gy9505

I think I'm sold on the Southern Polyurethane UV Clear for my Corvette. I've used PPG Concept 2021 in the past.

My concern is related to spi's easy buff and cut, especially days, weeks and some have even claimed months after application.

This seems like a great attribute for a shop owner but implies the clear is soft and long term it would be more prone to swirls and be high maintnance.

If this is the case the Concept may be a better choice. What is a few more hours buffing if it results in a more durable finish.

Any opinions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

porchdog

how do you feel about chips soft clear will resist chips. hard production clears like dupont and ppg will chip easily . i use spi and have no problems with it. will never go back to production clear.

gy9505

Porchdog, it is really your high regard for the product that has me convinced it is the right chioce. Thanks!

Also products like Zaino will provide protection... and when is the last time I put my Vette through the car wash...

porchdog

spi is formulated for restoration and custom work. the owner is a vette guy also. it is designed to use multiple coats . i use 6 coats of clear on all my builds. try that with ppg or dupont and you'll have problems. i have not found that it scratches any easier than any other clears but even so it will polish up easily . on jobs over a year old i have used an orbital polisher to detail the car. cant do that with a hard clear. there are ways to make it harder but i see no reason for it. price wise it can not be beat .

gy9505

Good point, ease of buff and polish may be a desirable attribute on a restoration or custom. Hard clears buff hard and I never liked taking the buffer to my paint and walking that fine line between polishing and burning through.

I spend way too much time maintaining the finish on my car so it should never be a problem.

I remember the guy at the paint store "educating" me on my first paint job (about 20 years ago). He said really lay into that wool pad. Get that clearcoat nice and hot and melt those 600 grit scratches away...

Some old school habits are hard to break.

Porchdog, your alright, I learned a lot looking through the old posts... and based on your picture you are one handsome dude!

porchdog

mama always said i was the purty one
here some of my work. some are spi , some were before the switch.

http://www.streetrodding.com/index.cfm?f=search.generic

woodlandcorvette

The hard clears also dont work as well with rubber bumpers and plastics I did some tests with the spi and you can flex it a great deal without cracking where the other crack with very little flexing. I am very happy with all aspects of this clear and I give alot of credit to porchdog and his positive comments about the product which helped me decide which product to go with when I painted my car last year.


Thankyou porchdog im happy I followed your advice.

porchdog

southern polyurethane's , best thing since lace panties and twist top beer

samsonb

Yeah, I've heard good things of SPI. On my 89, I plan on going with SPI Epoxy, and probably SPI 2k.

gy9505,

What base are you using?

Some like and some complain that the SPI Universal clear is softer than most clears. If I go base/clear, I kinda wonder if I'll have a problem with swirls if I go SPI UV clear over black base.

porchdog

i see no reason to harden uv clear but it can be done. best advise i can give is " don't scratch it ! " i have been building the 57 vette for a year and have only minor scuffs on it. it is not soft once cured . it is just designed to polish. production clears are made to blast 2 coats and ship.

crazywelder

I have not tried SPI yet so I'll shed another opinion. I like PPG DCU 2021 or for more build PPG Vibrance clear. I think the Vibrance is a little softer, but it is pricier. I have found both to be very durable and very easy to work with and both can be buffed to a show quality finish if desired and they hold the finish for a long time.

It really depends on what product you have experience using. I think any clear above and beyond production clears will perform well in the right hands especially on street driven car.

gy9505

Here are some pictures. Need to de-nub and buff but the SPI clear sure sprays nice and flows out smooth. 3 coats clear, wet-sanded with 800 then 2 more coats of clear. The color is 2000 Torch Red. PPG ShopLine Plus urethane basecoat, at a bargain price of $300/gallon. The Deltron DBC was $679/gal... insane... I've never cut corners on paint but my local jobber is good and he recommended the ShopLine Plus. Claimed it was similar to the old DBU in coverage and color match. I've got two coats over white SPI epoxy.

porchdog

pretty tuff to beat spi at 100 bucks a mixed gal

samsonb

Looks good. I've been reccommended to go with House of Kolor black base under the Universal.

Kane20

Which clear coat is going to be most durable to rock chips on my 08 grand sport? It is going to be driven more then a old school restoration and I don't want rock chips or cracks down the road. Price does not matter as long as it holds up..

porchdog

universal clear .

DUB

I have used some of the scratch resistant clears...but when using them they get REALLY hard and if you are wanting your clear to be slick and basically texture free...you can about give up on that happening due the clear gets so hard.so sanding and buffing it is a task I care not to try again.

AS for chips.. I have yet to see a clear that will stop it from beign able to be chipped.

The 'next best' thing is applying the clear plastic film over it to aid in protecting the clear in areas where it chipping is highly likely to happen. But tahat alone can be expensive also.

DUB

540 vette

I have been using SPI universal clear for 10 years now and will not use anything else. I also use their epoxy.