I did some research and couldn't find anything, anyone know what type of paint fiero's received from the factory?

im pretty sure mine(88) is base coat clear coat. ill have to check the tag. but someone else may chime inby then. but ill check anyway

I have an '85 already, and it's def single stage, but I might be buying an '88 that needs a little paint love, so I'm trying to figure out if this would end up a respray or a thorough detail and buff.

ok ill try and check tommorow. as my car is parked outside under snow, i need to get to it thought to throw a battery charger on it as im bringing in to fix some details on my 3800 swap. so ill check then.

You should use base/clear for any repairs or repaints. The clear cuts UV that causes fade.
As for the car needing "a little paint love", it's unlikely buffing will help on a 20+ year old factory paint job, but post pics & we'll see.
If you do a search with my username you'll find just about everything you'll need to know about painting.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

[This message has been edited by Tha Driver (edited 02-11-2011).]

quote Originally posted by ericjon262: I did some research and couldn't find anything, anyone know what type of paint fiero's received from the factory?

Base Coat/Clear Coat...

All Fieros were factory painted with first generation basecoat and clearcoat. First generation paint was trash, is the reason it never held up. New ones are much better, but still far from perfect. Some colors are still very prone to peeling.

I've been told that the clear used on the Fieros was lacquer-based. This was by a Sherwin-Williams rep that I trust.

Old clearcoat paint had a few problems that were corrected. First, not the clearcoat, but the basecoat was based on lacquer. I have no problems putting lacquer clear over new basecoat colors. Lacquer paint does have a problem adhereing to cured basecoat clear...it wont 'burn' into it, so you cant use lacquer to do a repair. Second they waited too long, often days, between base color and clearcoat. Now they emphasise you have to clear it from 30 minutes to no longer than 24 hours after the basecolor depending on brand.

The paint applied at the factory was PPG Acrylic Enamel applied without a catalyst. The binders and UV agents used at the factory are a little different than the paint we buy for refinish. Production process for Fiero used oven drying creating the heavy orange peel that a factory stock paint job has. Fred

Ill have to disagree. I was already in business 20 years when Fieros came out. GM never used anything but laquer after the 50s. They didnt change till they tried waterbase on certain models in the early 80s. Fieros clearly have a clear delamination problem on all models where the clear turns cloudy, then peels off the color coat. There is no acrylic enamel clear. If you know someplace that makes it, let me know. Ive been trying to find some for 20 years. Sherwin-Williams, BASF, Dupont, PPG, ICI Autocolor, and R&M havent had it. Most Gms used R&M paint, not PPG. Chrysler and Ford used mostly enamels. Factory GM paint jobs really didnt have much orange peel, there actually pretty smooth till they started using base/clear. Only GM truck lines used enamels because at the time, it was more durable for trucks that werent very well kept.

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not trying to hi-jack a thread but im getting ready to get my 86gt painted, the previous owner uses a maaco like place and looks like crap and is peeling off of places like the edges of the hood, the rockerpanels, and the painted is cracked all over the front fascia.. what do yall suggest to repaint it with, im assumiong base/clear but? that type base coat

dmcgreene- I was wondering about special paint procedures/paints too, does it matter what type or brand of base/clear you use on a fiero?

Greene, It's not so much what brand of paint is used these days (using a basecoat clear coat), but the prep work of the surface that's important. If the original clear coat and paint aren't taken off the panel, and the surface correctly primed, the paint has trouble sticking. I also had a problem like yours where the paint on the edge of panels and around the wheel well areas was chipping off. It turns out the areas that were easy to burn through with a sander were just left unsanded by the man who did my paintjob in 2005. Even the best paints will chip and look only as good as the prep work. Because of what happened, I've resolved to do my own bodywork and paint, which has really paid off because I know the quality of work being put into my cars - no more chipping paint.

With that said, I've really enjoyed using Nason's lineup of premium paints. From what I've read Nason is one of the easiest paints to spray and is very affordable. Clearcoat really makes a difference, and the correct quality clear with the right dry time should be selected. Because you can take each panel off of the Fiero and shoot them one at a time, you have the ability to use "spot/panel" (faster drying) clears. Even the cheapest clear will look better than the original clearcoat with the correct finishing work - no more orange peel.

Just choose a brand name. There all pretty similar (except the prices). That goes for base color and clear top coats. Use the same brand together for best results. ie/ dont use Sherwin Williams color and PPG clear. In most cases it wont be a problem, but a nitemare if it is, so dont take the risk.

All the paint thats peeling needs to be taken off, probably by sanding. In some lucky cases, Ive stripped it all off at a power car wash with about $10 worth of quarters. If you have high air pressure, you can do that too. Something I do to lots of cars and is a lot cleaner is to use single edge razor blades in a holder and start where its peeling and with it laying almost flat (like shaving) and go long and even strokes . Ive stripped lots of hoods, roofs and deck lids with that method in a very short time. I did a newer Cadillac hood completely in less than an hour. Only needs some minor touch up sanding and its ready to repaint.

my car doesn't have paint chipping as much as it is scratched and faded. some areas the scratches are almost into the plastic. what are my best options to restore this.
and on a side note. (are there any luminescent paints out there and are they street legal.?)

I believe you could find out for yourself. I would test each panel in case one was repainted. Make sure the car is clean. Get some paint polish, and a white rag. Hand polish an area and see if the car's color is on your white rag, if it is, then it is not clear coat.

quote Originally posted by tox1cchicken: (are there any luminescent paints out there and are they street legal.?)

Ive never heard of a single type of paint being illegal for any reason. About the only limit is you cant paint it like a police car ?

so this should be ok?


or even EL lighting?
I know where I live they can give you a hard time for the ground lighting.

quote Originally posted by tox1cchicken: so this should be ok? or even EL lighting? I know where I live they can give you a hard time for the ground lighting.

That would be sweet!
I think I'd call the local cops and see if they know if its legal.

quote Originally posted by 2.5: That would be sweet! I think I'd call the local cops and see if they know if its legal.

1) Local cops don't know sheat about what's legal.
2) Paint your car with glow in the dark paint & see how many tickets it gets you - IN SPITE of the fact that you're not breaking any laws! (they'll stop you for any made-up reason, even though it's ILLEGAL for THEM to do so.)
2) It's actually legal to paint your car like a cop car, but you can't put "Police" on it or you're impersonating an officer.
I guess you can tell I've had more than my share of run-ins with the law. If you counted them all up the cops were breaking the law more times than I was. I've even been DENIED DUE PROCESS three damn times!!!!
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

I know how you feel, 3 out of the 5 times I have been stopped were for nothing, once was bc I took too long to make a left turn through an intersection!

I would be more interested in the paint for "show" purposes any way, and in that case wouldn't be around for the cops to stop me.