PS-58 Pearl Clear Paint

[Wandy]

Anyone used this stuff? I assume it goes on the outside of the lexan shell in the same way PS-55 Flat Clear does, but what is it's purpose? Is it to give the shell an even glossier look than standard or is it just to give it a protective coating from scratches etc whilst maintaining the standard finish? If it improves the finish that would be quite impressive as most lexan shells seem to be pretty glossy looking already when new.

[Sayer]

Anyone used this stuff? I assume it goes on the outside of the lexan shell in the same way PS-55 Flat Clear does, but what is it's purpose? Is it to give the shell an even glossier look than standard or is it just to give it a protective coating from scratches etc whilst maintaining the standard finish? If it improves the finish that would be quite impressive as most lexan shells seem to be pretty glossy looking already when new.

I'd guess sprayed on the inside before the other colors to add a pearl effect.

[Wandy]

I'd guess sprayed on the inside before the other colors to add a pearl effect.

Surely it would have to go on the outside? No matter how well done on the inside, if there are flaws on the outside of the shell it will spoil the finish and thus defeat the object of applying the stuff.

[Sayer]

Surely it would have to go on the outside? No matter how well done on the inside, if there are flaws on the outside of the shell it will spoil the finish and thus defeat the object of applying the stuff.

Wouldn't flaws on the outside spoil the finish anyway? I mean paint doesn't generally cover surface flaws very well.

[Wandy]

Wouldn't flaws on the outside spoil the finish anyway? I mean paint doesn't generally cover surface flaws very well.

You might be surprised. For instance, repro & aftermarket lexan shells are not as good quality as genuine OEM stuff as they suffer from an orange peel finish, ie they are not 100% transparent. Usually after painting those shells most of the orange peel is difficult to spot, especially with lighter colours but with darker ones, especially black, the peel can sometimes still be quite easily noticed. I had this happen with an Optima Mid undertray but found that coating the outside with PS-55 flat clear eliminated the orange peel although obviously the finish became matte. I'm just wondering if coating with PS-58 would also eliminate the peel but keep the gloss finish of a standardly painted piece of lexan.

[djmcnz]

Yeah well either way I figure the finish will be flawed if there is damage:

• Either the external paint gets damaged; or,
  
• The Lexan gets damaged
  

Both will surely show up in a similar fashion right?

[kontemax]

I suppose you will paint the polycarbonate shell from inside whit this color and then paint again with the color you like to obtain a metallic pearl color. Same thing with the pearl white but only with white.

Max

[mtbkym01]

I'd be thinking painting it on the inside prior to your colour of choice. It basically doubles the colour line-up in one can, giving all existing colours a pearl version aswell. Thats my 2c anyway

[Grastens]

Painting it on the inside is probably the better use; I tried it outside the shell/wing endplates on two of my projects and ended up with a sparkling finish that was not really desired and vulnerable to damage.

[Quandry]

Hello chaps, just wondering did anyone try PS-58 (painted on the inside) and how did it go?

[Shodog]

You spray it first on the inside of a lexan shell. I used it to paint a pearl white body for my brother in laws Porsche I gave him a few years ago.

[TongueTied]

Get some and try it on clear overhead sheets to see how it looks. I do this with avery combination I am planning so that I can ensure the desired effect and check for paint incompatibilities.

[TongueTied]

I found a couple of images that I thought may be of interest for a couple of reasons.

Here is how I often test paints for lexan. I used a old juice bottle cut in half. It isn't quite the same thing (polyethylene vs polycarbonate) but it is close enough for what I am trying to do. I then tape off sections depending on the number of combinations of paints I am trying to test. In this case, I have 4 sections on each bottle half. The main purpose for the tests below was to see 1. how well Spazstix Mirror Chrome worked, 2. how best to back it, and 3. if there were going to be any adverse reactions between Spazstix and AutoAir paints. It also let me test a few colours I had sitting around that I hadn't tried. I realise this is probably more involved testing than normal but it gives an opportunity to try out combinations and with a little thought, you can do a single set of tests like this and get on with painting the car shell.

In relation to the original topic, the red is AutoAir's Iridescent Red and the green is a Pearl Green. Both show up very well on the tests but neither photographed well. You do get a little of the effect on the red in the photo but not like the actual test piece. So, I would guess that you just get the Pearl paint, spray it on the inside as a first coat, then add what ever colour you are trying for, back it and you should get what you are looking for.

[ChrisRx718]

I'm thinking of picking some of this stuff up for my RX7 shell. I've seen it at £10.99 in shops, where's the cheapest place for it?