Have Paints Changed Much?

J

jvcn

New member
Maybe it's my imagination, but I seem to notice that many newer vehicles have exteriors which seem to shine quite well even when undetailed.



By this I mean, that many newer luxury cars (in the MB, BMW, Lexus class) that I observe in the parking lot give off a shine even when dusty that I don't see on my own car (95 LS400) unless it's completely detailed. And even then there seems to be a different quality. Is it just that the paint is newer?



It's almost as if newer paint is designed to look better, for muchlonger even when neglected.



Does anyone have any definitive info on this?
 
Well, I don't have a definitive on it but I can say that paint technology and vehicle technology are both advancing so I'm not surprised to see that both the cars and the paint on those cars are both getting better and better.
 
I have noticed even American makes having a gel type coat over metalic that is incredible looking even after just a wash. I think some of these newer gel coats give a deeper looking finish. I also think these gel types don't swirl as easy, they don't seam to be as hard as traditional clears. I still will always preach sealing them, but they have made leaps and bounds even over the last 5 years. Dent resistance doors are another cool thing. I do many mercedes and that particular paint is incredible. I don't know what they do but even when people neglect those paint jobs, they don't even fossilize with repeaded water spot damage. I don't get it, it's just paint right?

I recently detailed a older black mecedes that, get this, has never been detailed. I was trying to tell the lady how important sealing was and she said why? I told her those water spots probably caused damage and I have to polish then seal. I just washed her car and the water spots where gone. The water gathered like nothing you ever seen. I couldn't even dry it correctly, water was sticking to the car. I left the car and came back two hours later and inspected it, there where no spots or swirls. I put Zaino on it and the car completely soaked the first coat, I mean no buffing. The second coat went on like the usual first coat does, easy buffing with a light residue. Anyhow, the job was flawless with the fact she never waxed or sealed it for 5 years since she owned it. There is something to the mercedes paint that is like no other, I can't even explain it thouroughly enough, but I was way to impressed.
 
Maybe it has something to do with the advancements in clear coat technology. What I have seen over the years is whatever processes that are used on the expensive cars usually end up being used on the lower priced cars a few years later. This is what happened when clear coat finishes first started into the marketplace in the late 1970s and early 1980s. So maybe what we are seeing now is just a situation where the average everyday cars are catching up with the enhanced painting processes used on more expensive cars of a few years ago.
 
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