I have conflicting info on the chili red paint. Is the chili red a single-stage paint or does it have a clear coat like the metallic paints?

I can't make up my mind on chili red or dark silver for my MCS, and I'm gonna need to nail it down real soon.

Thanks,
JS

 

All modern cars have a clear coat. The clear coat is part of what gives the car its shiny look. If you want to see a car with no clear painted in a flat color go pick up a issue of Sport Compact Car. One of the editors there is doing a Sylvia build up and has painted the car flat black so almost no shine to the car.

The chili red is just non-metalic so there is no metal fleck like in some of the other colors.

 

Don't forget the price difference between the metallic and the non-metallic paints...

Rocketboy_X

 

Yeah the metalic is 400 dollars or so more then the normal paints.

 

Anyone know how legit the $400 charge for metallic paint is? I mean, it's not like there's a lot of square footage to cover, especially if the roof isn't body color. Seems like plain old BMW price gouging to me. If it were, say, $150, I'd probably be driving an Indi Blue MINI right now. (not that I would EVER pay $150 to lose the Chili Red now!)

 

Be proud of your chilli red, its an awesome color!

 

>>Be proud of your chilli red, its an awesome color!

I am, I am! I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm just curious about the $400. I know that options are usually inflated, and this one seemed particularly so to me. I thought someone might know what these paints cost comparatively.

 

The $400 extra is not bad. The clear coat with metalic is a 2 part or 2K paint. The paint itself is quite a bit more expensive, (approx. $120/gal), twice as many parts in the application equipment, (mixing valves, air valves, lines etc.), and it takes some special wizardry, (electrostatics, air shaping, robot angles, etc.), to get the metal flake to lay down.