Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

[SHYNEMAN123]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Just got the car back. The workmanship isn't the best I've seen in my life, but the bright noon sun, it doesn't look bad at all. There's no apparent paint mismatch. However, under my garage light, I see some very slight orange peel. Oh well. I expected it, the orange peel is almost like that on the trunk of my BMW.

The painter who did my car came to talk to me and explained what he did. He said he used an 800 grit sandpaper to remove the old paint to avoid sanding marks. He claims that many painter in the industry choose to use 400 grit paper, which leaves sanding marks. He personally chooses 600 or 800 for the job. He also ensured that I was happy with the job before I leave. Under the sun, the paint looked flawless.

At this point, the paint feels very soft. The paint hasn't been polished or waxed because of that. Like most new paint, the finish isn't very smooth or refine. It could use a polish to refine the surface slightly to bring out the gloss.

My question is:
1. When should I clay/polish the new paint?
2. Should I use M105 to sharepn up the paint a bit? or would SwirlX/M205 work just fine in this case?

Pictures to come after I wash the car after dinner.

You should not need to clay fresh paint
If there any dirt nibs or peel areas you want to correct use 2000 uni grit wet and than buff with 105.
After you wet sand let it breath for a day prior to buffing to let the solvent escape than buff with 105.
You can top off with a polish # 80 or 7 or 205 but no wax or sealent 21 for 60 to 90 days

[the_invisible]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Just got the car back. The workmanship isn't the best I've seen in my life, but the bright noon sun, it doesn't look bad at all. There's no apparent paint mismatch. However, under my garage light, I see some very slight orange peel. Oh well. I expected it, the orange peel is almost like that on the trunk of my BMW.

The painter who did my car came to talk to me and explained what he did. He said he used an 800 grit sandpaper to remove the old paint to avoid sanding marks. He claims that many painter in the industry choose to use 400 grit paper, which leaves sanding marks. He personally chooses 600 or 800 for the job. He also ensured that I was happy with the job before I leave. Under the sun, the paint looked flawless.

At this point, the paint feels very soft. The paint hasn't been polished or waxed because of that. Like most new paint, the finish isn't very smooth or refine. It could use a polish to refine the surface slightly to bring out the gloss.

My question is:
1. When should I clay/polish the new paint?
2. Should I use M105 to sharepn up the paint a bit? or would SwirlX/M205 work just fine in this case?

Pictures to come after I wash the car after dinner.

[ninobrn99]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

post up once you get it back

[the_invisible]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Thanks for the comments!

I am actually not too concerned about road chips and the quality of the clear coat. All Crown Insurance Accredited Bodyshops in British Columbia must meet a quality standard, on both material and workmanship. My original bumper was repainted by a local bodyshop for rock chips. The factory bumper was filled with chips, while the newly painted bumper has no chip so far after three years. That's an obvious improvement over over the factory paint.

I understand that quality can be an issue when it comes to bodyshops in different parts of the world. But in British Columbia, which has a monopolized Crown-Owned Insurance company, bodyshops have very strict requirements to work with. This bodyshop owned by a large corporation is one of the biggest Crown Insurance Accredited shop in the region.

Also, the bodyshop assured me that factory equivalent clear will be utilized, a minimum requirement for all bodyshops accredited by the Crown. It is Duplicolor, I believe, as there are a lot of Duplicolor banners and posters inside the shop.

However, I have had experienced another bodyshop creating some sanding marks in the primer of my daily driver's hood, causing very slight paint to distortion in the corner of the hood. That is my main concern in this case.


The shop indicates that they will blend the nearby fender top to minimize the effect of color mismatch. I hope that is an indication of their commitment to quality. Fingers crossed! I have seen cars repaired by this specific bodyshop, they are all top notch work. However, I was particularly disappointed by their wetsanding procedures they performed.

I must be thinking too much.

[Eddie6th]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Hi Invisible,I remember your original thread about the glue.Sorry to hear about all the hassle.One problem after another.Unfortunatley,dealership bodyshops sometimes don't do the best of jobs for individual cases and concentrate on their contracted work with the dealerships.Not because they don't know what they are doing,but they do too much......'time is money'.Another point to watch out for,if this is the case,is to make sure they remove any badges from the hood,if you've got one,and not just simply mask it and paint around it.This can leave a tiny edge that can peel a couple of years down the line.

I prefer to search around for good bodyshops.You,don't have this option,though.I tend to stay away from bodyshops that have ties to dealerships,not because they are bad workmen,but because they are not thorough enough.

Hope it works out all right for you.

[SHYNEMAN123]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Top of the line clear coat is expensive Make sure they don't use the cheap back shelf brand.

[ninobrn99]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Ps ask for the extra coat of clear it will give you more to work with to get it where you want it.

exactly!

[SHYNEMAN123]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Well for some bad news A Body shop can only bake at around 165 deg f the factory bakes at 300 - 400 deg f which means with a factory finish you will have a harder and more durable finish. With a body shop repaint you can expect more chips , stains and blemishes the hood will now take more time to maintain.

Good Luck

Ps ask for the extra coat of clear it will give you more to work with to get it where you want it.

[Paul S]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

It wouldn't hurt to talk to the painter and slip him an extra $20.00 for a second shot of clear while painting the hood. Just and old fashioned idea .

Paul S

[the_invisible]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

lol I wish... The bodyshop belongs to a corporation, and they still want to go for the most cost-effective route. I don't know. I will see how it goes.

[ninobrn99]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

If it isn't costing them money, why dont they do it right and reprimer, paint, and do a couple extra coats of clear

[the_invisible]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Just got back from the clear coat. Talked to the manager. I offered to show him the paint transfer by using a white cloth and ScratchX 2.0 to rub the area. The painter was also asked to look at the defect. They both agreed that the area was sanded through, and have agreed to repaint the hood at the corporation's expense.

One interesting thing to note is that the bodyshop has completely denied any responsibility for the clear coat burn-through. Instead, they are blaming that the clear coat burn-through is the aftermath of proper repair of damages caused by the Windshield replacement. The bodyshop would not pay a dime for the wetsanding damage they have done, and has asked the Autoglass department to pay for all the damages. So far, they have earned $200 from the Autoglass Department for the initial wetsanding, and they are now charging the Autoglass Department another $600 for repainting the hood, as a result of the damage they did.

In the end, the bodyshop has lost nothing. The Autoglass Department is shelling out way more money than they have earned from repairing the damage. Ironic, isn't it? I hope this teaches the glass repairer that taking 15min to mask surrounding area is worth the time.


So far, this issue is resolved to a certain extent. Now, what I am worrying is that the repaint of the hood would not be perfect. I am concerned that there will be harsh sanding marks throughout the hood from removing the paint. The painter says that he will use 800 grit dry sandpaper to remove the old paint. 800 grit is the industry standard for removing paint, the painter says. I hope 800 grit sandpaper wouldn;t cause any sanding marks on the hood after it is painted. Orange peel is also something I am extremely worried about. Until I get my car back in immaculate condition, I will continue to have sleepless nights.

[ninobrn99]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

so are we

[the_invisible]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

heading out to the bodyshop NOW.

I am anxious to hear what they will say...!!!

[the_invisible]

Re: Clear Coat Sanded Through by Bodyshop!

Thanks Michael and Ryan. I understand that I am kind of being irrational. With my kids grown up, I find that I am more attached to my cars than anything else. When it comes to my precious belongings, I can get quite paranoid... with my house being the exception of course.

Demonstrating the paint transfer to the manager using a white cotton cloth and a cleaner sounds like a a brilliant idea. I will do that.

And you are right, the painter (often contracted by the bodyshop) simply gets paid for the job he performs. He wouldn't know it's a redo. Also, the fact that they offered me a courtesy car last time during the wetsanding process, and that they are offering me a courtesy car tomorrow, is a testement to their committment to making their customers happy.

I will head down tomorrow and see how things go from there.