A better alternative for patina preservation

We can go on and on about the debate over patina or new paint. But this isn’t the time or place for that argument. No matter which side of the fence you land on you have probably seen or heard of wiping on clear coat.

Whats the catch with wipe on clear coat?

Wiping, brushing, or rolling on automotive finishes isn’t a new idea. Lots of people have rolled on a shiny coat of single stage paint onto there project or beater. If you dig through old automotive forums you will find some discussion on weather not clear coat can be wiped on. Most people are trying to repair failed clear coat or coat something small like a headlight. Then when the patina craze hit things changed. Now you can find clear coat that is specifically made to wipe on. This idea got my wheels turning so I decided to give it a try myself.

Sealing the truck bed by wiping on automotive clear coat

The 1966 F100 project is the perfect Guinea pig for testing. The paint work is far from perfect or stock. The inside of the truck bed is the wrong color all together and sporting its fair share of rust. But the patina looks pretty good and matches the truck’s overall appearance. So a coat of clear in my opinion will help the bed pop a bit more and add some shine. It will help bring everything together.

Unfortunately I don’t have the purpose made wipe on clear coat, so I improvised! I have some old cheap universal clear coat that is a few years old now so I don feel bad using it up. Rather then looking online or trying to learn some tips or tricks I just went for it.

With the truck bed clean and prepped with a red Scotch Brite pad it was ready to go. The prep was a breeze! I just added a tape line right against the areas that met the panels I was going to clear coat. my original plan was to spray the bed with clear. That would have meant taping and covering the entire truck, moving all my other cars out of the driveway and suiting up myself. All in the hopes to keep over spray from making a mess. It may have taken me another 30+ min to get everything moved or covered just to get ready to spray.

Lack of over spray is definitely the biggest advantage to wipe on the clear coat. You still need glasses and a respirator when wiping on the clear coat. But you don’t need nearly the time spent prepping for the job. You also don’t need compressed air and a spray gun. Another great advantage to a DIYer.

For mixing I followed the instructions at a 4 to 1 mix per my clear coat. I used a large paint cup to make it easy to dip my rag. After everything was mixed and my PPE was on I went to work!

How to wipe on clear coat

The process was as simple as you can imagine. Take the clear coat and wipe it on…

A few things I did quickly pick up on was how runny the clear was. It was very easy to splash out of the cup and onto myself when moving around. Glasses are a must to do this job!

The clear was also dripping down the panels. Its easy to fix, you just continue to wipe until you get the correct amount on the area. But this could lead to a few issues depending on where you are working.

I used a microfiber towel because its what I had. Although I think a sponge used to apply wax may be a better option. I don’t feel like a brush would have worked well. A cheap brush would leave bristles

After I applied the first coat I went back for a second coat. The second coat did not go on as smoothly as the first because the first coat was still a touch tacky. Im not sure the second coat was needed but it did help smooth the sheen out along the textured surfaces.

All in all it only took about 30min from prep to cleanup. The process was much easier then spraying and the finish was what I expected. Not perfect but it helped the patina pop.

One thing I do wish I had was a slower hardner. I had a fast harder for the clear. Its what I had laying around in the garage at the time. I feel like a slow hardner would help the clear self level more and clear would lay out smoother.

Would I recommend wiping on clear coat?

Yes! And no…

Spraying out clear coat will always have its place. Its way smoother finish and more even coat can’t be matched and should always be used on good/important projects. But when you want to simply add some clear on rough panel’s or don’t want to or cant spray then go for it! Its a simple way to get clear on your project that saves a lot of time and energy.