Clear coat peeling?

[ibewill]

Hi, I`m planning on going to look at a car at a dealership a couple of hours away tomorrow and while looking at the photos on the website it appears as if the clear coat may be peeling on the pillars, or the car was washed poorly.



http://i.imgur.com/BrJ3g.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7elNF.jpg



Also, if it is the clearcoat, is it usually cheap/easy to fix, or should I probably just avoid the car and look for something else?



Thanks.

[Ron Ketcham]

If you mean on the "B" pillars, that is an easy and in-expensive fix.

The parts are not painted with the vehicle, but come from a vendor, painted or coated, ready to be stuck on the pillars.

If you see the same on the "body" of the vehicle, that is when it gets expensive.

I see that you are referring to the "C" pillar or "sail panel", and that is usually an indicator of a collision repair.

Refinishing that is expensive.

Grumpy

[David Fermani]

Yup, looks like they "burned" the clear. Typical. I`d be willing to bet that if both quarters were refinished that this car received a pretty hard hit to the rear. STAY CLEAR OF IT!! Before going to see this car have them forward you a Car-Fax report to see if anything got reported. And if anything is on it STAY CLEAR OF IT!!





To do things properly, the entire panel needs to be stripped and completed refinished. That also means removal of the rear bumper, both tail lights, roof drip moldings and both rocker moldings. Probably cost you around $1000.

[David Fermani]

BTW - Welcome to Autopia ibewill!

[ibewill]

The carfax is clear, but I think I`ll just save myself any future headaches and avoid it.

Thanks.

[Dan]

And now you see why you can`t trust a clean carfax! Bonus points for it being so bad you can see it in pics!