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Just found out something wild about clear coat thickness
Honestly, I was always told a factory clear coat was super thin, like maybe 2 mils. I was reading an old tech bulletin from a paint supplier and it said on some modern cars it can be over 4 mils straight from the plant. That blew my mind because I've been sanding way too carefully on some blends. Has anyone else run into a car where the factory clear was way thicker than expected?
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the_miles5mo ago
Wait, is that really a big deal though? It's just a few extra mils of clear, not like it changes how you have to sand it.
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emma4555mo ago
Actually, that extra couple mils is a huge deal when you're sanding for a blend. If you treat a 4-mil clear like it's only 2, you can burn through it way too fast on an edge. I've seen guys cut right into the basecoat on a Honda hood because they assumed the factory clear was thin. It changes how much buffer room you really have.
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smith.elliot5mo ago
My buddy learned this the hard way on a newer Toyota Camry. He was sanding a quarter panel for a blend, going at it like it was an old thin-clear car. He burned right through on the body line because the factory clear was way thicker than he thought. That's exactly what @the_miles might not get, those extra mils are the difference between a good repair and a redo.
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