flat clear coat

i have a 54 chevy that was painted a year or so ago...it is a two stage paint job.(base,clear)i was wondering if i could spray a flat clear over the existing clear on my car to get that satin look?also what is a good flat clear?i want a nice sheen to the paint..dont want completely flat like primer..

 

Why would you want to mess up a perfectly nice paintjob? Leave it shiny. Satin paint is a fad that will disappear (hopefully) very soon.

 

dupont has a matte flatner to add to clear. about 60 bucks for a quart , that you add to your clear. works nicely.

 

Im not a paint guy..but have been told that if your base and your clear is in good condition, all you need to do is sand your clear some for the flat clear to bite into and shoot it..

 

Sanding with 800 grit will allow you to clear over it, but why? I could only see doing this if the gloss finish or bodywork is horrible and only a flat finish would cover it up.

 

If it's that new of a paint job you should be able to scuff it with a scotch brite pad and shoot it. I say do it but do it right. Buy good clear, do good prep and it should be fine.

Wash the car real good with dish soap or diluted Simple Green. You want something that will strip the wax that's on there now.

Wipe it with wax & grease remover. Then scuff the whole car real good with a red scotch brite pad. Don't "dig in" with the pad. Just make it consistently dull all over.

Wipe it again with wax & grease remover and you should be good to shoot it.

Tape lines suck so keep them to a minimum. Disassemble and remove whatever you can before you start.

 

How fads are born...

 

reldridgejr had good advice, makes sure to get it clean.

When I was painting for a living, I found red scotchbright pads to be a little too course for a re-clear. I'd go with P-800. Be careful not to cut through the old clear, especially on the edges of a panel, etc.

Also, most all paint mfgrs have a flattening agent for your clear, so I would stick with the same brand of clear that's on the car now and use their products.

 

ppg flexed and flat works great.Just go to your jobber and tell them what gloss level such as egg shell.They will mix it up for you.

 

my pops is telling me to leave it alone too.but i like less gloss finish.

 

wait ten years, it'll get dull.

 

As said previously, you can use PPG Flex-n-Flat with added conventional clear to help gloss it up a bit to your liking. Please be sure to put the mix thru a strainer as you'll be surprised at all of the little white specks you'll find after straining.

 

Try washing it with Bon Ami. Or just let time take its toll.