static1646

I have a 1998 lexus es300. It only has a single-stage coat (no clear coat) from the factory. These cars didnt have clear coats on them until after 2000. I was wondering if I should have a clear coat painted onto this. If not, how should I take care of my car?

funcrusher

I have a question about the clear coat now...

If I get a hood from a 98 or 99 ES to put on a 2000 ES by a bodyshop...and they need to paint it and all of that to match it. Do they usually add clear coat? How does that work?

808mcv20l

your car must have been re-sprayed, don't all all cars from 90s up all have clearcoats?

Doesn't make sense to me that a late 90s early 2000s car would only be single stage especially a luxury car...

funcrusher BTW, if you ask a bodyshop to respray clear on your hood, they will most likely tell you to go elsewhere or tell you to just cough up the money and pay for a proper paint job.

Seriously the prep work to is almost the same as respraying the entire hood, base coat then clear...

Also if there's any imperfections in the basecoat, it will show up through the new clear...

Through the wonder of youtube I've learned that you can't really touch up Clear, you can respray a portion and try to buff it in but eventually it will peel and look terrible.

The new clear will never be part of the old clear, it's just like throwing one layer on top of the other. This is fine for a quick short term or budget friendly solution though but may not be the kind of results you were expecting...

WILLYumD

Pretty sure my 98 ES has 3 layers of paint for the main Diamond White Pearl and then 2 layers for the Beige Metallic Cladding.

static1646

According to some other members, My car doesn't have a clear coat. I separately googled how to test that and I found out for sure that I don't have a clear coat. It's not like have just a base coat on my car. I have single-stage paint coats on my car. Its hard to explain, but if you google single-stage car paint, you'll know what I'm talking about

808mcv20l

Not sure what color you have but in my case, my 2000 ES is Crystal White, it actually consists of a white base coat and a clear Pearl Coat.

Then you have the bottom half which is like a gray/silver metallic.

static1646

does anybody know the color code for the bottom gray part? Or where I can find the code?

mitmaks

Your car did have clear coat, most of 80s cars had clear coat on them. If yours doesn't, it probably went through a Maaco "special" $349 out the door.

mitmaks

Should be inside your door jamb, it will say paint/trim....

static1646

is it the code just below the color code for the rest of the car?

Power6

I had assumed for a long time that all paints were clear coat since the 80s. Long ago though I took an auto damage appraisal training course. I never went into that line of work, but I learned through that, that many paints are not clear coated, the term for that is single stage paint. It is not by the model or manufactuere it is done by the color. Reds, blacks and whites are the most common. For example Guards red on many Porsches are not clear coated. ALmost any Honda black or red is single stage paint. It has something to do with how some solid colors don't look right with a clear layer I think. On the other hand, almost all metallic finishes are clear coated.

Since the OP didn't state the color of his car we have nothing to go on. I know my Sage Pearl 2000 ES is clear coat paint. Maybe the black or one of the whites is not.

mitmaks

http://www.automotivetouchup.com/paint-codes/lexus.htm