I'm doing some remedial repairs to the flaking clear top coat onmy x300 and wondered if there is a recommended specific type or brand of clear coat to be used? I have seen spray cans marked as "Clear laquer" "Clear coat" etc. etc. Has anyone any experience of same and foe what it;s worth, I'm based in Ireland, so a european brand might be more relevant, as opposed to something only available in the states or Oz etc. Finally, after touching up the colour base coat, should it be buffed before applying the clear coat? Many thanks.

 

We have expert gurus on the Detailing Forums so this is why I am moving it so that you can get responses

 

Just my 2 euros, I had a door replaced on the XJ40. After the body shop had painted things to match, I did a deal with them and had them redo the whole car clear coat in their pro booth. Cost me a couple of hundred € but worth every cent.

Never been much of a fan of spray cans, too large a droplet size. If you are going to DIY, why not look at hiring or buying an air sprayer.

IIRC, the pro job used water based products.

 

Some good advice from Richard, the only reason to use spray cans would be to keep the cost down.
Cans are good for underbody repair, not much else. But to answer your questions,
1. U-POL laquer is a quality product and can be found at your local auto paint supplier.
2. Base coat is a matt finish, do nothing apart from let it go hard, and to do that properly it's a case of sunshine (we're in November, so that's out) autoclave/oven booth, or heat lamp. Once hard you may need to de-nib it, flatting the bits of dust, then clearcoat over the top.

 

Thanks for the responses folks and I appreciate what you're saying regarding spray cans. I know they can be far from perfect, but for the moment I'm looking at a remedial, cosmetic job, until something more permanent is undertaken next summer. And yes, cold damp windy November is not an ideal time to be painting cars.

I did get some quotes to completely strip the old top coat, respray colour and new top coat, which averaged about €1,000. This was just for the boot, bonnet and roof. I can buy a good compressor and all the accessories for about €400, so the jury's still out on that. For now I will carry on with the touch up and see how it goes, may even post some pics if I'm not too embarassed!

Thanks again.