Factory paint vs. aftermarket

[RAG]

I'm not sure how many others have noticed, but aftermarket is so much nicer to "correct" than factory paint. I tend to notice it mostly on black cars, but I'll often notice that a pannel or two buffed out more easily without buffer swirls/halograms, and then by using my ETG I can usually confirm that these are repainted pannel. I guess the problem is...when developing factory paint, the last thing manufactures consider is how easy the clear corrects/buffs. On the other hand, I think when the paint companies design paint for the aftermarket world, I think the correctability of the paint is of primary importance, as they know most paint and body shops are going to have to sand and buff after they spray.



Some of these factory blacks are a real pain to get swirl free.

 

[BigJimZ28]

it is easier to fix because it is softer and therefore more prone to swirls!

so I don't see this as a good thing

 

[imported_GregCavi]

My repainted panels are butter soft. It is VERY frustrating.



Greg

 

[RAG]

I mention this because I did an overspray removal job yesterday on a brand new 4-runner (black cc/bc paint) that wasn't very cooperative. Though experimenting I learned that if I polished (using rotary, green PII pad, and Blackfire SRC polish) using approximately the weight of the buffer, it would finish swirl/halogram free (though of course it wouldn't remove deeper scratches). However, if I used an added 5-7lbs of pressure, it would leave pretty nasty buffer swirls; to remove these, I actually had to polish TWICE afterward using minimal pressure...usually I'd only have to follow once. If I did a light compounding with a polishing pad, I had polish at least three times afterward.



Paint like this would be impossible to maintain. I liked Toyota/Lexus' recent single stage black (tinted clear) much better.

 

[RAG]

it is easier to fix because it is softer and therefore more prone to swirls!

so I don't see this as a good thing

Yeah, good point... I think some are softer than others. But logically thinking, softer paint is more difficult to polish and not get buffer swirls, whereas super hard paint (like the new ceramics) are easier to polish and not get rotary swirls. Also, some factory paints (like most Lexus' and Fords) are easy to buff than others.

 

[Accumulator]

Sometimes the aftermarket paint can be *harder* than the factory stuff. I had a few areas on the MPV reshot with S-H and that stuff is harder than the factory Mazda paint (which is OK with me).

 

[BobD]

I've ran into harder aftermarket paints and softer facotory paints.

 

[MichaelM]

But logically thinking, softer paint is more difficult to polish and not get buffer swirls

Using a DA style buffer would save you time and frustration. I don't mean a PC either but rather a dual mode Makita or similar.

 

[blucpe]

i recently detailed my buddys lemans blu 04 vet. there's more orange peel in the paint than an orange. gm better get there act together. my other freind just bought an 07 vet same color and had to have it wet sanded to get it right. spend 52,000 and still had to spend another 500 to correct the paint. does'nt make sense.:think:

 

[itb76]

Sometimes the aftermarket paint can be *harder* than the factory stuff. I had a few areas on the MPV reshot with S-H and that stuff is harder than the factory Mazda paint (which is OK with me).

Accumulator, do you think it's more chip resistant as a result of being harder?

 

[slippy]

I have also found some repaints to be exceptionaly hard.

 

[imported_95legend]

I liked Toyota/Lexus' recent single stage black (tinted clear) much better.

I love detailing my Lexus' black paint. I love it even more that it looks wetter and deeper than the lexus black with conventional clear coat. Great paint, but I tend to ge swirls easily

 

[David Fermani]

I prefer working with fatory applied paint which is mostly water based. Because it's baked under super high heat, it's more durable too. I think factory paint is also more predictable in respect to the limits you can correct. You never know what you're dealing wth on a repaint unless you see it or do it yourself. If I was, I'd apply as much clear as possible and I wouldn't wet sand of buff it for atleast 60 days.

 

[Accumulator]

Accumulator, do you think it's more chip resistant as a result of being harder?

Not necessarily. Some hard paint seems to chip *easier*. I don't see a real correlation between hardness and chip-resistance. And it seems like most repaints chip easier than most factory paints.

 

[Prometheus]

Not necessarily. Some hard paint seems to chip *easier*. I don't see a real correlation between hardness and chip-resistance. And it seems like most repaints chip easier than most factory paints.

I'll definitely agree with that the woman who owned my car before me smashed a deer with it so the hood and at least one (can't tell on the other) fender is a repaint. It most definitely seems to chip easier (but it is very hard too). Other thing I noticed, at least on my car, when I am searching for swirls/scratches with the halogen, the black paint has more of a brown tint to it on the repainted areas, but it's probably just the result of someone doing poor paint color matching or using a different brand of paint.