Is There A Process To Properly Replicating Factory Paint?

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carnerd3000

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I was hoping to touch up some spots on my Suburban where the paint has peeled off to the point of the underlying metal being exposed. I was just wondering if there was a way to properly replicate the factory process they used back then to paint the vehicles. Like how many coats of paint did they use, how many coats of primer and clear coat did they use, or should I just follow the directions on the cans of paint? I'm using Duplicolor, and my paint color is the Pewter Metallic that you can see in my profile picture.
 

kennythewelder

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Well, first of all, duplacolor, is a single stage paint, kind of. Yes, they do make a clear coat that can be applied on top, but it 8s not the same at all, compared to what any of the auto manufacturers used. So, it takes a different process. Follow the duplacolor instruction. Lite thin coats, applied about 5 mins apart, untill the surface is completely covered. As for clear coat, I personally don't use it, but my truck was repainted in 2013, by a shop, and doesn't have base coat, clear coat. It's a single stage paint job.
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Hipster

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Ditto to much of what Kenny says. Oems have used pretty much 2 component paint systems, Base with an activator, clear with an activator etc. The exception is some late eighties/early nineties stuff that was done with a lacquer base/catalyzed enamel clear. Before that alot of catalyzed enamels were in use. When I worked for Gm it was made known the basecoat was the problem, and when you get into you can see the base doesn't really feather back properly. The correct procedures to fix the peelers was strip panel to metal. Putting more paint on top of what's there doesn't solve the problem.
 
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