I want to paint my car and i find that single stage acrylic urethane paint is a lot cheaper then other paints, but ive seen a few people say that the shine goes away quickly with the single stage. is this true? and could i apply a clear coat over it to give it more protection and keep it shiney longer?

 

Acrylic enamel will lose its gloss faster than any urethane. Single stage urethanes are usually fairly decent as far as gloss retention goes. And when they fade (in 5-10 years, depending on the brand), you can buff and bring em right back. Also- don't use a single stage and clear. If you're going to buy clear, may as well buy base coat. Much easier to lay down and roughly the same price as a single stage urethane.

Here is the thing: I would use single stage for any solid color. Whites, blacks, blues, greens, single stage is GREAT. I would NEVER use a single stage for a metallic or pearl color. They are LOUSY for these and you can NEVER cut and buff a metallic or pearl single stage unless it is cleared over, plus they are much harder to spray.

 

i want to paint the car a metallic blue. if i did decide to go with a single stage is it possible to shoot a urethane clear over it for extra gloss and protection?

 

Technically yes, it's fine. But you will not be able to sand out imperfections from the single stage and single stage paints are harder to shoot than basecoats. Basecoats and single stage paints are generally roughly the same price so just go with a basecoat if you're going to clear.