That fading red paint job taught me a lesson about clear coat

I had a 2012 F-150 come in last month from a guy up in Portland. The original red was so faded it looked pink in spots, you know? I sprayed a test panel with new clear coat and the difference was night and day after just 48 hours. The old clear had completely failed from UV exposure over 12 years in the Pacific Northwest sun. What really got me was how the clear brought back the depth and richness without even changing the base color. Has anyone else seen that dramatic a change just from fresh clear over tired paint?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray35619d agoMost Upvoted

I read something about that once, the clear coat really makes the difference.

the_wendy19d ago

Oh man, I used to be all about skipping the clear coat honestly. Thought it was just extra work for no reason. But then I tried one of those UV protection sprays on a decal project and the difference was crazy. It actually makes the colors pop and stay that way longer, plus no peeling after a few months. Kinda changed my whole approach now.

alexbennett19d ago

Yeah that UV protection is the big thing people forget about. I actually wrecked a custom paint job on my bike because I skipped the clear coat and the sun just ate through the color in about a year. It faded unevenly too so it looked all patchy and gross. Now I always do at least two coats of clear even if it feels like overkill.