The differences between the systems are more than just the top coat you choose. The products and processes are different from the beginning. Either system can give great results on any type of job. However, each process has its own benefits. Keep reading to learn more about which one is the best fit for your project.
The Single Stage System
The Summit Racing® single stage system works well with heavy body work. It’s also a good choice when you start with a completely stripped vehicle. Its thicker film build can be more forgiving for inexperienced painters.
What’s the downside? Epoxy has a lot of texture. It can take days before it’s dry enough to sand. Even then, it sands hard. Also, metallics can be challenging to lay out and their effect is muted.
The Single Stage Process
- Remove rust and loose or
- Body and filler work can be finished, roughed in, or done later.
- Treat bare metal with a Phosphoric Acid Metal Conditioner.
- Apply Epoxy Primer to the entire surface, or just over the bare metal.
- Sanding the epoxy before going to step 5 or 6 isn’t required within its
- Body filler can also be applied over the epoxy primer.
- Apply Urethane Primer over the epoxy/body filler.
- You could also use epoxy primer again, however the urethane will be much easier to sand.
- Allow the primer to dry and sand out any imperfections.
- If you cut through to bare metal, re-treat with metal conditioner.
- Spot prime any cut-throughs with another coat or two of primer and finish the whole surface with P600 Grit or finer.
- Apply Urethane Single Stage directly over the primer.
- We recommend spraying Urethane Clear Coat wet-on-wet over metallic finishes.
- Solid colors can be cleared wet-on-wet, after the single stage dries and is lightly sanded, or not at all.
The Base Coat System
The 2-stage Summit Racing® base coat and low VOC base coat systems are faster and less labor intensive, especially if you aren’t doing heavy body work. The thinner basecoat layer makes it easier to lay out vibrant metallics and pearls.
The downside is, base coat clear coat requires a little finer finishing. A stray P400 scratch under single stage will barely be noticeable. The same scratch will stick out like a sore thumb under metallic base coat.
The Base Coat Process
- Remove rust and loose or non-solvent resistant paint.
- Finish body work and apply body filler where needed, over bare metal.
- This is the recommended process from most body filler manufacturers.
- Apply Acid Etching Primer just over the bare metal.
- It won’t hurt anything if you get some on top the body filler or old sanded finish.
- Never apply body filler over acid etching primer!
- Apply Urethane Primer over acid etching primer wet-on-wet. You’ll also need to cover any body filler and optionally, the old finish.
- The low VOC system has an optional Epoxy Primer. However, it dries and sands more like a urethane.
- Allow the primer to dry and sand out any imperfections.
- If you cut through to bare metal, just give it a quick coat of etching primer.
- From here you have two options to get ready for base coat:
- Either, spot prime any cut-throughs with another coat or two of primer. Then, finish the whole surface with P600 grit or finer.
- Or, as long as you don’t have major body filler showing, Urethane Sealer will cover P400 or finer scratches. This is recommended for metallics.
- Apply Basecoat over sanded primer or wet-on wet over urethane sealer.
- Spray Urethane Clear Coat over the basecoat wet-on-wet.