White Paint? Is it Clear Coated?

Wait so... if i have a 2013 Tacoma in WHITE.

It is a SINGLE STAGE PAINT?

I thought it was a 2 stage paint.... at lest it looked / felt like it was.....

 

Yep, single stage on non-metalic colors.

 

Ooops!

Yes you do indeed.

 

Damn... I'm jealous! You should see the underside of my truck. It's a rust ball thanks to New England salted roads

 

I actually like single stage paint because it's uniform all the way through. It's one reason I always get white.





(matching his and hers 2012 Yotas )

 

Just stay on top of it... I get underneath it every month. Going to do it again this weekend. It also allows me to check and make sure that everything is as it should be while cleaning it.

Here is the Thread

 

Luckily I don't have to deal with that much down here.

 

I'm the same way. People think I'm weird for going under the vehicle to keep it clean. Especially when I'm trying to get under the lowered cars.

 

A properly applies two-stage paint will look uniform as well. And two-stage paint tends to last much longer overall.

 

My thing with white is that it seems to be more prone to rust dust. Looks like sand stuck to the paint but it's the rust from the environment landing on the paint and sticking - then forming into real rust.

I used to work where we parked under the BART tracks and rust dust always fell in the truck. I had to use clay quite often to get it out. Doesn't seem to happen with the metallic colors, only the white.

 

Yep...I've got that inside my front fender well.

 

Btw guys, doesnt single stage paint will eventually look like crap? Not shiny , all dull , feels rough?

Man thats weird... i am a detailer and i polished the ENTIRE TRUCK with Rupes 15 polisher, and NONE of my foam pads got any paint transferred on it.....

 

Not all of the single stage paints fade or dull over time. It has to do with maintenance. ANY paint job will develop poor appearance if they are not kept clean and protected. That being said single stage paint will fade/dull faster than two stage paint if NOT taken care of.

 

I owned and operated a detailing business for a few years and I still am an active member of the detailing industry, although I do not do it for money anymore. The best way to deal with this is to have someone that knows what they're doing with a polisher recondition the paint with a multi-step polishing process. Then seal the paint with this: You won't have to worry about waxing or protecting your paint for years, and you will be able to wash it with nothing but a stream of water 9 out of 10 times. The other 10% of the time you'll easily clean it with a wash mitt and your two bucket wash method to bring it back to surgical cleanliness.

Sure you can use an over the counter polish to rub some shine back into your paint, but it won't last long and the finish will be no comparison to a professional polishing process. Lots of folks are perfectly happy with a $20 shine from a bottle-o-polish and a rag, but the optimal process is outlined above. Use it wisely

edit: That sounds like a commercial or something, I'm not affiliated with that website, just would never go back to waxing after using that product, I hate rubbing cars...

 

That's one reason I like white. It can't fade. This is how my 1996 looks after 17 years.

 

May not fade but it can DULL.

 

Dull paint is fixable..

 

Does this mean that a white Tacoma should be treated any differently. In particular when washing it?

 

For the most part, yes. It needs to be washed and given a proper waxing after washing to keep the single stage paint better protected.

 

What about clay barring?