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View Full Version : Paint issue on newer vehicle - how to fix



derekf
06-13-2009, 05:44 PM
The wife's car is a 2002 Chevy Tracker.

As we've seen with a lot of GM vehicles around here, the paint really isn't holding up well to the Texas sun:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/tracker1-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/tracker2-1.jpg

Now, I've got a nice polyurethane single-stage black I can cover this with, but I'm not sure what to do with what's already there. The roof is obviously a bigger problem than the hood.

Do I:

Just scuff and shoot the poly over the boogered roof?
Scuff, put down a layer of epoxy primer, and then shoot?
Sand the roof down to bare metal, prime, and shoot?
Something else?
This is just her driver. Not intending to keep it forever, so if one of these is great but will only last for 5-10 years that's probably quite a bit longer than the rest of the vehicle will last.

LateNight72
06-13-2009, 05:45 PM
- Sand the roof down to bare metal, prime, and shoot


^ Best option. Otherwise, it will continue to peel.

derekf
06-13-2009, 06:03 PM
That's the thing though - it doesn't appear to be peeling, just fading? Not finding anywhere I can pull any up, anyway.

Happyfunballs
06-14-2009, 03:35 AM
LN is correct. I've done a few different things for customers that didn't want to spend alot, and it always ended up looking terrible. Best to strip it.

MonzaRacer
06-14-2009, 03:03 PM
OK base is holding what you have is some of the wonderful water borne clearcoat. get your sander out and start with 240 grit, then switch to 320 then 400 then prime over whats left with epoxy primer, sand it smooth, recoat per instructions, and then paint it.

JRouche
06-14-2009, 06:45 PM
Looks like any other clear coat that has failed. Why always on the roof?? Im with Monza till the primer came into play. Unless your color coat is shot then you can go through the sanding steps and clear it again. Dont know how bad the color coat is, you will after you start sanding. If its completely shot then yes, you need a color coat and clear. Which means sanding down to decent material and priming, color and clear. JR

LateNight72
06-14-2009, 07:27 PM
With the color coat being exposed, you'll need to strip it down bare. Basecoat has zero moisture protection, as does most of GM's primers.

Take all the color off and as much of the primer as you can.

My $0.02

LateNight72
06-14-2009, 07:28 PM
That's the thing though - it doesn't appear to be peeling, just fading? Not finding anywhere I can pull any up, anyway.
Well, its delaminating, then its flaking away. You really can't get anything up because driving it has already taken care of all those little flakes.

derekf
06-15-2009, 03:41 AM
Gotcha.

Thanks, y'all.. I've passed along what y'all have said to the wife and am leaving the decision as to what to do up to her.

Sparky67
06-15-2009, 06:23 AM
The wife's car is a 2002 Chevy Tracker.

As we've seen with a lot of GM vehicles around here, the paint really isn't holding up well to the Texas sun:

This is just her driver. Not intending to keep it forever, so if one of these is great but will only last for 5-10 years that's probably quite a bit longer than the rest of the vehicle will last.



You might contact a dealership to see if there is a recall on the paint. I had a 1989 Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 and after the clear coat started to fail within about 4 years, GM had issued a recall on the clear coat. I know a friend of mine had the same problem with his Ford truck and Ford repainted it 3 times.

Jeff

http://www.kodakgallery.com/67rscamaro

derekf
06-15-2009, 06:41 AM
Yeah, we had the same with an 88 Celebrity and they did repaint it.

I called the dealership and they say there is no paint recall on the 02 Trackers; the wife suspects they'd just do a scuff-and-shoot if we argued enough with them anyway.

MonzaRacer
06-24-2009, 10:49 AM
Thats why I said you sand it down, till you have a perfect surface, if old paint/primer is still intact and not surface rusting, like my uncle who is body shop owner/painter/bodyman says. if its still stuck dont get crazy.
Sand till your satisfied, if it still has lot of old paint ans such use some adhesion promoter then seal it up prime and paint as normal.
I I disagree with base/primer not holding away water as I see way too many fenders with elpo primer never rusting in junkyards, but rest of vehicle is rotted to ground. That sure looks like water bourne clear going away. Sanding it till perfectly smooth and ready for sealing/primer then recoat.
I tend to have issues with some painters not putting enough clear on high wear areas like roofs and hoods. Friend who is bodyman has went to a high solids clear with an extra UV blocker, his first car sat in Arizona desert for 7 months abandoned after theft, the car still looks great, other cars out with it stolen by same group, were litterally sandblasted to bare metal. That 67 Impalla was though to be fresh theft till they found tires trashed on sunny side(note:super soft compound tires wont hold up in desert).