Changed my mind about using cheap clear coat on a 2008 F-150 job

I used a budget brand from the local supply house on a full repaint last month, and it started hazing after just three weeks in the sun. I had to sand it all down and redo the whole top coat with a better product. What's the cheapest clear you've used that actually held up for more than a year?

3 comments

3 Comments

davis.olivia16d ago

That whole "buy cheap, buy twice" thing is SO real with car stuff. Saw it with my brother's lawnmower deck paint last summer, flaked off in a month. It's like the universe forces a do-over. For clears, the store brand from the big chain auto parts store actually surprised me, lasted on a truck bumper for ages. But yeah, after a certain point, saving fifty bucks just costs you a whole weekend of rework.

felixm2916d ago

Honestly saw a video where a guy tested cheap vs expensive clear coat on test panels. The cheap stuff yellowed and cracked after just a few months in the sun. The good stuff looked new a year later. It really is all about the UV protection they mix in.

harperr8216d ago

I used to think all clear coats were basically the same, but seeing results like that makes it impossible to ignore.