Finding paint is a real pita distribution outlets are out of stocked off various components . No activator, no primer , color not available in that line
Trying to get a complete system is proving challenging primer to clear
Any comments on Nason or Duxone.( Axalta )
What about. PPG Shop line
They’re all urethane paints
All I can tell you about Mason is what the professional paint supplier told me, that it’s one of the easiest single-stage urethanes around.
She said if I like spraying DuPont Centari, I’d find the Nason similar in application.
Jim, I’ve used both, Nason and Shopline, with great results. I asked a painter I know, years ago about primers and he pointed me towards Shopline. I think he’s a pretty fussy guy. The same with the Nason. It sprays well, lays out nice, with a great shine and sands and polishes very well.
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The question is, where are these paints still available for purchase? For my last two single stage urethane paint jobs I had to cross over to NY state, and I’ve purchased primers that are nla in Canada in PA. Canada has adopted low VOC limits on auto paint similar to California - which may make sense when regulating the autobody business but it makes life difficult for the amateur who shoots a car ever five or six years.
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I’m painting a car now with PPG Shop Line. Certainly OK. My problem is that I have no sense of how easier it would be if I spent more money up front.
Looks like your choosing base-clear. Me too, but I notice a lot of folks are getting good results with single-stage urethane.
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I just figured out how to do multiple quote’s 
I’m so smart
My old iPad won’t do it just for the record
I’m thinking that a single stage paint is probably closer to the original Finnish than base clear but you only get one shot ,with b/c you can always back up and fix your screw ups like dirt ,bugs ,hose down the side 
but it’s a lot more work
Seems there’s 3 systems these days
Urethane
Activated urethane
B/C
I’m sure any are better than the original enamel they used
Then the water products not sure there any healthier for you
I just started looking for paint and I found some PPG but I’ve got to drive across town to get it
Spent a day searching and expensive $500/gal
I’m painting a spare hood
I just went out yesterday and bought the primer and associated products for my OTS project. I’m using PPG starting with their DP40LF epoxy primer and haven’t decided yet on B/C or single stage.
For 1 gal of dp40LF, i gal of hardener (I only needed 2 quarts but they only had gallons and said they only get whatever PPG sends them) i gal reducer and 1 gal metal cleaner and the bill came to $1,000.00!!
BTW, I spoke to a PPG shop that does some restoration and hot rod work and they use single stage but mix it with clear and the results I saw were impressive.
Wow! I used up the last of my DP40 (the good stuff before LF) about six months ago and have been using Eastwood’s substitute. You will still need high build? The good stuff used to be K200; I think K36 might be the closest PPG replacement. Anyway, not cheap either.
Hahaha! I hadn’t noticed you watching me paint. 
But what about single stage? I had thought you could sand it and recoat locally to flatten insects etc, then color sand the entire panel after it cures. Not true?
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JIm, here in North Carolina, I have no problem getting the paint I need, which is typically Glasurit. That said, you are in Canada and that obviously is having a negative effect. You might consider looking at mail order through Eastwood. They are DIY friendly and I would be shocked if they didn’t have what you need. There are other mail order bodyshop supply outfits on the web but I have almost zero experience with them regarding ordering paint.
As far as single stage being harder to fix blems, that is just not true. Here is a link to an article I did a while back about single stage on my Porsche. I specifically show how a blem is corrected. I do agree that single stage is more similar to the original enamel. This is mostly based on the fact that with basecoat/clearcoat, you can get a better depth to the shine. Most people consider this a benefit but if you are looking to be more sympatico with the original enamel, I would go single stage. I also think it is more user friendly for the DIY guy.
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If the lower-cost product lines sacrifice anything, it would be in ultimate durability (chip resistance and fading/chalking) and possibly pigment density/hiding (more product needed to get the same level of build and hiding power.)
Neither is a given. Other aspects are the higher-end lines may have more colors available. For a non-daily driver, the durability is probably not much of an issue as it won’t be parked outdoors to increase the chances of chalking and fade, and probably won’t be as exposed as much to gravel.
Single-stage painting errors can be fixed readily, as long as the paint is a chemically hardened one (which the urethanes will be.) It is only the old synthetic enamels that couldn’t be flattened and polished after spraying (because it would take literally months to cure unless placed in a baking booth.) It’s also easier to spot-repair than base/clear.
If you go base/clear, then allocate more budget for the clear coat if possible. Clear is generally less expensive than base, and you only thus need enough base to hide the substrates. Also it’s recommended for a metallic paint - it takes some skill and practice to get a uniform metallic finish with a single-stage, and the clear protects the metallic. (for example, a scratch.)
The soaring price of automotive paint products stuns me. Prices have literally tripled in the last 5 years. I was looking for another quart of PPG DPLF and was shocked by the prices they charge now. They even doubled the price on a gallon of their DX330 degreaser.
So I bought a quart of Kirker’s Enduro epoxy primer. Kirker has been around for a very long time and makes paint for other labels. Their primer is literally 1/3 the price of DPLF (primer and activator.) I can’t tell you yet how it works out, but soon.
I’m not too worried about mix and match at the primer level - I use Chromabase (former DuPont now Axalta) paint and primer over DPLF and used Imron clear over Chromabase, no issues. It’s critical to match product and additives of course.
In addition to Eastwood I would check out Autobody Toolmart. (www.autobodytoolmart.com) They sell Kirker paints and primers, and a broad range of other brands for primers and clearcoats (not to mention almost any bodyworking tool you can think of including spray paint booths!) TCP Global is another good online paint/primer/tool vendor.
Kirker paint would be worth investigating if you don’t need a OEM matching color. You need a paint shop to mix a OEM matching tone. I will soon be trying their Ultimate Jet Black in another attempt to match the black paint on my Chevy Trailblazer SS. None of the OEM formulas from PPG or DuPont (Axalta) were dark enough. We will see!
Dave
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Dave can you still get chroma base ? I was thinking that Eastwood might be a better route for us diy guys because they cater to us. The body shop suppliers sell in large quantities which we don’t always need. I’m thinking that a gallon RTS is lots to paint the outside of a jag, they won’t sell less than 2 gallons RTS so your buying way to much material ( waste)
Thanks for the information all good tips
The autobody paint shops in my area still sell Chromabase by the pint. It isn’t cheap - the price has more than doubled since 2017. I’d be surprised if it was the norm to only sell in 2 gallon amounts - body shops mostly do collision repair which most times doesn’t involve a full paint job, and even if they did, unless they’re painting a H2 Hummer I can’t see the job needing 2 gallons of basecoat. (2+ gallons clearcoat, sure.)
They must be selling to really big body shops that mix their own paint matches with their own sets of toners, in which case I guess they would just buy the color base paint in gallons and tone it to match themselves. But there are plenty of shops that don’t have this capability, so somebody has to be serving them somewhere.
As I mentioned, I myself am trying the lesser known brands like Kirker. (I think Kirker might make Eastwood’s paint, I thought I read that somewhere.) But I don’t think I can get OEM matching colors from Kirker/Eastwood/House of Kolor, etc. and I don’t have the skill to mix my own tones. Once I use up my supplies of Chromabase activators and reducers, I might see what else I can use.
I can still at least get the Chromabase activators and reducers at a better price online, but PPG might be more aggressive shutting down online sales - it was hard to even get an online price for DPLF epoxy primer let alone their more premium paint lines.
Dave
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Good write up Harvey
There’s a million ways to fix your screw ups ,I try to avoid them it’s less work
Your repair process requires about 7 steps and 14 different compounds, pads , etc
With b/c you don’t proceed to the next step till your happy with the present one (not happy sand it out ) off course if you botch the clear then it’s buffer time or sand it out Seems easier to me
You also get to practice the process doing each coat the same way for muscle memory and refining the process for the final coats
With single stage you get one shot then a choice
I’m thinking with paint costs these days it’s maybe better to do all the prep and take it to a pro for the final color anyone who paints a caddy, or BMW etc
can do a good job and that’s what everyone looks at
Cheers
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I’d be surprised if it was the norm to only sell in 2 gallon amounts -
They tell me that’s all they can get from the suppliers, supply chain issues, we are beggars up here. Luckily I’m under no pressure so I’ll shop around or just wait it out maybe try Tremclad 
painted my mini bikes with that
Think your observations are right on 
This fact whupped me upside the head about six months ago. I’ve been using DX330 (now SX330) Acryliclean since the 1980s and it was always reasonably priced…until a year or so ago.
Note I still have a quart of lacquer (no longer available) for my car and all the paint tools I need to spray touchups in my garage. Considering you thin lacquer up to 150% and it holds up over time in the can, I have enough paint for a lifetime.
It’s not just the price of paint in quarts or gallon cans that is going carazy. About a year ago I had the local auto paint store make up a SEM brand spray can of Miata True Red paint. The cost was about $25. About 3 weeks ago I had them make up a can of Mazda Velocity Red in a spray can. Cost was $42.
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Hello Robert,
I don’t regard Base and Clear systems much differently to Direct Gloss (single stage) systems. The Clear Coat is virtually the same as Direct Gloss colour, without the colour. Dirt can get trapped in Clear just as well as it can in Direct Gloss.
With regards to dealing with runs in either Clear Coat, or Direct Gloss, one trick is to wipe a very thin layer of plastic filler over the area of the run. The plastic filler is wiped on so that the peak of the run is clearly visible and extends out in all direction from the run to the extent where you judge you may rub to with fine abrasive paper. Once the plastic filler has hardened, the run and the plastic filler are blocked back with ever increasing fineness of wet and dry until all the plastic filler has been removed. In doing so, the run is blocked back to the surrounding painted surface.
The purpose of the plastic filler is to protect the paint surrounding the run from being rubbed through when blocking the run out.
Regards,
Bill
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Aren’t touchup’s, say a nick or chip or door ding, much easier on a car with a single stage finish?