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  1. #1
    FEP Super Member dburdyshaw's Avatar
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    Default Why Does Clearcoat Fail / Peel?

    The research that I'm doing on this question isn't really answering it, so does anyone have an knowledge or experience with this question.

    I found this information on Wikiautos, but it only skims the surface.

    Causes of Car Paint Peeling

    There are normally three layers of coatings on a modern automobile: primer, paint, and the clear coat. The primer acts as a base layer for the paint, assisting with adhesion, provides a predictable surface for coating, and provides additional protection for the underlying metal. The paint is the color coat. The clear coat provides a hard "shell" that protects the paint from oxidization, minor scratches, and increases the longevity of the aesthetic benefits of the colored paint. Car paint peeling (delamination) occurs when one or more of these layers lose adhesion with the surface under it. Primer may lose adhesion to the bare metal, paint may lose adhesion to the primer, and the clear coat can lose adhesion to the paint. When this happens, large sections or flakes of paint can slough off the vehicle.
    There are two primary causes for car paint peeling. The first, and most often associated with large-scale paint delamination, is the improper preparation of the painted surface. All three major domestic manufacturers have had paint problems in the late-1980's through the mid-1990's due to changes in painting processes which resulted in the failure of either the primer, paint, or clear coat.
    The second most common cause of paint delamination happens when the seal of the clear coat, paint, or primer get compromised by a chip or scratch. Once the barrier has been compromised, moisture and other contaminants can begin working their way under the coatings and create a starting point for delamination. There are reported instances where a small chip in the clear coat has caused catastrophic adhesion loss to the clear coat when the vehicle was pressure washed. The pressurized water gets under the coating and quite literally blows off hard, brittle shell of the clear coat. However, this scale of clear coat failure due to a chip is rare, and is indicative of other quality issues with the paint.
    Factory Paint Failure

    In 1995, General Motors offered a repaint under warranty for any vehicle 5 years or newer experiencing severe paint delamination, regardless of mileage. The problem was so wide spread that there was a Dateline special covering the problem in 1997. Today, delamination of factory applied finishes is rare. Those with vehicles from the late-1980's to mid-1990's that are now experiencing paint delamination due to the processes used at the factory are usually without recourse. In some instances, owners have resorted to small claims court in an attempt to get their vehicle repainted on a pro-rated basis. Given that some of these vehicles are now approaching 20 years of age, the pro-rated value of the paint reimbursement is negligible, at best
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    Stock never goes out of style.

  2. #2
    FEP Super Member bwguardian's Avatar
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    There are different qualities of clear coat out there...and as you can imagine, you get what you pay for. Also, you should have 3-4 coats of clear over the paint to keep it intact. A paint job all comes down to weather, chemicals mixed correctly, and the person spraying the car.
    HAD
    '82 GT monochromatic (red)...black cloth

    HAVE
    '85 GT vert two tone (white on charcoal)...white leather
    '00 F350 two tone (white on silver)...gray cloth
    '00 Excursion Limited two tone (white on tan)...tan leather...wifes ride
    '08 Taurus Limited ice blue...tan leather...daughter ride
    '08 Edge Limited white sand tri-coat metallic...tan leather...other daughters ride

  3. #3
    FEP Super Member 83GTRAG's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bwguardian View Post
    There are different qualities of clear coat out there...and as you can imagine, you get what you pay for. Also, you should have 3-4 coats of clear over the paint to keep it intact. A paint job all comes down to weather, chemicals mixed correctly, and the person spraying the car.
    +1 and a doubler on the weather,,, keep that moisture out.
    Rob

    current cars:
    83 GT Convertible
    83 Project GT T-Top Coupe
    84 GT T-Top Hatch
    86 GT Hatch low mile car
    00 V-6 Convertible

    all white cars!

  4. #4
    FEP Super Member dburdyshaw's Avatar
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    Though my question was, initially, concerning new cars ---- what makes it fail on cars that are about 10-15 years old?

    Are they just aging -- or is it something more complicated?

  5. #5
    FEP Super Member bwguardian's Avatar
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    Most cars from the factory have 2 clear coats at best...this along with cheaper materials equal not holding up over time, especially if exposed to abnormal conditions. A paint job done by a shop will typically put 3-4 coats of a good quality clear coat...this along with good weather and know how equals a paint job that will last a long time. 10-15 years for a factory paint job is a fair amount of time to expect it to last in normal conditions.
    HAD
    '82 GT monochromatic (red)...black cloth

    HAVE
    '85 GT vert two tone (white on charcoal)...white leather
    '00 F350 two tone (white on silver)...gray cloth
    '00 Excursion Limited two tone (white on tan)...tan leather...wifes ride
    '08 Taurus Limited ice blue...tan leather...daughter ride
    '08 Edge Limited white sand tri-coat metallic...tan leather...other daughters ride

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