Is this clear coat cracking?

[spotco2]

2003 Honda Accord that had hail damage repaired about 6 months ago. The top of the car was recleared (local body shop, not a guy in a van in a parking lot) but not painted. I was washing it today for my wife and noticed that the hood was acting funky when I was using some swirl remover on it with my PC. It was almost like it was drying out faster than I could go over it. The same thing happened with Pinnical final glaze and Meg liquid wax. I had a bear of a time getting the wax to buff out flat without leaving what looked like drag marks all over it.

I thought she had some water deposits on the hood or some dried bugs (she commutes about 150 miles per day) but nothing I could throw at them would take them off. It also looked like the front of the hood was covered in fuzz and spiderwebs that would not move.

Here are a few pics. Let me know what you think about them. Is the clear cracking or is it something else?

 

[Stephan]

Its hard to tell without being there but I had a question image 0008 or picture 4 of 5 seems to show the same effect on the silver colored grill as on the hood of the paint. Did you get the grill clear coated also? In picture 0009 or 3 of 5 it looks as some of the issues that you are referring to are actually above the paint. Is it happening anywhere else or is localized to the hood, or even more specifically the front bumper and hood portion of the car? Because to me it almost looks like paint splatter.

 

[JaredPointer]

That looks like what I have heard referred to as "crow's feet." The hood on my dad's truck looked exactly like that before they started "breaking open" and the clear started going away, leaving the dull base coat.

Drying out faster than you can go over it - were you working outside in the sun? Was the engine cool to the touch?

 

[Poorboy]

that clear is history ... not having the finish sanded down, with a new base coat and then a new clear was a body shop no no ... if this was less than 2 years ago ..go back and complain .. even to your insurance company ...
If it's older than 2 years, then I say try and fight it, but you may be looking for a repaint again

 

[Merlin]

^ what he said.

The paint is toast...repaint...only choice

 

[spotco2]

Its hard to tell without being there but I had a question image 0008 or picture 4 of 5 seems to show the same effect on the silver colored grill as on the hood of the paint. Did you get the grill clear coated also? In picture 0009 or 3 of 5 it looks as some of the issues that you are referring to are actually above the paint. Is it happening anywhere else or is localized to the hood, or even more specifically the front bumper and hood portion of the car? Because to me it almost looks like paint splatter.

I did not notice it any where but the hood. The grill is probably just bug spatter but will look closer at it tonight when she comes in.

Drying out faster than you can go over it - were you working outside in the sun? Was the engine cool to the touch?

I was in the shade and the car had not been driven for at least 6 hours and was parked inside before I started.

I'm thinking that the body shop applied only a very thin coat of clear when they fixed the car in Oct 2010.

 

[Merlin]

Sorry 'bout the short reply above but I have seen this a couple of times and I really do not know of anything that you can do as a detailer to correct the problem.

Please let us know how it works out.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

That clear is dead. I just recently detailed a Civic in that exact same color and the hood looked identical to what was posted.... the only solution is refinishing, unfortunately.

 

[John@Autopia-Carcare.com]

So have you come to a conclusion now that you know the clear coat has failed?

Repainting is a common solution however, lots of people are going towards the way of vinyl wrapping as it is not so time and cost consuming.

 

[spotco2]

Spoke with the body shop that did the repairs. It seems that they removed some hail damage from the hood using paintless dent repair and actually only painted the roof and trunk lid.

They suggested I talk with Honda.

Honda said if it was still in the 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty it would be covered.

Looks like I'll end up eating this one.