Can This Bad Paint Job Be Corrected? Pics Inside...

[P Rock]

<span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:18px;">EDIT: Paint was corrected. Scroll down to post #18 for the results and how I corrected this.`


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This is my daily driver I bought over the winter - It`s a 2011 Audi S4 finished in "meteor gray pearl effect". The previous owner got into a minor accident (I saw pictures of it before it was repaired). All cosmetic damage that was repaired through the insurance company. But whoever did the repair did a REALLY bad job with the paintwork. Although the color seems to match correctly, there`s no gloss whatsoever.


Before I even consider a repaint, I`m researching other options to give it the same gloss as the rest of the car. Pictures are below and you can see how bad it is...it`s borderline matte finish!


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Fender is original paint, hood is clearly not (click thumbnail for hi-res pic).


http://s7.postimg.org/9x6l2boev/Paint_1.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/9x6l2boev/)


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Passenger fender:


http://s29.postimg.org/pxgp94q2b/Paint_2.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/pxgp94q2b/)


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http://s27.postimg.org/rsydzkbhb/Paint_3.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/rsydzkbhb/)


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http://s15.postimg.org/j0nrq1o6f/Paint_4.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/j0nrq1o6f/)


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Thanks in advance for any input, it`s very much appreciated.

[Jesstzn]

If your concidering a repaint anyway , and if you have the tools... Wet sand it.

[P Rock]

If your concidering a repaint anyway , and if you have the tools... Wet sand it.



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I`m not experienced enough to wetsand but if that`s a less expensive alternative to a repaint, then I`m willing to pay to have it done.

[brownbob06]

He`s saying give it a try. If you`re going to repaint it anyway it`s worth a shot. Worse you`ll do is mess it up to the point it needs a repaint...


I clicked on the pic but got no high res pics. Since I`m on my phone I can`t really see a huge difference.

[Guru17]

That is a very bad orange peel. It "can" be corrected by wetsanding "if" the clearcoat is sufficiently thick.


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In case you`re not confident of doing a proper wetsanding job, then you can take it to some pro detailer near you who can.

[brownbob06]

Or try the denim pads. Ive read good things about them on here. But have no experience with them myself.

[Envious Eric]

denim pad wont fix that.


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wetsand with 2000, 2500, 3000 to get desired look (start with 3000)


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Then compound away the sanding scratches, then polish to remove the compound haze, then final polish to restore the gloss.

[P Rock]

denim pad wont fix that.


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wetsand with 2000, 2500, 3000 to get desired look (start with 3000)


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Then compound away the sanding scratches, then polish to remove the compound haze, then final polish to restore the gloss.



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This seems to be the route.... I`ve searched and searched and found a couple other similar situations on repaints. I just learned "shrinking" is the term for this issue and it`s due to poor preparation. `


I have a Griot`s Garage DA and I`m planning to tackle the wetsand myself....but not right away. Once I have more knowledge from scouring the net. I`ve successfully compounded a car before so I`m up for the challenge of wetsanding but I need to do a lot more research first.


So I start with 3000 then go straight into 2500 then straight into 2000? What kind of pads? What kind of chemicals for the "wet" part of wetsanding?


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Thanks

[pwaug]

Why not give the Denim and Velvet Orange Peel removal pad from CarPro a shot.` You never know they may give you results that are acceptable to you and save yourself the cost of a repaint.`` Corey is very helpful so drop him a note or give him a call with any questions.`` http://www.carpro-us.com/5-1-4-denim-orange-peel-removal-pad/ (`http://www.carpro-us.com/5-1-4-denim-orange-peel-removal-pad/`)

[Lonnie]

P Rock:


I think Envious Eric advice is start with 3000 grit as the least-aggressive grit to see it removes the imperfections FIRST. If it does not, you may need to move to a more aggressive grit, like 2500. Most of the time car` painters start with 2000, then 2500, then 3000 (course to finer grits in progression) to remove any imperfections and orange peel ,then progress to compounding and polishing. Yes, it`s a very time-consuming, labor-intensive process, which is why great paint jobs, properly done, `cost a lot. There are resident Autopian professional detailers who have made a name (and living) for themselves doing this to "correct" bad paint jobs; Barry Theile comes to mind. Make no mistake: wet sanding is an art-form that requires talent/skill, knowledge, and experience.


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``If you`ve never done wet-sanding before, it`s best to practice on something first before trying it on your pride-and joy car. The refrigerator in the basement or garage are good candidates. If you can remove the orange peel from appliance paint satisfactorily, then you can progress to your car.


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Paint thickness is another issue. Without the use of a Paint Thickness Gauge tool (expensive to own for the occasional detailing do-it-yourselfer), you are blind and guessing how much paint is there to remove, or how much you`ve removed in the process of wet-sanding. Sanding through the garage refrigerator is no big deal compared sanding through the edge of a fender or bend in side quarter`panel or hood, typically having thinner paint points than flatter areas.


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Not saying it cannot be done: just caveats to watch out for.

[RaskyR1]

You should be able to get that looking like the OEM paint fairly easily IMO.


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I`d probably do 1500/3000 grit as it will be more effective, but paint hardness can be a factor too. Starting with 3000 would take much longer and not level as well if you`re using finishing discs. Contact Kevin Brown at Buffdaddy.com and he`ll get you set up with everything you need.


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Here is another one I just finished up and I really didn`t sand the paint all that much to get these results.


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http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/133324-e30-m3-multi-step-correction-and-partial-wet-sanding/ (`http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/133324-e30-m3-multi-step-correction-and-partial-wet-sanding/`)

[P Rock]

P Rock:


I think Envious Eric advice is start with 3000 grit as the least-aggressive grit to see it removes the imperfections FIRST. If it does not, you may need to move to a more aggressive grit, like 2500. Most of the time car` painters start with 2000, then 2500, then 3000 (course to finer grits in progression) to remove any imperfections and orange peel ,then progress to compounding and polishing. Yes, it`s a very time-consuming, labor-intensive process, which is why great paint jobs, properly done, `cost a lot. There are resident Autopian professional detailers who have made a name (and living) for themselves doing this to "correct" bad paint jobs; Barry Theile comes to mind. Make no mistake: wet sanding is an art-form that requires talent/skill, knowledge, and experience.


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``If you`ve never done wet-sanding before, it`s best to practice on something first before trying it on your pride-and joy car. The refrigerator in the basement or garage are good candidates. If you can remove the orange peel from appliance paint satisfactorily, then you can progress to your car.


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Paint thickness is another issue. Without the use of a Paint Thickness Gauge tool (expensive to own for the occasional detailing do-it-yourselfer), you are blind and guessing how much paint is there to remove, or how much you`ve removed in the process of wet-sanding. Sanding through the garage refrigerator is no big deal compared sanding through the edge of a fender or bend in side quarter`panel or hood, typically having thinner paint points than flatter areas.


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Not saying it cannot be done: just caveats to watch out for.



Lonnie, That was extremely helpful and I appreciate that. As you can see, I have a lot to learn before I take the plunge but I`m doing my due diligence. I remember before I started compounding, I was also scared but once I started, I picked it up very quickly and restored a car with 10 year old paint. So another noob question is, besides the proper sanding pads and a quality DA, what chemicals are needed? What`s the "wet" in wetsanding? `


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You should be able to get that looking like the OEM paint fairly easily IMO.


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I`d probably do 1500/3000 grit as it will be more effective, but paint hardness can be a factor too. Starting with 3000 would take much longer and not level as well if you`re using finishing discs. Contact Kevin Brown at Buffdaddy.com and he`ll get you set up with everything you need.


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Here is another one I just finished up and I really didn`t sand the paint all that much to get these results.


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http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/133324-e30-m3-multi-step-correction-and-partial-wet-sanding/ (`http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/133324-e30-m3-multi-step-correction-and-partial-wet-sanding/`)



RaskyR1, it was this thread you linked that showed me what the issue is with my paint....Although mine isn`t as bad as the paint on that BMW M3. What denotes a "partial" wetsanding? How long are you staying on a section or how many times do you go over a section to ensure I don`t take too much paint off? ``


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Also.....how many sanding pads should I buy for both fenders and the hood. How much area will each sanding disk cover? I`m looking at Meguiar`s Unigrit 6" foam finishing disks. Just don`t know how many to get for this project.`

[Scottwax]

Odds are a crappy paint job has minimal clear coat thickness so don`t be surprised if you either go through it wetsanding, or can`t get as much improvement as you want.`

[RaskyR1]

Lonnie, That was extremely helpful and I appreciate that. As you can see, I have a lot to learn before I take the plunge but I`m doing my due diligence. I remember before I started compounding, I was also scared but once I started, I picked it up very quickly and restored a car with 10 year old paint. So another noob question is, besides the proper sanding pads and a quality DA, what chemicals are needed? What`s the "wet" in wetsanding? `


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RaskyR1, it was this thread you linked that showed me what the issue is with my paint....Although mine isn`t as bad as the paint on that BMW M3. What denotes a "partial" wetsanding? How long are you staying on a section or how many times do you go over a section to ensure I don`t take too much paint off? ``


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Also.....how many sanding pads should I buy for both fenders and the hood. How much area will each sanding disk cover? I`m looking at Meguiar`s Unigrit 6" foam finishing disks. Just don`t know how many to get for this project.`



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I said "partial wet sanding" because I only sanded part of the car. ;)


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There are far to many variables involved to get caught up in how long I stayed in an area or how many times I went over it. Your goal is to simply knock down most of the peaks in the paint and you should let the paint tell you when you`ve sanded enough. Keep in mind you`re not going after a show car finish here and you don`t need to sand to totally flat surface. I don`t really have any good pics that show partially sanded/leveled paint, but hopefully these will help you understand. In these pics I was going for a flatter finish then you`ll need to do.


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Part before sanding


http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i288/Raskyr1/Martys%201968%20Firebird/IMG_3402.jpg (http://s75.photobucket.com/user/Raskyr1/media/Martys%201968%20Firebird/IMG_3402.jpg.html)


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This is after sanding lightly by hand. I stopped, wiped the part off with a towel and let it dry so that I could see where it still needed more sanding. The dull spots are where the high points have been sanded down too and the glossy spots are the low points in the paint. I would suggest you perform a test spot first by lightly sand the paint with 1500 to the point where you can still see some low points and then switch over to 3000 grit to refine the paint more and to remove the 1500 sanding marks.


http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i288/Raskyr1/Martys%201968%20Firebird/IMG_3406.jpg (http://s75.photobucket.com/user/Raskyr1/media/Martys%201968%20Firebird/IMG_3406.jpg.html)


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This is how it would look when it`s fully leveled (sorry for the out of focus pic), though you don`t need to sand this far as you simply want it to match the factory paint texture.


http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i288/Raskyr1/Martys%201968%20Firebird/IMG_3407.jpg (http://s75.photobucket.com/user/Raskyr1/media/Martys%201968%20Firebird/IMG_3407.jpg.html)


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All polished out


http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i288/Raskyr1/Martys%201968%20Firebird/IMG_3408.jpg (http://s75.photobucket.com/user/Raskyr1/media/Martys%201968%20Firebird/IMG_3408.jpg.html)


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I would highly suggest calling Kevin Brown at buffdaddy.com and leaving him a voice mail telling him what you`re looking to do. He will set you up with everything you need and give you additional guidance. I would strongly suggest practicing on a scrap panel first to get a feel for it.


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Kevin Brown


805-478-1658

[RaskyR1]

Here is a perfect example of what your goal should be taken from a user over on Autogeek. Your paint should be sanded with 1500 grit sanding discs or paper on a hard block to look similar (probably a tad more) to the left side of the panel, then refine with 3000 finishing disks or paper with a softer block by hand.


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Thread


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/27450-difference-between-wet-sand-heavy-compound.html (`http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/27450-difference-between-wet-sand-heavy-compound.html`)


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http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii437/dave22234/BMW/Pneumatic%20Damp%20sanding/Pneu_DA2.jpg


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