Paint question

[Campbell]

I am about to have a dent fixed on my passenger front wing area. My 90 is Arles blue and the hood and both wings have faded a lot and really won't polish up They are chalked. In order for it to match I'm was told by a shop that I should spray the wings and hood but he has to clear coat it since I live in PA(something to do with the EPA). I'm going to go to jersey today and get another opinion since I think they can just paint w/out clear coat. Does it matter which way I go. I want it to look as close to perfect as possible without seeing any difference in color. Any suggestions would really be appreciate.
Thanks
Rich

[Mike Hippert]

You can bring arles up to a a very nice finish, you need to use good rubbing compound not just wax. What needs to happen is you need to remove the dead paint onto of the good paint to do this you need to rub it off with rubbing compound. The hood it the worst because it is exposed to direct sunlight all the time and the heat of the engine. Check out the picture in this old thread of mine http://www.d-90.com/discus/messages/46/2244.html?1063385353 it is imortant not to work in sunlight or everything will dry too fast and after using the rubbing compound you need to put on a good layer or 2 of wax.

[Campbell]

Thanks mike I will give that a try first. Did you use a power buffer?

[Mike Hippert]

Nope, I do it by hand. But there is a really good site on how to do all this stuff let me look it up :)

[dave_lucas]

If you are going to get it painted go with a base coat/ clear coat, Stay away from the single stage paints they are junk IMHO.

[Mike Hippert]

http://www.guidetodetailing.com/topics.php?topicId=17 Some very good info on this site! They even tell you what buffer to buy and how to use it.

[Roadsiderob]

I believe that the D90s were not clear coated from the factory.
Rob

[Mike Hippert]

I believe that the D90s were not clear coated from the factory.
Rob

I have heard the same, and a few "car" people I know who have looked at it say it looks like there is no clear coat. Of course I get the best response from people when mine has a nice brown coat :grin

[Roadsiderob]

I think they used a thick coat of paint with no clearcoat to allow deep scratches to be buffed out. It was a selling "feature" as I recall.
Rob

[Campbell]

Yeah that is what I heard too. My concern is if you will be able to see the difference in the front being cleared while the rest isn't.

[Mike Hippert]

Hard to say, I am sure they could get the color to match pretty good but I think it would be much shinnier then the rest of the paint.

[dave_lucas]

Hmm,

The paint book said that my 97 beluga black was a base coat clear coat. I know that when I buffed the 90 and our discos I never got color on the pad like you would with normal single stage paint…

Maybe they changed to a base coat/ clear coat or my 90 was repainted??

Anyhow... You might want to listen to the paint guy instead of me since I am just a hack @ painting :)

[Ragland]

Most were not clear coated except for some of the 97 colors, like the willow green for instance. The clear coat is great for vehicles not subject to the type of exposure you have with off-road driving. Once the clear coat is scratched, it won't merely buff out. A 4x4 is much better with a quality, thick paint job capable of withstanding years of buffing and polishing.

As for a rubbing compound, stay away from those older types with silica in them. Look for something more professional quality (ex: Meguirs Pro Grade), with a name like surface cleaner or surface restore. It should be designed in such a way the product is suitable for prepping a surface before painting. After a good surface clean, all oxidation, stains, and heavy abnormalities should be removed, as is possible. Follow up with a high gloss polish or wax.

The older style rubbing compounds can take off too much paint, too fast.

[steved90]

hi guys my dad owns a automotive paint business for the last 32 years, and is an expert in paint. i have a blue d90 as well.

first off, there is no clear coat on the blue d's
secondly, if they paint a basecoat/clear coat, IT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT! they can't match a base and a clear (impossible)
Thirdly, if they paint it with the factory formula w/ no base coat, it will also look different because the rest of your truck is faded.

So finally, go to a reputable paint shop and have them use a color scanner on your truck, this scanner makes a formula with the fade taking into account and calculates it (so they can mix a paint that has the fade in the color!! very cool technology has been around for about 6-8 years.



Good luck!

if you like you could call my father and ask them more details if you need.

Wally
M&M paints inc.
Racine Wi. 53403
Ph. 262.633.3529

[cbass]

The only color on defenders that was clear coated was the beluga black. That's why it cost an extra $500 when new. They may have started clear coating some other colors in 97, but I don't think so. As for all theh 95's and 94's, they were all NON clear coat except the Beluga black.

A properly polished and waxed single coat paint will look just like a clean clear coat paint. The only problem is that you have to keep it waxed to keep the single coat looking as good as the clear coat. (by single coat I just mean a layer of color over the primer)

[evilfij]

It will never match. I would do dentwizard on it to get the dent as minor as possible and be happy with it the way it is. Faded paint and new paint never look right. Even if you do a fade color match it will only match when faded, if you clean/buff it the new stuff will stay faded looking.

Only real solution is to paint the whole truck.

[steved90]

it will match if they use a color scanner on it, my dad does this everyday on collector cars and the computer matches it with the fade and it is dead on. i have seen it and have had it done. my father is an expert and has done paint for old classics for some famous people and it is exact, always... he did some custom stuff for willie G. davidson (head of harley davidson design) and came out perfect!

[evilfij]

It will match when it is faded or it will match when it is polished. Even with color match you cannot replicate the "faded but comes back when wet/polished look" of original paint.

[steved90]

of course when you take a scan you polish that surface, and that surface is what the paint and scan will come out as. wet paint is not a color. if you have a faded paint on your truck you would polish or shine up an area and scan it. then they take the formula off the comuter and mix it, prep your surface and paint. after you are done painting wait a few days and wash polish and wax up the WHOLE car. it will be exact. and you will not beable to tell what surface has been newly painted,that is how it is done.