# 1999 Impreza Paint type - help needed.



## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi all, 

I'm looking for a wee bit of help. A very good friend is restoring a classic impreza, and has reached the painting stage. The guys doing the work have asked whether he wants basecoat and lacquer, or just a direct gloss coat. 

His paint code is 51E - Pure White.

Ideally he'd like the car painted as it left the factory, and is keen to find out whether the paint code 51E was direct gloss or base/lacquer. 

Can any of you help? 

Cheers guys. 

Cooks

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## andy__d (Jun 27, 2018)

https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/colour_codes_subaru

https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/colour_swatch_subaru_1999

Subaru Pure White

Subaru Pure White

51E/51 MFG. PAINT CODE

Paint Manufacturer Codes
PPG/Ditzler : 91525
Dupont : F2702

1999 Subaru Impreza

http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/paintdetail.cgi?dupont=F2702

may help if you can chase down the Paint mfg info/codes?

the only ref i can find so far says "Solid" for colour type , im guessing that refers to non metallic, non pearled .


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Brilliant, mate. 

Thanks for that. He reckons the original was non lacquered, and is keen just to confirm that before going ahead with the paint. 

Just passed that detail on, and he says thank you. 

Cheers

Cooks

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## Graeme1 (Dec 9, 2006)

Is there no part of the car still with original paint to check what it was done in? 

Personally I would go with COB as it’s far better, to maintain and will stay better for longer. 

Also won’t affect the value of the vehicle. Painted many older more valuable classics in COB and it doesn’t affect it.


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## shelton (Jul 24, 2017)

Subaru 51-E in our (SOFT99) catalogue of repair paints is a 1-stage paint, no clear.

For the record, I have never heard of a Japanese paint called "solid white" that wasn't 1-stage. It is a *******ization of the true meaning, but in Japan "solid" is understood to mean "no clear" - this made perfect sense once apon a time, when only metallic paints used clear.

But because there is such a strong association here between the word "solid" and idea "no clear", I doubt any manufacturer would ever call a solid colour "solid" if it had/needed a clear coat - it's just a recipe for disaster.

Just to be clear: this happens a lot, because for new concepts Japanese often use transliterations of English words (in this case "solid") - so they have no meaning outside that one context, so there is no cognitive dissonance when the meaning morphs like this. Except if you're bilingual of course haha.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Having worked on the older paints I would push your friend to go base and clear. There is a reason we moved on. If he wants to avoid the fading, and all associated problems, coupled with it being harder and harder to get the relevant solutions, he should really think about the more modern system. Visually, I doubt anyone will se a difference


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## mikechesterman (May 25, 2013)

Original would be Direct Gloss, but I also would definitely choose base and lacquer for the restoration. If it's not the original paint then there's no need to paint it in the original (inferior) finish.

I'm just putting back together my STi Version 1 (035/200) and I painted it with base and lacquer, which being 406 Silver is what it would have been originally anyway, but I used waterbased paint as I find it to be a superior finish with Silvers, but no one would know unless I told them!

Similarly, I have recently acquired a Ferrari 308 GTBi, which I am just preparing for paint and I'm going to be painting it with Glasurit Paint, which is what was originally used and is stated on the paint code sticker, but I'm certainly going base and lacquer, rather than direct gloss, which would have been original.

Certain vehicles, colours and finishes I still use Direct Gloss, but for the Impreza I certainly wouldn't personally.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Thank you so much guys. 

I think he was getting hung up on the originality of the finish, rather than the benefits to be gained by the 'clear-over-base.'

I've passed all comments over to him, so I'd imagine he'll follow the good advice. 

Cheers

Cooks

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