[4 stvmcqn]

My '68 Mustang coupe is about to be painted in it's original hue of Highland Green. The painter wants to shoot the basecoat in PPG, but then clear the car with a Dupont product. He's assuring me that this will result in a fabulous finish and they have never had any paint compatibility issues before.

After some net surfing about this topic, I've become a bit concerned because the rule of thumb seems to be that you just don't mix products from two different paint systems...ever. I also think no paint manufacturer will stand behind any warranty paint claim if they discover you mixed paint systems.

The body shop offers a lifetime guarantee on their work, but if they close shop, what good is the warranty?

Any comments from professional painters or Mustang owners who had a car painted with mixed systems would be greatly appreciated.

[Smokey88]

i wouldnt say that im a professional but i do know alot about paint and finishes. i painted hot rod red supersnake stripes on my last car all by myself. yes im proud of it too! but yes its is a general rule of thumb that you never mix two different paint systems. the textures and thickness and acidity of the different paints can end up messing up the way it looks in as few as a few months. if you are gonna be paying for it you should choose what goes on your car shouldn't you. make them use the same products.

[19coupe66]

i have been mixing ppg basecoats with dupont clear or transtar clear for years without any problems, ever. ppg clear is very overpriced and you wont be able to tell ppg clear from transtar or dupont clear. let the painter save you some money and paint with what he is comfortable with

[4 stvmcqn]

Thanks for the replies thus far. The painter told me the Dupont clear coat was a superior product than the PPG clear and much easier to work with.

On one hand, I feel more comfortable if one system is used through out the entire painting process just because so many painters are taught this and abide by it. On the other hand, my painter is a professional and has been doing this for many years. The body shop has put in lots of hours on this project because they want a really nice job so my car can become a rolling business card for their business venture. I would think that if they had an ounce of doubt about mixing paint products, they would be the first to advise against it.

I will ask the body shop some more questions about the mixed system process to find out how long they have been doing this. The proof would be to see cars they painted in a similar manner several years ago that exhibit no problems today.

[cindys_sn95]

neither one will stand behind this paint job! and unless the shop is CERTIFIED with ppg or dupont, they still won't cover it. it sounds like he wants to use cheep clear and put the money in his pocket.

[snwbsoco]

see i dont have a problem with what the painter is doin. if it is a body shop and the put the warranty on it then your good. i normally go the other way and do dupont paint with a ppg clear coat. if you see problems with the paint then it isnt because of the mix. it will be the guy who painted it.

[4 stvmcqn]

To give everyone an update, the painter is going to spray the clear in PPG per my request. I think he feels the Dupont product is easier to work with, but he's willing to shoot the PPG clear I provide him. The 1 gallon of clear alone is $300

snwbsoco, I know what you mean about the warranty no matter what they spray, I should be covered. However, what good is the lifetime warranty they are providing me if they close up the shop? I'm getting a feeling these guys are struggling to make ends meet with their new business. Times are tough right now.

[Izzy]

For what it's worth here's my two cents. It's not as though you will have a problem mixing brands of paint(although I don't understand why you would want to) it's what IF you have a problem later.

Every clear has it's own properties and there are some that are easier to apply. Personally, if someone requests I do their car in a certain brand, I use that companies' entire line for spraying. After thirty years,I can't get up the energy to redo a job over any more than I want to deal with an irate customer.

[snwbsoco]

hey thats your call. i back you completely cause its your car. i was the same way with my interior you want what you want. dont let anyone try to tell you otherwise. good luck

[rodbender]

Originally Posted by Izzy

For what it's worth here's my two cents. It's not as though you will have a problem mixing brands of paint(although I don't understand why you would want to) it's what IF you have a problem later.

Every clear has it's own properties and there are some that are easier to apply. Personally, if someone requests I do their car in a certain brand, I use that companies' entire line for spraying. After thirty years,I can't get up the energy to redo a job over any more than I want to deal with an irate customer.

After thirty years, I couldn't agree with you more. Try House of Kolor sometime. This stuff will drive you "Krazy" even with the same clears.