Swirls and scratches in clear coat...

C

Camarorulz

New member
I just got my car back from the body shop about a week and a half ago after an accident. They had to replace the right rear quarter panel, bumper, and blend onto the doors and roof. On the rear bumper (completely new paint) the color coats seem to shine very well underneath, but there are noticeable scratches and lines in the clear coat. In some places the paint even feels rough when it's completely clean. Can these imperfections be buffed out or is my clear irreparably damaged?



I have a PC btw and I'm about to order some new pads for it. I don't want to have to take it back to the paint shop to have them buff it, especially since they did such a poor job of finishing off my paint.
 
I *would* go back and at least let them see what you're dissatisfied with. If they don't know their work is unacceptable they'll just keep doing things that way.



It's hard to say if polishing/compounding will solve the problems or not. The "rough when clean" makes me worry- that might require wetsanding which will mean great loss of clear which means maybe they ought be redoing it (worst case).



I'd probably try 3M PI-III RC (905933) followed by PI-III MG (05937) using 4" pads (less bogging).



See if MG/polishing will do it, probably not. Then try RC/polishing. If *that* doesn't do it then try RC/cutting. Don't try anything more aggressive than that. Then go back to RC/polishing and finally finish up with MG/polishing.



But since the stuff you're concerned about is in the fresh paint, IMO it's the shop's responsibility. If they messed up the fresh paint they didn't give you what you paid for.
 
The basic question is can you catch the scratches with your fingernails?



If so, they may be too deep for a PC to correct.



Depending on the depth of the scratches and the thickness of the new clear coat, they may be correctable.



By using Autopia's "least aggressive method", you should try the PC with progressively stronger products to determine what it will take to polish the panels.



If you learn that they are not correctable by PC your alternatives would be a rotary buffer or repaint.



My advice would be to try a small area with safe equipment and procedures and if you don't get perfect results, return straight away to the paint shop for redress.
 
I did wash and dry it once....could I have somehow caused the problem? Is clear coat very fragile after it's first put on? I just don't want it to be a problem I caused them blame it on the shop. All I did was dry it, didn't wax it at all, which is what they told me not to do. They said I could wash it. I don't think a cloth could've hurt the clear, but I could be wrong.



EDIT: the day I got it back I noticed that the car had ice on it (they had been keeping it outside.)
 
It's certainly possible to mar paint with one wash, IMO most people do it *every time* they wash. When you mention "a cloth", I think "uh-oh". Only cloth that I'd ever touch fresh paint with is high quality MF. I know from first hand experience that many paints (even when fully cured, even factory baked paint) are far too soft to use even the plushest, softest 100% cotton on without causing some marring. If you wiped it dry as opposed to blotting, and you used a cotton cloth, that might very well have done it (sorry to say).



But then again, often a paint shop will cause the exact same damage when *they* wash a car! They'll mess up their perfect new paint by washing it carelessly. Happens all the time.



But the rough texture problem still sounds like something related to the shop's work.



And yes, the fresh paint will be softer than normal for a while. The first few weeks it'll be especially soft. Gotta be really careful until it's cured. When I had parts of the Volvo repainted (in b/c) it was *way* too soft to use Meg's #80 on even three weeks after it was painted.
 
Well the good news is I felt the paint on the bumper where it is swirled and my finger doesn't catch on any of the scratches. It feels smooth to the touch...maybe the marks can be polished out without significant reduction in the clear coat?
 
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