Hot Rod Black Low Gloss Auto Paint

Hot Rod Black, also known as "Satin Black" or "Matte Black" is one of the hottest effects on the custom paint scene today. This low sheen black has been around for decades but has become so in vogue that today even some of the hottest sports car brands in the world are offering it as an option on new models. While it has been around for quite some time in the custom paint circles, many people still don't understand the different approaches to achieving the effect. Our goal is to help you understand the different ways of achieving a hot rod black finish so you can make informed buying decisions when buy or specifying this cool finish for your car or bike.

Hot Rod Black simply describes the look or effect of a low sheen black finish. By low sheen we mean a lower gloss level or amount of "shine" if you will. Studies with auto enthusiast have shown that a Hot Rod Black finish that has a slight shine (not completely void of gloss) is more preferred. Flat Black finishes which are completely void of gloss tend to look "chalky" or "pasty" which most find to have less visual appeal. However, this is a matter of personal choice and some people prefer the flat black look. While our focus is on selection of paints to achieve a hot rod black finish, many of the same principles will apply to a flat black finish as well.

The three most common approaches to achieving a hot rod black finish are spraying a prepackaged hot rod black single stage, reducing the gloss of a high gloss black or clear using flattening agent, or purchasing a pre-flattened clearcoat to apply over a standard black base. There are numerous suppliers now of pre-packaged hot rod black single stages. It is best to avoid enamel versions (alkyd or acrylic enamel) as they tend to become chalky much quicker than 2K urethane versions. The pre-packaged urethane varieties are much easier to work with and more consistent than using a flattening agent to reduce the gloss of a typically high gloss finish. In my work I find that using a pre-flattened urethane clear over a black base is the best approach to a hot rod black finish. The clear works great to give that cool low sheen finish and it tends to last even longer than the single stage variety. However, the biggest advantage I have seen is how much easier it is to give a clean uniform finish. If you have ever done any auto painting you know how difficult it can be to get a clean, dirt free finish. When doing gloss finishes this can easily be corrected by polishing but polishing a hot rod black finish results in a more glossy appearance wherever you polish. To remove the inevitable nibs or spots I like to use 3000 grit on a DA and work out from the area where the nib was located with reducing pressure on the DA. This has worked well for me with pre-flattened clear.

Hot Rod Black finishes look like they are here to stay as they move into mainstream automotive finishes.  Given the opportunity to work with Hot Rod Black finishes I recommend using typical black basecoat followed with a pre-flattened 2K urethane clear to give that cool look with the strength to last.  There are a lot of options out there but one that has gotten a lot of praise from various sources is KemFx Specialty Finishes which makes an entire line of custom paints for automotive and specialty use.  No matter which product you choose always remember to treat your chemicals with respect in order to ensure safety for yourself and your surroundings.