davis.adam•2d agoMost Upvoted

Hot take: Clear coat was simpler back in the 90s

I was working on a 95 F-150 last week in my shop near Akron, trying to blend a repair on the hood. That old urethane clear laid down flat with just two passes, no peeling or reaction at all. Then I did a 2018 Honda Civic right after it, and even with the same prep steps, the clear fisheyed on me three times. Has anyone else noticed newer clears just don't behave the same as the old stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_hayden2d ago

That 95 F-150 clear was bulletproof, man.

mason.brian2d ago

I had the same issue with a 2013 Silverado last month. Ended up switching to a slow reducer and slowing down my flash times by a good 10-15 seconds between coats. That old 90s stuff from the F-150 would self-level no matter what, but the newer waterborne clears seem to hate humidity. I run a dehumidifier in my booth now during summer months and that fixed most of my fisheyes. Also started wiping panels with a tack cloth right before the final coat, that alone cut my redo rate in half.