paint finish

[Funkyyellowgibbon]

Are our beloved cars finished in a topcoat/lacquer or just highly compounded and polished?

Ashley

[RichardN]

My 88 Turbo is certainly laquered and as far as I know all the other Stevens cars (non-metallic anyway) are as well. I think Lotus found it gives a much better gloss finish than just polish!

Richard

[matk]

I'm sure Glenn at Lotus Sport could help you on this, he is extremely friendly and helpful.

By the way Ashley are you guy who had the vandal damaged car just before the Factory day? If so can I say how upsetting it was to hear about it and I hope your car gets sorted.

Edited October 20, 2006 by matkutub

[Funkyyellowgibbon]

Yes Mat thats me. I've sanded it all down and ready to spray. Some people say I dont need to clearcoat it as long as I compound it thoroughly but the rest of the car is so smooth and shiny it looks like it has a coating but I need to be put straight on this one!

[98GT3]

Yes Mat thats me. I've sanded it all down and ready to spray. Some people say I dont need to clearcoat it as long as I compound it thoroughly but the rest of the car is so smooth and shiny it looks like it has a coating but I need to be put straight on this one!

My car is the same model and colour as yours and it definately has a clear top coat.

Phil

98GT3

[chris]

You will find that originally lotus used a white undercoat followed by a base coat and 2 pac laquer. 2 pac shouldn't be sold to people without the proper breathing apparatus and spray bay conditions. It is posible to get the same shine with lots of coats and alot of polishing but if neglected the paint will fade. Best option is to get it laquered mate. Are you doing it yourself or having a workshop do it???

[Funkyyellowgibbon]

Thanks Phil,

I suspected that it was as its soooooooooo smooth and shiny (on the ok bits that is lol).

Yes im doing myself Chris and like you rightly say, it's most important to at least wear a decent face mask or cough for weeks

[98GT3]

Thanks Phil,

I suspected that it was as its soooooooooo smooth and shiny (on the ok bits that is lol).

Yes im doing myself Chris and like you rightly say, it's most important to at least wear a decent face mask or cough for weeks

If you're spraying two pack you really should have breathing apparatus or at least something to breath fresh air from outside with, it's nasty stuff!

Phil

[Goose]

If you're spraying two pack you really should have breathing apparatus or at least something to breath fresh air from outside with, it's nasty stuff!

Phil

You can buy non isocyanate clear coat that will allow you to wear the usual non air fed mask. Try calling Mark at Auto-paint in Saint Helens (google auto paint), he is really helpful and will tell you which paints you can use with what etc. etc. I have just resprayed my car and used the non-iso clear that he sells and it is very shiny.

[chris]

If your gonna spray with just a mask mate can i reccomend using 1k paint. Most paint suppliers can mix you up a batch of matt colour if you give them the paint code and then you can use the 1k clear coat which is alot less nasty than 2 pac. The clear came in ready mix form but i found it went on better after adding some multithinners. Mind you i was spraying on a cold day which isnt condusive to a decent finish but it did come up lovely. Have you got a bay or is it a garage job mate???

[tribetype40]

Shame about the vandle damage... I would advise against using anything other than 2K paint. 1K stuff has a solvent in it which evaporates when the paint drys. By this fact the paint will shrink. Even if your finish out of the gun is perfect your paint will shrink and fine (like really fine) wrinkles will appear in the finish over the whole area painted. Causing it to appear dull. cutting this back willrestore the shine but its a downward spiral as it will happen again.

2k has a hardener and SETS rather than drys. the finish out the gun is the finish you end up with.

As for lacqer or not, thats an easy one... get some G3 or t-cut and gently rub some over your paint in a small area. Use a white cotten cloth. if your see paint colour on the cloth, theres no top coat, on colour it been lacqered.

That said a good sparyer will be able to get you a perfect finish using a gloss colour out of the gun and be chemically smooth, if you like ie no sanding and polishing.

If your only doing a small area yourself, once, you'll be fine using 2K paint but make sure you have a very good fullface mask (3m do some good ones) with good filters. Do it in a well ventalated area but consider the neighbours kids or pets for example!!! it also a little too cold now plus lacqar will haze if there too much moisture in the air....

my 2p....