black hood turning cloudy white

[ratcreek]

I have a '85 Benz 300 D Turbo. Dark gray near black paint that has lots of issues (swirls, scratches, water spots etc.) but I'm most concerned that the hood is turning cloudy, ghostly, whitish. It started a year ago when my hood pad crumbled away. Once I noticed that I replaced the hood pad but it seems to continue to get worse.

I'm new at this sort of thing, two questions.
What is it, or what do you call it?
How can I fix it?

Also working on bad water spots.

Thanks in advance for any help.
Bryan

[ramphonic]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

It's hard to say without seeing it

Can you post some pictures??

[Murr1525]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Pics would help, but it has the bad sound of clear coat failure.

[CieraSL]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Does it look like any of the pics in this thread?

The Clearcoat Failure Photo Archive

[ratcreek]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Owww that's what i was afraid of. It's the cloudy but not peeling phase.
I was hoping it wouldn't lead to that "old peeling Volvo hood syndrome" as we called it in Eugene.
Pics on the way.

thanks

[ratcreek]

Hear is a pic of the car hood.

The rest of the car looks pretty much like the fender, but the hood is fading. Some more pics to follow.

Another pic of the bad paint. The cleaner looking circle on the right is where I hand rubbed some "fine cut cleaner" to see what it would do. It helps with the water spots.h




Cracks in the hood paint

[yalerd]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Is the car Single Stage or Clear Coated?

Read this thread and tested on your own vehicle
How to test for a clear coat or single stage paint system

When you are done reading, test it out and come back with the results. Do the test on a section that seems to have no problems at all, exclude the hood

[ratcreek]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Is the car Single Stage or Clear Coated?

Read this thread and tested on your own vehicle
How to test for a clear coat or single stage paint system

When you are done reading, test it out and come back with the results. Do the test on a section that seems to have no problems at all, exclude the hood

No paint transfer to a white cloth with the deep crystal cleaner. I also have a photo of what looks like the clear coat coming off on a corner of the trunk. So I'd go with base & clear coat.

the trunk is the only place that shows this peeling. The rest of the trunk looks fine, and there is no peeling like this on the discolored hood.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Is the car Single Stage or Clear Coated?

Read this thread and tested on your own vehicle
How to test for a clear coat or single stage paint system

When you are done reading, test it out and come back with the results. Do the test on a section that seems to have no problems at all, exclude the hood

Good question. Clear coats didn't really dominate until the 90's. Good chance this is a single stage paint with oxidation, but I'm speaking out of turn since I have never worked on oxidized single stage paint. But (to me) it doesn't look like definitive clear coat failure.

[ratcreek]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

I tested the fender with deep crystal cleaner and no paint transfer to a white cloth.

I posted a reply with a pic of what looks like some clear coat chipping off of a corner of the trunk but it's in moderator limbo. the trunk and hood symptoms look totally different. No discoloration at all on the trunk, and no peeling / chipping of clear coat on the hood.

I look forward to a prognosis.
Bryan

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

I tested the fender with deep crystal cleaner and no paint transfer to a white cloth.

Bryan, are you the original owner of the car? The paint transfer test should be done on the panel in question. At some of the Meguiars open garage events, I have seen cars that have both paint types, usually repainted panels on older vehicles that were redone with clear coat. It's also possible that the car was originally painted with clear coat but someone might have had hood was repainted with single layer paint to save money. Based upon the condition of the trunk, however, it looks like you just might have CC failure..

[ratcreek]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Not the origional owner, I tested the hood and there is no paint on the cloth so I'd say I have clear coat. I'm sure that it's coming off on the trunk, but on the hood it's just discolored, not chipping or pealing. Is that an early symptom? If so why is the trunk chipping off but with no discoloration, is that normal?

If it is CC failure do I just watch it get worse until I can afford a paint job, or is there something to do to make it look better?

Thanks for all the help,
Bryan

[yalerd]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Yeah, the last picture your posted definitely looks like Clear Coat Failure.
Nothing that you can really do, the only fix to it is just repaint the part.

[cnfowler]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Clearcoat Failure. Sorry to break the news. Repaint is in order. Sorry.

Colin

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: black hood turning cloudy white

Unfortunately, another vote for clear coat failure.