My 99 runs great and the interior looks relatively new after all these years. However, the paint looks horrible. It has thinned away and it looks "cloudy."

I have acutally noticed this as quite common amongst blue/green/teal 99/2000's.

 

paint is a two sided evil.

on one side, the manufacture has to use a good base

and on the other; the consumer actually has to up keep or maintain the paint.

so, when looking at your truck, I see a sun beaten car that probably sat outside most of its life without the proper care

also, darker colors retain more heat and this may or may not have an effect.

 

acutally it's been somewhat garaged since pruchase in 03 however impossible to garage it at my job...I've been paying closer attention to this when I notice other cars and see this quite often amongst 98-02 accords as well on specific colors..

 

im just pointing out things that can affect paint.
I'm not out to get you.

as stated, it could be a combination of things.
a weak base coupled with not protecting it can lead to failure.

and since you dont know, just like I dont know how you treated the car, you cant really group cars together...

 

how do you get to 46875 posts?

 

^i generally enjoy cars.
so, while I'm at work I answer questions on acurazine about cars.
^_^

 

Maintenance is key from the beginning

 

^how did you get to 75000 post!??!

 

He/She generally enjoy cars.
So, while he/she is at work he/she answers questions on acurazine about cars.

 

^you're a quick study!

lol

 

or ramble on about infinity.. or give "professional" photography tips...

or post depressing news articles

 

Hmmm, I enjoy cars also...but would risk being fired if that's all I got done !!!

 

I've seen the colors you mentioned with immaculate paint, it's all really in taking care of the car.

People get surprised that my car sits out in the sun all day and never garaged because it still shines compared to their sun beat car they never really take care of.

 

Or post charts and graphs.

 

Ditto. Mine is no garage queen and mine is immaculate (well the panels i havent repainted due to modding

 

You live in WI like me... How rusty is your TL?
My driver side doors are getting a little rusty all along the bottoms. I got a quote of $500 to get it cleaned up, but that seems like an extra ridiculous price.
Just did the AV6 swap so I want to keep this baby for a little while longer! preferably less rust or maybe a fresh new coat of paint?!

 

^^^ Do ya have a pic of the door bottoms ?

If it's only superficial surface rust and discoloration, ya may be able to simply sand the imperfect areas along the door's lower edge......prep, prime & touch-up with a spray can for less than $50 "DIY".

However if the weld seams are starting to bulge open and there is serious pitting caused by the rust....then the repairs will be more difficult to perform. The important thing here is to keep the door bottom's vent holes freely open. If the condition isn't too bad, mask off the body right above the door's bottom while working on the affected area. Being so low on the body, the repairs shouldn't be too noticeable if ya take your time. Later, once the paint is dry....spray some rust preventative into the bottom of the door's inside. Any oil such as WD40 will work for this.

 

just noticed my first bit on one door, but i cleaned it and got rid of it while preforming my fender stretch on the rear quarter and door.

Id be leary of the 500 quote to clean it up. If its working its way from the inside out thru the fold in the door skin all they are doing is taking your money. They couldnt possibly clean it up and get rid of it for 500, maybe 1 door. Painting over rust will only be a waste of money as it will be back in less than a year.

 

Same boat, I garaged it for a good year after I purchased it in 2011 and has been sitting outside ever since. However, I now try to wax/detail the car at least twice a year to keep the paint from cracking in this Texas heat

Always get asked if I got a new paint job after I detail her lol. Taking the time to take care of the exterior is the key.

 

Not sure about specific colors, however my Nighthawk Black has lived up to expectations, especially considering any type of black paint is hard to keep up.

13 years and 215K miles and it still looks good. I wash it regularly and then spray it with a quick shot of spray wax mixed with detail spray to keep it looking good in between details. Since it is garage kept, I usually average a full two-coat polish/two-coat wax detail every 8 months. I only wish I would have installed a clear 3M bra on the front as I have some road rash due to the Florida blowing sand and love bugs.

 

^ that paint looks great for 13 years, at least from the pics. Well done.

 

^^^ Yep, looking super good !!!.....
Shows that ya take good care towards detailing of the car's finish. Having a garage is always a big plus.

 

Well, maintained repainting is costly.

 

Thanks. I've always enjoyed taking care of my cars and keeping them as clean as possible. The TLS is pretty much our fourth car now as my 18 year-old daughter is using it for her first two years in college. I then plan to get her a car with a warranty when she moves out. It's going to start sitting in the hot, Florida sun more often as I pretty much drove it on the highway and it was garaged at home and at my office. However, even though polish keeps the clear looking good, I apply a thin spray wax after every wash to keep it protected. I think that's the key for any automotive paint finish.