Question About Repair & Clear Coat

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DownFlyer

New member
Scenario:



About 5-6 months ago my car got scraped due to me being stupid, so I got a section repainted and some small dings / dents removed.



Today I noticed some clear coat flaking off that is "kind of" near the area where they repainted, so it may be overspray from a blend job. Might also be original clear coat, I'm not sure, I don't recall seeing this area flaking off before.



Would the area where the clear coat is flaking be subject to blend / re-spray for this kind of repair? Is it overspray or original clear coat that's flaking?



Photo:

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Your description isn't the best. They either painted the panel or didn't. If they painted it and it's now flaking, take it back to the body shop and address the problem. Overspray doesn't flake, so it's more or less improper prep and/or refinishing on the shop's part.
 
Well technically it is all one panel, all the way down to the front fender... So if they did not want to blend they would have masked everything else off, then repainted that entire section..



Definitely inquire at the body shop!
 
I noticed you added a picture, which makes alot more sense. If the clear is flaking above (on the upper, outer surround) that means they "burned" the clear and didn't refinish the entire panel all the way up to the bottom of the windshield. Typical hack operation that crappy body shops pull all the time. Take it back and raise hell. Kinda also looks like they did a crappy job of blending paint within the front door too. Looks almost 2-tone (lighter in front and then darker 1/2 way back).
 
David Fermani said:
I noticed you added a picture, which makes alot more sense. If the clear is flaking above (on the upper, outer surround) that means they "burned" the clear and didn't refinish the entire panel all the way up to the bottom of the windshield. Typical hack operation that crappy body shops pull all the time. Take it back and raise hell.
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Thanks, the picture was there all along, but the image host may be flaky.



So you're saying they were polishing it after the blend job, and then they messed up and burned the paint during that process?



When I initially took the car in, I asked if they would be refinishing up that whole panel all the way up to the top of the windshield, and they said no, it would be a blend job, and I did not know that would be a problem. I am surprised, I went to what is reputedly one of the best shops in the area and I have my paperwork for the lifetime warranty. (They actually were very clear in telling me to come back if any problem develops because they want to protect their reputation.)



David Fermani said:
Kinda also looks like they did a crappy job of blending paint within the front door too. Looks almost 2-tone (lighter in front and then darker 1/2 way back).
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OK I think that is just due to dust. I park in a dusty garage and I think some of the dust rubbed off on my clothes, some did not, so it looks like that.
 
Nope, not from buffing. "Burning" is a term used in the body shop industry to melt the clearcoat inside/within of a body panel instead of carrying it all the way to each edge. What happens over time is this burned in joint fails and ends lifting/peeling/cracking.



Was this an insurance repair? If so, both the body shop and the insurance company owes you a proper repair. If you were paying out of pocket, you received what you paid for. No good shop will paint cars this way.
 
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ok here is whats going on here. i seen this alot! ok at the top is a bad clearcoat blend! what happened here is the paint is flaking because of a bad blend! this can be usally sanded down and buffed out. i have done it so many time. now the problem is it will come back. why they do this is simple it keeps them from spraying all the way down to where it meets the front fender. less clear ='s less money. timesaved money saved. now as david mentioned the color looks off a little and it is. this is because most likly they only sprayed color around the repaired area and not the panel.they do this to keep the color matching and again less paint. its more noticable here because of the metalllics! at this point they sanded down the area threw down some clear and lost it with a blend on your post above the b pillar! b pillar is the post between your window. now if you look at the bottom arrow most likely there is a tape line where the yellow line is at the arrow! . this is what you call a hack job my friend and you were the victom! take it back now. but most likely this job was painted a while ago. am i right? when you go back tell them you do NOT want any blends. as they always reappear!
 
Thanks guys, I paid out of pocket but I have a written warranty so I will have to take it back.



The work was done about 5 months ago and I did not notice it until recently.
 
David Fermani said:
If it's showing up after 5 months, I can only imgine what went on in the paint prep dept.
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What is that a lot of time or a short time?



Also, is there any situation in proper body shop painting work where something less than a whole panel is painted?
 
DownFlyer said:
What is that a lot of time or a short time?



Also, is there any situation in proper body shop painting work where something less than a whole panel is painted?
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Down here, I'd have to say it last a couple years. So it failing after 5 months and you being in a normal climate screams poor prep coupled with low end materials.



On exterior panels, NO. On inner panels like jambs and structure, it's acceptable on most vehicles. Paint manufacturers will not warranty their paint unless it's cut off at an approved break line. The middle of a panel isn't approved in any way.
 
Wow, the warranty paperwork claims "We guarantee that the repairs to the described vehicle in connection with your claim meet the highest professional standards of the auto repair industry. If for any reason you are not fully satisfied with the workmanship, we will assure that the repair is corrected. This guarantee is in effect for as long as you own this vehicle."



They advertise sikkens paints.



I will have to challenge them on that. I believe they were very busy the week my car was repaired so they may have cut corners.
 
it's normal to blend the PAINT and acceptable as long as the painter has a really good eye and has the techique,but blending the clear? you don't want that on your car,that's your paint protection and you don't want any weak spot(blend/burn lines) on your car.I work at a bodyshop and the painters like to blend the clear around the doorjambs/pillars and it's so noticeable i don't know how they get away with it they're such hacks
 
Migue said:
it's normal to blend the PAINT and acceptable as long as the painter has a really good eye and has the techique,but blending the clear? you don't want that on your car,that's your paint protection and you don't want any weak spot(blend/burn lines) on your car.I work at a bodyshop and the painters like to blend the clear around the doorjambs/pillars and it's so noticeable i don't know how they get away with it they're such hacks
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So what normally happens? They blend paint on a portion of the panel, and then do clear over the top of the whole thing (including the new paint and old untouched clear)?
 
Yes,they sand and work on the scratch/hit/area to be repaired and then when the painters get it,they prep for example the whole 1/4 panel by using a scuff pad all over the old clear and making it dull ( one rule on paintwork is: "if it shines,it won't stick" ) so now what they do is they blend the area that's been repaired with the old paint and then cover the WHOLE par/panel with new clear and that's how a proper blend should be done,if the 1/4 panel runs all the way to the windshield,so be it,they need to de-trim everything around it and prep the entire thing even if the repair is small,but,like somebody here said already,most shops want fast production specially the technicians because the sooner they paint that car wether its right or not,they're still getting paid,even tho' they know is wrong they'll say "screw it let's try and sell this to the customer,if they don't notice it then thats better for us"
 
Migue said:
Yes,they sand and work on the scratch/hit/area to be repaired and then when the painters get it,they prep for example the whole 1/4 panel by using a scuff pad all over the old clear and making it dull ( one rule on paintwork is: "if it shines,it won't stick" ) so now what they do is they blend the area that's been repaired with the old paint and then cover the WHOLE par/panel with new clear and that's how a proper blend should be done,if the 1/4 panel runs all the way to the windshield,so be it,they need to de-trim everything around it and prep the entire thing even if the repair is small,but,like somebody here said already,most shops want fast production specially the technicians because the sooner they paint that car wether its right or not,they're still getting paid,even tho' they know is wrong they'll say "screw it let's try and sell this to the customer,if they don't notice it then thats better for us"
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So given what you've said, does that mean they should also have done clear coat on the horizontal section below the doors?



And also, doesn't this mean that the flaking section is just revealing more clear coat?
 
DownFlyer said:
So given what you've said, does that mean they should also have done clear coat on the horizontal section below the doors?



And also, doesn't this mean that the flaking section is just revealing more clear coat?
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There should be a Division line where the 1/4 panel actually ends at the bottom,because that horizontal panel you're talking about is called the "rocker panel" and it's a completely separate part of the car that as far as i know,most cars have a end/division line where the 1/4 panel ends right before the rocker panel starts,and if the whole panel is actually a single unit that goes all the way to the front then most likely the Manufacturer of the car probably recommends "burning" the clear when blending wich i know wont make much sense for you but from what i know,it's a procedure i wouldn't want on my car unless i can get some guarantee that it will last and won't flake off,but i still don't trust it.





Not really,when they "burn" the clear on that one line,they use some sort of chemical that actually melts the new clear and "fuses" it with the old one at that small section/line,so if you think about it,if that small line starts flaking off,that chemical is already embeded all the way including the old clear,so it's gonna flake all the way down,and that is just going to get bigger and bigger leaving little protection and eventually failing. It's obviously not gonna happen within months probably until you start noticing it getting slightly bigger and then it's going to continue...



Hopefully what i said makes sense and helps you understand better how that works,but in conclussion,there shouldn't be a "break" on the clear because that is the point where it's going to start failing eventually.
 
Migue said:
There should be a Division line where the 1/4 panel actually ends at the bottom,because that horizontal panel you're talking about is called the "rocker panel" and it's a completely separate part of the car that as far as i know,most cars have a end/division line where the 1/4 panel ends right before the rocker panel starts,and if the whole panel is actually a single unit that goes all the way to the front then most likely the Manufacturer of the car probably recommends "burning" the clear when blending wich i know wont make much sense for you but from what i know,it's a procedure i wouldn't want on my car unless i can get some guarantee that it will last and won't flake off,but i still don't trust it.
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His rocker is part of the 1/4 and from the picture, it doesn't have a break line so when you refinish the 1/4, clear needs to be sprayed down the rocker too. There's not a vehicle or paint manufacturer that allows/recommends burning clear on ANY exterior panel that doesn't have a "hard line" cut off. Thank God that the days of clear wrapping 1/4's & roofs have been phased out with new sheetmetal designs.
 
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