I recently purchased a 95 Integra with horrible paint. Paint was blatantly neglected by its previous owner.

Profile shot (clearcoat failure is visible on hood, roof & trunk)



A very close up pic of the hood (not for the faint of heart!)



I know, it looks awful. Is there anything I can do at this point? Wash, polish, buff away the existing clearcoat and get a couple of coats of clearcoat professionally sprayed on? The impulse buyer in me came out and I didn't realize that the paint would bother me as much, and that repainting a car would be so expensive nor would it be such a PITA if I tried to prep it myself.

I bought this car to use mainly for commute, but the paint is starting to really bother me. Any suggestions would help, and would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

P.S. Don't buy a car when its raining.... it covers up a lot of the defects in the paint, and can cause some in itself....

 

Oxidation (Reduction):
[Oxidation simply means that oxygen is added to a molecule with an electron being displaced, which in turn dries the paint surface] Water-based paint is very porous, the paint film surface on a microscopic level has many surface imperfections, and is convoluted (a series of peaks and valleys) with time and use, plus normal wear and tear, the surface becomes more permeable, thus allowing ingress. High solid clear coat during the first couple of months following factory painting, will allow moisture to enter the clear and become trapped.

This is most noticeable in vehicles that are transported, using transit wrap, when the surface has some moisture and the wrap is placed over it. On average, a high solid clear coat will absorb approximately one pint of water when the vehicle is subjected to a heavy rain or a car wash. If there is a "clouding" of the clear, simply applying isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to the area, allowing it to dwell and with a heat gun or hair dryer, heat the area (do not exceeding 100oF spot temperature) The IPA acts as a "drying" agent, and when combined with the heat the moisture will evaporate

Many chemical compounds react vigorously at ambient temperatures as the oxidizing process takes place. Environmental pollutants (acid rain, ozone, industrial pollutants, hydrocarbons, etc) the suns heat, which also causes paint colour fading from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) inclement weather or the use of harsh detergents, all of which attack the paints binder system(resin)

Single stage paint systems (base and colour coat) – without a clear coat to provide protection, primarily a hostile environment will attack the paint surface causing microscopic gaps and valleys (micro fissures) and it becomes compromised both chemically; by industrial fallout (IFO) acid rain, brake /rail dust and etc., and by UV heat radiation. An oxidizer is any compound that spontaneously emits oxygen either at room temperature or under slight heating. Oxidation starts as a chemical reaction that causes the resin binder system to overheat and dry out becoming ineffective or it can also be caused by excessive (friction) heat generated during the machine polishing process (See also Compound Polishing Surface Temperature) leaving microscopic surface imperfections and micro fissures in the paint film surface that are vulnerable to deterioration. Once the air borne contaminates and pollution compromises the paint surface they accelerate the oxidation (reduction) or paint failure process.

A clear-coat finish does not oxidize in the true sense of the word (meaning that the pigments and resins (the paints binder system) mix together and the pigments are exposed to the sun's ultra-violet rays, which causes them to dry out or oxidize (more correctly the clear coat in a two-stage paint finish fails).

The clear coat is applied to protect against this but the finish will become ‘dull’ by using harsh (abrasive) or if high alkalinity car washing solutions as used in ‘touch less’ car washing systems, or from industrial airborne pollutants compromising the clear coat allowing the suns heat to dry out the paints binder (resin) system, which often separate from the base coat, allowing environmental pollutants to penetrate thereby compromising the paint system

Environmental fall out (acid rain, etc) enters the breach formed in the clear coat and attack the resin binder system, a paint film surface that is adequately protected with wax or a sealant actually has a lower surface temperature than one that is not. A dark coloured vehicle parked in the sun can attain a surface temperature in excess of 200° F With both types of paint system the application of a Carnauba wax provides a sacrificial and easily renewable barrier against airborne contaminants, which means the wax is compromised not the paint system

The clear coat layer is extremely thin (1.5 – 2.0 Mils) it is not a solid coating and is to some extent porous, oxygen interacts with substances in the paint layer (i.e. mica flakes as in metallic paints) and trigger the oxidation reaction. It's just that the amount of oxidation taking place is minimal in comparison to single stage paint. Oxidation; clear coat paint does not oxidize; it fails and requires compound polishing to remove paint and re-painting to correct it. To remove the oxidized paint (Optimum Compound or Optimum Polish - http://classic-motoring.stores.yahoo.net/) with a cutting foam pad LC orange or yellow, PC speed #4, or a high speed rotary at 1100RPM

In some instances a chemical (solvent) cleaner (Zaino ZPC Fusion or Klasse All-In-One) and detailer’s clay or a suitable abrasive polish, dependant upon how severe the problem (Optimum Compound or Optimum Polish) with a cutting foam pad (LC orange or yellow, PC speed #4 or 1100RPM Rotary) may temporarily rectify the problem, if not then the only viable treatment would be replacement (i.e. repainting)

For highly oxidized paint try the following;
•Wash the paint surface and dry thoroughly
•Clean the paint with chemical paint cleaner (Klasse All-In-One) using an orange foam pad at speed #4, this may take 2-3 applications
•Once the oxidation has been removed use a decontamination system
(Auto International A, B C System (http://www.autoint.com)
•Apply an oil rich product to stabilize the paints binder system (3M Imperial Hand Glaze) apply a thick coat and allow to dwell for 12-24 hours before buffing, repeat as necessary until surface has an ‘oily’ sheen.
•Remove residue and apply a Carnauba wax (Zymol Concourse)
•Try to keep vehicle paint surface away from UV heat radiation
•Keep paint surface waxed on a regular basis.

 

So, can his hood be fixed without bringing it somewhere to get cleared?

 

Nope.........Its called "failure" for good reason. Sorry to be the one to inform you, but it needs a repaint. Once the U.V.'s hit the base color, theres no matching it

 

that's what i thought, but after reading TOGWT's post, i questioned myself.

 

You could improve the look, but your not going to repair the paint, no way....

 

Krylon.











J/K