Issues with my new paint job

[velobard]

After a few delays, I finally got to pick up my car at the body shop last night. It went in for minor storm damage from a tree branch, but I was able to parlay that into a full paint job for <$500 more by the time I was done haggling with the shop and (mostly) the insurance company. When I got to the shop they were glazing it with 3M IHG and I saw them a couple of times pull the rotary with wool pad back out to work on the hood a little more. Yeah, I was nervous, but tried to just bide my time. Once I started imspecting the car I found one minor door ding they missed and he promised to have either have a PDR guy fix it or he`d redo it with a conventional repair. Unfortunately, it`s on the rear quater panel, so if he has to paint it would mean a blend on the rear sail (the C-pillar).



Here`s a couple other things I found once I got home. When I picked up my wife from work after leaving the shop, when she opened her door she noticed this raised paint edge on the leading edge of the RR door. Looks like they must have masked a line here and pulled up the paint when they yanked off the tape. I`ll definitely be addressing this problem with the shop.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/velobard/IMG_1240.jpg



I also found a couple of fisheyes on one front fender. This one spot is the only place I`ve found any on the car so far. I haven`t decided whether I`ll make a fuss with the shop over these. You can really only see one of them clearly in this shot, but it`s more like a painted-over chip that left a depression in the paint than what I understand a true fisheye to look like.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/velobard/IMG_1239.jpg



And now for the heartbreaker. By the time I got out of the shop, it was time to go straight to pick up my wife from work about 12-15 miles away. I had a few minutes to look things over before she came out and I found a good-sized rock chip on the hood from my very first outing on the road. :hairpull I never saw or heard anything hit the car, but it was fast, fairly heavy traffic on the highway and there was no way to keep any sizable distance from the cars in front of me.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/velobard/abc4e215.jpg



I did get a little left over paint from the shop so if I try a touch-up I should have a pretty good match. Talk about being bummed out. :sadpace: I`m sure I`ll try to do something with the damage, but I can`t blame this one on the shop, I know it wasn`t there when I picked it up.



And yeah, they left some rotary holograms and swirls from compounding the paint, but I`ll just deal with that myself. When I mentioned them at the shop he said they could take care of it with glaze, but obviously I don`t want them just hidden and I`m not betting on them to have the skill to do the job right. My wife eyeballed the car with a critical eye a couple of times when we were out last night. After looking it over a couple of times she said, "I guess really no one else polishes the car as well as you do." It made me feel like she has more appreciation for what I`ve been able to accomplish with the car since I joined Autopia than even she realized until she saw the difference. Most people would think the car looks great as it is. She and I can both see I`ve got some work to do.



One more thing. I did get a kick out of this Impala at the shop that looked like it had 4-wheel steering. I`m not sure how they managed to do this to the rear wheel with zero body damage.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/velobard/4d49a895.jpg

[Accumulator]

Seems like there`s always *some* kind of disappointment when a car gets paintwork :(



I agree that you oughta just polish it yourself (I always assume I`ll have to when I get paintwork done).



Fisheyes/etc. aren`t that uncommon...I finally decided to live with a number of such defects on the S8 (though it sure bugs me).



That door is *really* awful though...that`d worry me. Besides needing fixed, it`s an unfortunate clue into the kind of work that shop does. Hope there are no more surprises...

[velobard]

Yeah, I`m disappointed I didn`t notice the problem on the door while I was still at the shop. I guess there`s always something you notice later one, but this one looks serious. If you look in the seam between the front and back doors you can see it a little and if it peels, which it looks like would happen easily, it would peel back onto the door. In my mind, that should be an obvious defect that should be taken care of. Time is a little tight today and the shop is across town, but I`m going to try to get over after work.

[velobard]

That door is *really* awful though...that`d worry me. Besides needing fixed, it`s an unfortunate clue into the kind of work that shop does. Hope there are no more surprises...

Made it to the shop last night and had them look at the problem with the apparent peeling paint on the edge of the door. We decided it just looks like the clear coat, but at any rate they have no problem with correcting it, I just need to find the time to leave it with them.



I didn`t even think about this until I was on my way back to the shop, but I remembered that one of the delays in finishing my car was they had to respray a section and when I picked up the car I simply forgot to ask which section they re-did. I`m willing to bet it was that door with the peeling edge and they got in a little too much of a hurry when they removed the masking tape.



Now to deal with that chip through the paint on my hood. :( That does have me bummed out. I have some 2000 grit paper in the basement, but I suppose I should track down a Mequiars Unigrit block if I`m going to try the technique described in the Learn section. It doesn`t specify what grit is recommended, but I guess to be on the safe side I could just get 3000. I`m sure that`s gonna take a lot of patience to work with, but I sure don`t want to screw it up. I`ll probably practice on a chip the kickplate area on my door jamb.

[AL-53]

Velo...Pick up a 3M sanding pencil...clean out the chip with it..build up your paint...get some 2000 or 3000 grit paper...wetsand your paint pimple area...hit it with your polish of choice...and should look good....not perfect..but 100% better....use Meg`s paper...you get no stray grit sizes.....



good luck ..should come out fine...



pS..make sure you wash the chip area with a solvent to get any stray contaminants out...



AL

[velobard]

pS..make sure you wash the chip area with a solvent to get any stray contaminants out...



AL



Darn, and I just put 3 coats of Nattys Blue on it.













Just kidding.



Al, thanks for the tips. I know you understand my apprehension doing this on a very visible spot on new, soft paint. I haven`t seen the 3M sanding pencil, I was just going to make one up with dots of sandpaper and a regular pencil as it describes in the Learn section.

http://www.guidetodetailing.com/articles.php?articleId=27



I`m pretty sure the 2000 paper I have is 3M stuff that I got from a local body supply outlet. The paint I have is leftover PPG paint they gave me at bodyshop when I picked up the car.

[AL-53]

you can get the pencil at wal mart..5.98..in the auto paint section..if you can not find one let me know..I will grab one and send it....any boby shop supply should have it also...but try Napa also...they may have it or get it next day....



I have one..best investment I made for fixing rock chips....



Al

[Accumulator]

velobard- Note that you oughta wait 90-120 days for the paint to finish outgassing before you wax it. Wasn`t sure if you had the chipped area painted or not..



The 3M paper isn`t *nearly* as good as the Unigrit stuff from Meguiar`s, much harder to remove all the sanding scratches. The finest grit block is 2000, but it`s a very different 2000 compared to the 3M stuff.

[velobard]

velobard- Note that you oughta wait 90-120 days for the paint to finish outgassing before you wax it. Wasn`t sure if you had the chipped area painted or not..



The 3M paper isn`t *nearly* as good as the Unigrit stuff from Meguiar`s, much harder to remove all the sanding scratches. The finest grit block is 2000, but it`s a very different 2000 compared to the 3M stuff.

I`m well aware of the wait time for waxing, that`s why I put "Just kidding" comment just below that. ;)



Thanks for the warning on the 3M paper. I bought it to use for painting my bicycle frame and I`ll go ahead and use if for that, but i guess I`d better order some Unigrit paper when I get the block. I have seen 3000 grit blocks on the market:

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/megk3000.html



But if you think 2000 is safe enough, I`ll certainly trust your judgement on that. I might be there rubbing a 3000 grit block on the paint all day.



And yes, the chipped area was painted, the chip happened on my very first trip from the body shop to go pick up my wife. :(



After I get all the swirls and holograms from the body shop polished out, I`m working up my nerve to consider trying 2180 on an area to see how well it lives up to its claims to allow outgassing.

[Accumulator]

I`m well aware of the wait time for waxing, .. I put "Just kidding" comment just below that. ;)



I have seen 3000 grit blocks on the market:

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/megk3000.html



But if you think 2000 is safe enough, I`ll certainly trust your judgement on that. I might be there rubbing a 3000 grit block on the paint all day...



I`m working up my nerve to consider trying 2180 on an area to see how well it lives up to its claims to allow outgassing.





Oops, missed the "J/K" part :o



I like 3K grit but I`ve done OK with 2K scratches too. Note that the painter who`s doing the Jag wants me to start with *coarser* grits than I`m used to using, he says I`ll be happier with the results and the required effort. It`s not like he doesn`t like fine grit sanding media; he gave me some 4K sanding disks to try.



Huh, never saw the Meg`s 3K block before...they didn`t have them at meguiar`s the last time I ordered. Might oughta pick one up some time.



I like having different grits on hand. No question you should be OK with 3K, if you level better with a coarser grit (as my painter predicts) you can follow up with the 3K.



I too am toying with trying out the FK2180, but only on some areas that I`m not too worried about ;) Wonder if we`d really *notice* if the paint didn`t get quite as hard as it could....but I`d rather keep erring on the side of caution even if I`m making a mountain out of a molehill. Not like I`m gonna try it on anything I really care about, and I bet you care plenty about your car ;)

[velobard]

It`s not like he doesn`t like fine grit sanding media; he gave me some 4K sanding disks to try.



4K? Wow, that`s fine. You oughta be able to hone things down pretty smooth with that, huh?




I like having different grits on hand. No question you should be OK with 3K, if you level better with a coarser grit (as my painter predicts) you can follow up with the 3K.

Maybe I should pick up both 1500 and 3000, then.




I too am toying with trying out the FK2180, but only on some areas that I`m not too worried about ;) Wonder if we`d really *notice* if the paint didn`t get quite as hard as it could....but I`d rather keep erring on the side of caution even if I`m making a mountain out of a molehill. Not like I`m gonna try it on anything I really care about, and I bet you care plenty about your car ;)



Gee, are you trying to give me a hint? LOL I must admit, I didn`t expect to here you were considering 2180. What would you try it on? Are you thinking about Zaino, too? I`d also like to give RMG a shot, it`s a little easier to feel safer with that. ;)

[Accumulator]

Velobard- Yeah, the 4K oughta finish out nice and fine, but I wonder if there`ll be any real advantage over the 3K unigrit.



The 1500-3000 progression is what the painter thinks I oughta try but I really don`t feel like ordering up some 1500 or borrowing some off him. Chips don`t bother me enough for me to *really* pursue the ultimate approach (just one of my foibles, scratches drive me nuts but chips don`t phase me at all).



I might try the FK2180 on one of the beaters; if the paint ends up a little soft it wouldn`t be the end of the world (at least not if it`s in a spot that doesn`t really show). Some areas like the bottom of rocker panels really oughta have more protection than a glaze would provide if I`m gonna drive with fresh paintwork during the winter.



Nah, Zaino just isn`t by bag (though I do like it on some vehicles in some colors). I use UPP on the S8 and KSG on the minivan, but other than those two I`m a carnauba guy. I have enough LSPs to last forever and a day as it is anyhow.

[velobard]

I absolutely do not believe this. We had a thunderstorm last night and apparently sometime after I finally fell asleep we must have gotten some hail. This morning I went out to give my car its first real wash since it was painted and found 4 small dents in the roof. I don`t know if this is because the paint was so fresh or what, but the worst of them, while still small, has a visible color difference in the middle of the dent so PDR won`t be good enough to fix it. Yes, I`m positive they weren`t there before.



This is the worst one toward the back center part of the roof.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/velobard/IMG_1241.jpg



http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/velobard/IMG_1242.jpg



Arrghhhh!!!! :grrr

[Pittssteelers]

Seems like there`s always *some* kind of disappointment when a car gets paintwork :(



I agree that you oughta just polish it yourself (I always assume I`ll have to when I get paintwork done).



Fisheyes/etc. aren`t that uncommon...I finally decided to live with a number of such defects on the S8 (though it sure bugs me).



That door is *really* awful though...that`d worry me. Besides needing fixed, it`s an unfortunate clue into the kind of work that shop does. Hope there are no more surprises...

I have to speak up here. You should never be disappointed with a repair. I know it is impossible to get anything 100% but man! I know that most major insurance compainies will check to see if you are satisfied. Don`t be afraid to speak up and say NO! And fish eyes are from improper prep. NEVER settle for that. If they cant prep a car right...well...I would never trust the finish to last.



Your last point I agree with totally. That door will peel or crack within a year.