Touch-up paint/lacquer question

[ru81]

I've got a stone chip on my front bumper and have touched it up with chili red touch-up paint from the dealer. However, I haven't yet put the clear varnish/lacquer on. What I want to know is how important/necessary that I do this? The touch-up paint looks nice and shiny at the moment but as it gets older, will it discolour without the lacquer?

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Hi,
To answer your question.....

Chili Red is a solid colour and does not have any clearcoat.

Only metallic colours use a clearcoat.

Cheers, Geoff.

[ru81]

That makes it a bit easier then. I wonder why there is lacquer supplied in the pack with the paint?

[PmP]

I have a porter cable random orbital polisher, for polishing the car, and on a car with no clearcoat you get the colour coming off on the foam pads. I did my roof of my Cooper S which is solid black and no colour came off, so I guess there is a clearcoat on some solid colours!

[fenderless 33]

The Chill red is deffinately a Base coat clear coat paint. You do not have to put clear over the chip if it is small. If it is larger you can put clear over it. The clears today have UV filters in them. Just one word of advise. DO NOT use dupli-color clear. They make it in a pen for small areas and it is tempting but don't use it [don't ask how I know].

[The Nun]

All paint colours now, are mainly water based, and all, even non metallics are base colour coat finished with a clear top coat.
Ive got some Pepper white touch up, the colour base coat is a dull finish and then the clear is put on afterwards to give the gloss.

The early MINIs that were finished in non metallic colours may well have been a 2 pack type paint that finished glossy without the need for the clear top coat?