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Determining What Your Old Finish Is [by: Halloweenking]
Hotrodders Bulletin Board: Knowledge Base: Body-Exterior: Articles

Before you repaint, unless you're stripping to bare steel, you must know what kind of finish is on the vehicle. On a stock vehicle with the original OEM finish, that is rather simple -- just find the paint code on the service identification plate. On a custom car, or vehicle that has been repainted, it can be a bit more challenging. If the previous owner did not or could not tell you, you'll need to take the following steps.

Solvent Application Method: Soak a white cloth in lacquer thinner, and in a discreet place, rub the finish. If the paint rubs off on the cloth, it's an air-dried paint. If it does not, it's a two-component reaction-dried paint. Acrylic urethane will not dissolve as easily as an air-dried paint.

Heat Application Method: Wet-sand an area with 1000 grit paper to dull the finish. Then, with a heat gun, apply some heat to that area. If the gloss returns, it is an air-dried, direct gloss (single stage) paint.

Hardness Method: The hardness of the paint can also tell you how it was dried. Two-part reaction-dried paints and oven-dried paints are much harder than air-dried paints. You can do this with your thumbnail. If you can make a indentation in the paint it's most likely air-dried and-single stage.