How can you tell if your paint has a clearcoat on it?

[Mark B]

Hey everyone,
Got my car painted by Macco 2 winters ago. I paid alot of extra money to have a 3-stage system put on the car with an extra coat of clear. I have been color sanding the car this week getting ready to buff it. Im concerned that I got ripped off. How can I tell if I am sanding clearcoat or single stage paint? The car is white so the fact that all of the sanding dust has beeen white doesnt mean anything.

[Joe 1320]

Use a polish compound on an obscure area. If the color comes off on the buffing pad, then you do not have a clearcoat.

[Mark B]

Even if the car is white?

[BrdWAtti2d]

The clear won't show color on the rag, paint will. Don't use a white rag

[3800_Firebird]

So if all I get when I polish either white or green cars is black, that would be oxidation, correct?

[1slo_camaro]

well im sure someone else will pipe in on this but black is DIRT!!!! lol idk but thats what i always thought someone correct me please

[FroSSty]

Even if the car is white?

The dust will be white either way but, like was said above, if you polsih it, clear will be clear. The biggest problem is, it is white...Most polish is white...