GMC Paint Issue

[Oldfordisbetter]

Hi everyone, working on this 2001 GMC. Just wondering if anyone know what the deal is with this paint. The pictures show the hood. Roof is same thing. Its polishing up real nice, as you can see. Anyone ever see this issue? Thanks

[Ronkh]

Looks like oxidation/water spot residue.

If it didn`t polis up, I would have guessed cc failure

[Paul@Autopia]

Looks like oxidation/water spot residue.

If it didn`t polis up, I would have guessed cc failure

I`d have to agree, looks like oxidation or 14 years worth of built-up waterspots.

[Stokdgs]

Beautiful job you are doing there !!! Wow !!!

If this vehicle was NEVER detailed or cleaned other than a car wash, it has to be - as everyone else has said - an accumulation of gunk over years of doing nothing to it..
I have seen some vehicles that frequent the local Swirl-O-Matic car wash and hit all the Spray Wax Options, get a similar layer of gunk built up on there after awhile..

Glad you have rescued this vehicle so perfectly !!!
Thanks for the post and pics -
Dan F

[Oldfordisbetter]

Thanks for the replies guys. Thats what I thought, just wasnt sure. I thought hard water might have been the culprit, and just overall dirt and junk. I thought for sure the clear was toast on the hood till I started working on it.

[trashmanssd]

I have seen similar from trucks washed with a soap meant for being used on class 8 trucks buy fleet washing services. Usually a high acid concentrate that`s supposed be run through a power washer and be highly diluted. How I know we have a 30 gallon drum of it we use to wash the rubbish truck bodies only (high concentrate in areas covered in thick trash juice). This stuff can destroy a paint or clear coat very fast one wash will strip every once wax ever put on a car and can even cause streaking if left to dwell at all. I only use it on the really slimy dirty parts of the truck or as an engine degreaser, but I did make the mistake of using it on my rims a few times one winter trying to remove rust stains (now I know about Iron removers), few months later clear coat failure all over my rims. Could be straight oxidization but I have seen that on some the hoods on our trucks that I know some the idiots working here must used the wrong soap on. Got trucks from same year same manufacturer nearly twins one still looks ok light oxidation other looks like its 10 years older heavy white chalky oxidation.

[Jsmooth]

Looks like Soap residue and oxidation.

[Oldfordisbetter]

I have seen similar from trucks washed with a soap meant for being used on class 8 trucks buy fleet washing services. Usually a high acid concentrate that`s supposed be run through a power washer and be highly diluted. How I know we have a 30 gallon drum of it we use to wash the rubbish truck bodies only (high concentrate in areas covered in thick trash juice). This stuff can destroy a paint or clear coat very fast one wash will strip every once wax ever put on a car and can even cause streaking if left to dwell at all. I only use it on the really slimy dirty parts of the truck or as an engine degreaser, but I did make the mistake of using it on my rims a few times one winter trying to remove rust stains (now I know about Iron removers), few months later clear coat failure all over my rims. Could be straight oxidization but I have seen that on some the hoods on our trucks that I know some the idiots working here must used the wrong soap on. Got trucks from same year same manufacturer nearly twins one still looks ok light oxidation other looks like its 10 years older heavy white chalky oxidation.

You may be on to something, there was like was wash pad marks on the hood from washing.

[Lonnie]

What machine and compounds/polishes are you using to get the results on this neglected and damaged paint??

Seems to me, GM went though a time when their clear-coats were water-based to avoid the VOC compliance issues imposed on the auto industry by the EPA. Whatever manufacturer they used at the time had "issues" with the clear-coats peeling in about 4-5 years down the road. Someone attributed this to car owners who used touchless car washes on a weekly (or more) basis, as the highly alkaline soaps "ate" the water-based clear coats, causing them to peel. Not sure if this is true, but I do see a lot of "older" GM vehicles with this peeling here in the Upper Midwest, where automated touchless car washes are used for about 6-7 months during the cold season (late fall, winter, and early spring) to keep one`s vehicle clean during that time.

[RaysWay]

Any updates on this paint or after pics? It looks like it was going great. I bet your pads took a beating after this job.

[Accumulator]

I missed this first time around...that looks a lot like how my `00 Tahoe was when I got it.

[Oldfordisbetter]

Lonnie, I used my Boss 21 with either Tufbuf black wool pad or Polish Angel wool pad(cant remember which, may have used both) i was using that with Sonax Cutmax compound.

Vega, it turned out great, tried to get some after pics but couldnt get any I like so you have to take my word on it

Accumulator, what do you think causes this problem?

I think it was washed with something to strong but not sure. It smelled awful like vomit when i was polishing.

[Lonnie]

Thank you for the feedback. I just gotta ask, though: How do you like the Boss 21 and what did you have before this machine, and how does it compare to what you had?
Seems like the black wool and Sonax Cutmax are "extreme" measures to tackle the problem paint, but the pictured results and your skills speak (show?) for themselves.

[Ronkh]

Now it looks a little like the GP Ray just did at dealership

[Oldfordisbetter]

Had a Rupes 21 before I got the Boss. The reason I got the boss is to have one machine with a 5" backing plate and one with a 6" backing plate. If I were to recommend just one I would go with Rupes.