What year was clear coat introduced?

[TOGWT]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

Many vehicles that are equipped with BCCC on exterior panels have no clear coat in interior panel surfaces. The best way to determine if a surface is CC is to check the surface you will be working with.

My son David sent me an e-mail making a very similar correction to my post.

His take on it is this- To test a car to find out if it has a clear coat or a single stage finish you want to use a chemical paint cleaner and a white cloth micro fibre towel, if you're working on a white car then you'll want to use a dark colour cloth because if the car is in fact a single stage paint then you won't be able to see the white pigment you're removing on white cloth, so use a dark colour cloth when testing white cars. To check rub the surface using a medium to heavy pressure and wipe off. If there is no paint colour on the cloth it has a clear coat finish.

It' also important to check for paint type on a number of different panels, and if you want to be 100% sure then check all the panels as it’s possible to have one type of paint on one panel (repainted) and another type of paint on a different panel.

Thank you David's

[OhioCarBuff]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

I think The first five years or so that american cars had clear coats, they were different then the clear coats of today. I had a black 1987 GTA trans am that had a clear coat paint, but it seemed to behave like a single stage. When you would buff it there would be no color transfer on the pad, but the paint would dull back and form oxidation that looked very much like the oxidation on single stage paint. Also I remember the paint not being nearly as durable as the new paint now, like it needed to be waxed and polished to maintain the shine very much like a single stage paint.

Aah the memories in that '87 trans am. What a wonderful car!

[David Fermani]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

To check, take a cleaner type wax and in an inconspicuous place like a door jamb rub the surface using a medium to heavy pressure and wipe off. If there is no paint colour (this is somewhat difficult to see with silver paint) on the cloth it has a clear coat finish.

Many vehicles that are equipped with BCCC on exterior panels have no clear coat in interior panel surfaces. The best way to determine if a surface is CC is to check the surface you will be working with.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

German manufacturers began working with clear coats as early as the mid to late '70s and the practice eventually spread from there. As others have pointed out, metallic paints generally preceded non metallics in this regard, with white, black and red being the last colors to gain widespread use of clear coats. Also as previously mentioned, some single stage paints still exist from at least a couple of manufacturers, but these tend to be much, much different from the single stage lacquers of years ago. Newer single stage paints are often catalyzed, high tech systems that are more fade resistant than those old paints.

Interesting!!! Every manufacture had different start dates. So after what date would all manufactures being use this type of paint?.

When the last single stage painted car comes off the assembly line you'll have your answer. But for now, there are still a handful of models/colors that are painted with a single stage paint.

[TOGWT]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

Clear Coat: [Two stage paint; base (colour) coat and clear coat was adopted as an automotive industry standard in 1982] although not all vehicles have a clear coat; notably red, black and white. Detailer’s should know, understand and be able to identify a two-stage paint finish.

To check, take a cleaner type wax and in an inconspicuous place like a door jamb rub the surface using a medium to heavy pressure and wipe off. If there is no paint colour (this is somewhat difficult to see with silver paint) on the cloth it has a clear coat finish.

[Ravi_1992]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

I took a complete guess and said 1980's , it looks like that was the most voted for.

[rapport25]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

Interesting!!! Every manufacture had different start dates. So after what date would all manufactures being use this type of paint?.

[mhdena]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

I had a new 79 Datsun 280zx in 1980 that had a clear coat

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

Its nearly impossible to find single-stage paint on NEW cars - I recall Mike Stoops saying Lexus offers one single-stage color on a specific model.

Honda/Acura colors Taffeta White and San Marino Red are SS paints.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

I remember in the late 80's it was just available on certain models. I think it was the early 90's before the availability was widespread.

[rapport25]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

I'm pretty sure BMW tried two stage (BC/CC) paints in the early - mid 70's on metallic paints but had limited success.

As previously posted, different manufacturers started using two stage paint at different times but I think many manufacturers started switching in the mid-late 80's.

FWIW - I've noticed metallic colors were converted to 2-stage before "solid" colors. My '88 M3 and my '91 Ranger both have single-stage paint.

Its nearly impossible to find single-stage paint on NEW cars - I recall Mike Stoops saying Lexus offers one single-stage color on a specific model.

Great!!!, anymore info guys?

[bmrfan]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

I'm pretty sure BMW tried two stage (BC/CC) paints in the early - mid 70's on metallic paints but had limited success.

As previously posted, different manufacturers started using two stage paint at different times but I think many manufacturers started switching in the mid-late 80's.

FWIW - I've noticed metallic colors were converted to 2-stage before "solid" colors. My '88 M3 and my '91 Ranger both have single-stage paint.

Its nearly impossible to find single-stage paint on NEW cars - I recall Mike Stoops saying Lexus offers one single-stage color on a specific model.

[rapport25]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

Yea but I think he's referring to the catalyst clear-coats that's an industry standard of today.

Yes Bobby G I sure am . Just curious what people thought or believed.

I imagined around the late 80's. I thought this would be an interesting thread.

Rappy.

[BillyJack]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

In the General Motors line, BC/CC paints were introduced in 1984 with the then-new 1985 "C" body cars, the full-size front-wheel drive cars. After that, BC/CC paints were introduced whenever a model line had a major style change. It wasn't until the early 90's that all the models were BC/CC.

Bill

[BobbyG]

Re: What year was clear coat introduced?

Yea but I think he's referring to the catalyst clear-coats that's an industry standard of today.