because they'll remove that much in the process. Good luck!

 

Pretty scary now that you put it that way....

 

It's not scary at all, unless you don't trust the shop. I guess that's the $60k question.

It's a VERY easy thing for them to do, compared to other more complex work they do on a regular basis, but you need to KNOW the shop well enough to trust that they know what they're doing. That is an intangible if you're picking a shop out of the yellow pages, but if it's a business you've known for a while, and seen their work, or had someone else recommend them that has had experience with them, then I say go for it.

 

I'm probably going to use Lexus of Cherry Hill (NJ) to do it, they're going to be repainting some other stuff for me, and they're the local certified Lexus/Toyota paint shop, probably the most qualified in the region.
I'm just wondering what the difference is between doing a full paint job with clearcoat vs. just applying new clearcoat. There are still sanding steps in between clearcoats of a fresh paint job, right?

Guess if all else fails I can always get a couple of cans of clear down at Pep Boys. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 

Funny, I used to drive through Cherry Hill all the time on my way to work when I played clubs, small world..anyway...


Here's how it works;

On a full repaint, the existing paint is scuffed (stripped or sanded ONLY if it's in very poor condition) then basecolor is applied (sometimes a sealer is used first), followed by clearcoat. The base color is NOT sanded prior to clearcoat. Once the base color is applied, a "flash" window (certain amount of time) must be adhered to then the clear can be sprayed.


On a "re-clear" only. the existing clearcoat is scuffed thoroughly (so the new clear can "bite" into it and bond well) and sprayed.

The degreasing and scuffing parts are the same for both, though the grit of sandpaper used can be slightly different with just re-clearing it (usually not quite as coarse for clear as for basecoat). I scuff for base with 400 to 600 usually, and I scuff for re-clearing a panel with 800 grit, though I've known others to use 1000 (nothing finer though).

 

I was considering having this done sometime soon. I see we are both in Florida although I am not sure how close. I am assuming this is something you do for your occupation, what do you usually charge for a job like this???

 

No, I'm a detailer by profession. I've been painting cars for myself as per need and hobby since I was 18, but I don't really have the time (or inclination) it would take to do it as a sideline. It's just too involved.

I'm in Ormond Beach, just north of Daytona, so if you're anywhere near enough, I can always give you advice or help you with finding a good shop, or help with any normal paint issues via detailing. I know enough people all around the state that I can help you find good body shops in a number of regional locations.

Cost will vary greatly from shop to shop, but I think a ballpark would be around ~$2000-$2500 for a quality job with higher-end clear.

 

I had a car once that had been cleared over the oem paint, and it had begun to delaminate, looked horrible.
I don't know what the secret is to getting a good result besides using the proper clear etching primer that was likely not used .

 

It's all in the scuffing/deglossing of the existing paint. If the shop is quick & lazy, and they go over it fast without much attention to the task, then yes, the new clear is likely to delaminate or chip easily.

If it's done right, there should be no problems. It all comes town to being conscientious about their job.