Ok, I'm starting a new thread because I don't want to detract from the current issues we are hearing about with regard to the paint. Those are positive threads, this can be the negative one.

I and several others in the forum have had our cars for over a year (or close to it). All those late spring, all summer, and early fall months, it was rare to hear or read anything about a crappy paint job. Why is that? My paint job is fine.....

Could it be that the car is starting to wear and a bad paint job is starting to become evident?

Maybe our early cars had a better paint job indeed and they changed paint vendors midway in the process. Who knows?

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* 2001 Acura CL Type S * Blk/Blk * Navigator * Spoiler * Moonroof Visor * V1 *
* Since 3/31/2000 *
* Road Warrior *

 

I agree...this may be the case. I picked up my car on April 5/2000. Other than occational stonechips, I haven't had anything MAJOR that couldn't happen to $120,000 benz...




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RUVZ
01' 3.2CL Type S - Satin Silver - Polarg M6 roadlamps

 

I bought my car last May and a few weeks later, i noticed paint chips. I think most of the people on here are commenting on the ease to which the paint chips and how easily it is to ding the door and scratch the paint. It just seems like you would get better quality paint with our cars but you dont. It's not like we tailgate truck drivers that kick up dirt and rocks. Normal wear and tear shouldn't leave all those chips in my paint *i wont even mention how big they are*. I've never seen paint come off so easily.

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White/Ebony CL Type S with Navi, 35% tint, Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

Ditto, but I bought last August. Paint chip and scratch galore over here.



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---------------------
'01 CLS Satin Silver w/Black, Navi-less, spoiler,
Tint 15%, Polarqs M6s, Desired Mods: 18" Wheels/tires, Springs/Sways, CAI, subwoofer.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...513&a=12224080
The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

 

If I'm not mistaken, Honda change late last summer from PPG to Dupont. This timeline would coincide with Ken's analogy.

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- As long as people will accept crap, it will be financially profitable to dispense it.

01 Type-S
Satin Silver/Ebony
Dunlop SP5000 215/50/17
Navigation-Spoiler-Muds-Wheel locks-35% Tint-PIAA wedges-V1 and remote

 

I've got the 187th car off the assembly line and my hood S U C K S ! However, that is my only complaint regarding the paint ! Simply chips on the hood !

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2001 CL Type S Black/Ebony w/NAVI, PIAA bulbs, Tinted windows, JL Sub-woofer/Fosgate 250 watt amp, otherwise pure stock
1998 Accord Coupe EX-V6
Black Currant Pearl, PIAA bulbs, tinted windows, Fosgate 500 watt amp, Eclipes 6X9's,JL Sub-woofer, otherwise PURE stock !

 

got mine in august, and has fooken so many rock chips, paint chips, and door dings.

Everyone get some factory touch up and some langka you all will need it. sooner or later.

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CL-S
White/Ebony/Navi/Spoiler/Visor/Full Bra/Mud Guards/Acura Car Cover/Tint 20%,35%,5% on Sun Roof, Rockford 250a2 Amp w/JL10w6 / K&N Drop in Filter.Polarg m-6.
Comptech Headers,Springs,Sways, Eurolite Xenon Crystal high beams.Polarg m6


gtech 0-60 6.03 w/ 438 pound load. preheader.

 

got mine in january. paint chips really stand out white on my black car.i have owned may cars, this seems to be the poorest quality. i just got rid of a 92 taurus with 75000 miles and not one chip on the car!!
we really need to make a stink with acura cust service

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01 BLK/BLK CL-S, FACTORY SPOILER, K/N DROP IN
98 INFINITI I30T
99 MAXIMA SE

 

It may just be the rake or angle of the front of the car. I had a 1989 CRX si that did the same thing - the situation got so bad, I put on one of those ugly nose masks. However, it did protect the paint.

Just for comparison purposes, I drive the interstate every day and often follow trucks without a problem with chips. I took delivery in October, and I applied a high quality wax early on. Good luck!

 

I think that Ken and Rockdog are onto something.

I purchased my Silver CL-S in March 2000 (Build Date=March 200) and have had no paint problems whatsoever. Finally, it seems that we may have gained something by being early adopters.

Why would Acura shift from a satisfactory paint to a poor one? any thoughts, anyone?

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Satin Silver CL-S,Spoiler,Navi.

 

Ok I'll be some data.
Purchased mine back in June 00. Build date is May 00.
Aside from two bumper chips since fixed with Langka I've had no problems with the paint. (Sheeet, now I've gone and jinxed myself).

Chips, door dings, scratches, are these really the fault of the paint process? Don't know.

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"01" CL Type-S
White\Black
Comptech Springs
Comptech Sways
Navigation System
Burlwood Shifter
Guards+Fenderwell Trim
PIAA16969
Smokers Package
My Car

 

Picked car up in August (Silver) with 6 miles. I've Zaino'd the car like crazy. Before every weekend "trip", I've put on one or two coats. When I return the Zaino looks like it has been through a war zone.

Once I remove all of the debris, bugs, tar, and gum, I have only found 2 tiny sand size pits. One of them in on the chrome grill (need to point it out for anyone to see it), the other is a small pin-head size mark on the bumper.

I saved the window -- I had so many coats on the front windscreen, that a bunch of flying sandstone that would have pitted the sh*t out of the it (and actually left streaks of Zaino from the impacts), just wiped away with one tiny 1 mm scratch.

So, the car doesn't have a lot of miles, but the miles have been on the freeway at pretty good speeds, and the paint has held up.

I will point out that the paint inside and towards the back of the door jams is ok. However, it looks like someone put putty on the metalwork under it. So, instead of seeing perfect and smooth sheet metal, it looks like some "goo" was spread around to cover up any imperfections. They would not of done this in Japan (in my opinion). So, its not like I stare at the back of my door jams, but this is a sign of sloppy workmanship.

So far my paint is great. But I am now a Zaino maniac.

The Zaino stuff is supposed to be a very strong cross-linked polymer that helps resist and spread impacts. (Sorry, won't take .44 rounds )

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Silver 2001 CL-S with NAVI

• Mud guards
• Wheel locks
• Toyo T1S 235/45ZR17-97W* Proxies on 17x8" SSR Competition wheels (48lbs less than stock)
• Kevlar/SS Brake lines w/Brembos?
• Comptech headers & sways
• Silver AEM CAI
• 9 coats of Zaino magic

 

It's funny that this topic came up because I was just commenting to someone via e-mail about how much better the paint seems on the CL as opposed to my previous 99 Chrysler 300M. The first week I had the 300M I had chips on the hood with white showing through! I don't follow trucks either. I stay far away. As someone said in an earlier post, I think it's the slope of the hood. The 300 had a sloping hood which lent itself to being hit by flying objects!

I'm not taking any chances with this car. Yesterday I ordered the bra and mudguards from A & H Motorsports. I'll use the bra for highway trips mainly. I've heard all the pros and cons of bras, but if I'm careful, it should be ok. I, too, have 6 coats of the Z2/Z5/Z6 on my car so far. Been using Zaino since the summer of 98 on my 300M and now on the CL. The shine is incredible. BTW, the San Marino Red is clearcoat right?



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fastdriver
2001 San Marino Red w/parchment interior.
[*]No nav.[*]No spoiler.[*]Lojack[*]Four coats of Zaino so far! That red is gleaming![*] Number 34331.[*]Built 3/01.[*]Bought 3/28/01
fastdriver's CL without Zaino!
fastdriver's CL with 3 coats of Zaino and the last two with 4 coats of Z-2/Z-6
Click here if Yahoo photos don't work.
fastdriver's previous cars. The 300M has Zaino.

Accept mediocrity and that's all you'll ever get!

 

That sums it up, its just easily chipped and scratched. I tapped the back bumper with the leafblower while drying it over the winter. First good wash of the spring showed a big scratch, was able to compound most of it out but you can still see it up close. Also have a few chips in the hood.

My 99% made in Japan integra withstood parking lot dings, shopping cart collisions, a slow speed rear bumping, and a 2 year old with a screwdriver helping daddy put in a cd-changer. Out of all this, only one bad door ding left a scratch which I was able to compound out completely.

My 2000 minivan, the vehicle that goes to store parkinglots regularly, about a dozen door dings already, not one mark in the paint. I dragged lumber/trees/stuff on the roofrack and roof, not one mark.

The CL just has very soft paint and not enough layers of color.


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2001 Satin Silver CL Type S.
No Navi, PIAA 19169, Comptech Sways, Century Childseat, Mudguards.

 

my build date was either feb. or march...couldn't be later 'cuz i got it the end of march (or was it april? i don't remember).

but i don't have a problem with the paitn either...the only problem i do have is like 1 or 2 chips on the bumper, but that's expected.

hell, i'm glad i didn't get that extra glow in the dark trunk release if it means a slightly better paint job.

 

it's not the paint....in actuality thin is better than thick....it's the primer. In the quest for corrosion protection, anti-chip primer technology has advanced much faster than paint technology. It used to be that primer was "etching" and wet paint adhered to the primer like glue. Now, the primer is so hard that the paint layers the primer. Toyota & Honda atempt to use electrostatic bonding (opposite charges for primer and paint) to create a tight bond.....but it doesn't work as well as it should for now.

So, the tradeoff is less resistance to chips....but those chips don't go down to the bare metal, do they?



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Ken
'01 Satin Silver CL-P
Performance: Headers, K&N Drop-In, Comptech Springs/Sways, 17" Borbet T's & Eagle RS-A's.
Other: Flaps, X-Pel Clear Bra, Cannon Mats, & Burlwood Shift Knob.

Worst Stock GTech: 7.15
Current G-Tech (2/11): 6.33

 

I've had my car for 10 months now and it has 10,380 miles on it. The hood and front bumper have several nicks and chips, and some of them are very deep. I can't recall any of my previous cars having this problem. Ture, all cars will have some type of imperfections in the front end after a while, but they shouldn't be this bad.

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2001 Acura 3.2CL Type-S
Satin Silver/Ebony
No Navi/No Spoiler
Competch springs
35% tint
PIAA 19169 bulbs
K&N 33-2178 air filter

The Aviation Zone

 

OK OK,

My turn on this issue someone hand me the soapbox and mic.....


I ZAINOED MY CAR 1 WEEK AFTER I OWNED IT. I WASHED IT DOWN WITH DAWN SOAP, CLAYBARRED IT FOR 4 HOURS, THEN ZAINOED' IT INTO THE FALLING SUN. NEXT WEEK I PUT ON SECOND COAT OF ZAINO, THIRD WEEK, THE THIRD. I DON'T HAVE THAT MANY SCRATCHES AND I BELIEVE 3 OR 4 PITS IN THE FRONT. I DRIVE MAJOR TRACTOR TRAILER RIDDEN ROADS EVERY DAY AND THAT'S WHAT MY CAR LOOKS LIKE 10 MONTHS LATER.

For all you scratch ridden people try zainoing 2-3 coats and see what happens!

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01' Acura CL Type-S
Piaa 19169 Bulbs
Valentine1 Pig Detector
CompTech Exhaust
Xephyr Cold Air Intake
Founding Member of the NO SCRATCHED RIMS CLUB

01'Acura Integra GSR

 

Sounds like a plan.... I know what I'm doing this weekend

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2001 Silver 3.2CLS
Muds, Spoiler, Hardwire 8500, Polarg M-6 lamps, K&N filter #33-2178,
Comptech Headers, Sways, mufflers
Planning: SSR 17X8 Competition Wheels, Brembo Brakes.

 

My conclusion is that three coats of wax will cut down on the chip problem. This has to be done to make up for the lack of paint applied by Acura to adequately protect the car. IMHO Guess what I'll be doing this weekend..

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Eat Safe, Use Condiments
Red CL-S, non-Nav, 35% tint, M6 driving lights, M4 map and door lights

 

I have an early car and think the paint has held up very well in the chip department. I was watching very closely to see when I got chips and they always came after a highway trip where I'd reached triple digit speeds for short periods of time. During normal speeds - I never found any chips. I dunno... but I don't think any car is gonna be able to withstand a rock at 100mph.

just my .02

 

So what is this Zaino?? Is it a wax or cleaner and where do I get it??

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Searoar

 

It's technically a polish. www.zainobros.com has all the info you need.

 

..............and if you click on my links below, you will see what a ZAINO shine looks like! Go to the 300M pics first and then the CL ones. The stuff is amazing. I can't believe there is actually someone who hasn't heard of Zaino.



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fastdriver
2001 San Marino Red w/parchment interior.
[*]No nav.[*]No spoiler.[*]Lojack[*]Four coats of Zaino so far! That red is gleaming![*] Number 34331.[*]Built 3/01.[*]Bought 3/28/01
fastdriver's CL without Zaino!
fastdriver's CL with 3 coats of Zaino and the last two with 4 coats of Z-2/Z-6
Click here if Yahoo photos don't work.
fastdriver's previous cars. The 300M has Zaino.

Accept mediocrity and that's all you'll ever get!