Ever since I got my car a little more than a year ago, it had had what appeared to be a bad spot on the trunk. It kind of looked like someone had left too much wax there or something. I figured that was what it was and that at some point I'd take care of it.
The first time I washed my car with high pressure water, the area got bigger. It looked almost like I had sprayed the bad area wider. Since then I've only used low pressure water on that area.
The other day I was washing the car and was trying to clean some caked-on mud off the rear quarter panel with high pressure, and I created a spot just like the trunk one! I looked closely at it and it looks as if the metal body panel is laminated with plastic. The high pressure combined with some small particle of dirt must have torn a small hole in it and allowed water to spray in between the plastic and the body panel, causing a bubble not unlike one you'd get if you did an amateur job applying window tint.
I know this is really hard to respond to without pictures; I'll try to get some. I just thought someone who knows more about this stuff would know anyway.
I'm not that familiar with all the body care products out there, but I've never seen anything like this. Is this that "polymer sealant" stuff? Or is it something else? It wasn't like this from the factory, right?
I'd like to fix this up somehow... Should I just use polishing compound or something to rub it off? Or would that damage my paint?
Does my car have a layer of plastic on its panels?
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vrg3
- Vikash
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Does my car have a layer of plastic on its panels?
"Just reading vrg3's convoluted, information-packed posts made me feel better all over again." -- subyluvr2212
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vrg3
- Vikash
- Posts: 12517
- Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2002 2:13 am
- Location: USA, OH, Cleveland (sometimes visiting DC though)
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So clearcoats form a plasticky layer that can peel off as if it were a sticker or something? I thought a clear coat was more like just a layer of clear paint.
Does that mean that the only fix is to have the panels stripped and repainted?
Does that mean that the only fix is to have the panels stripped and repainted?
"Just reading vrg3's convoluted, information-packed posts made me feel better all over again." -- subyluvr2212
clear can be peeled off like layers if the paint was not protected well, or the clear coat was not adhered properly.
Only real fix is to sand and repaint it. From what it sounds like, the whole car might have that problem. Maybe your car didn't get prepped properly, or there was some contamenants in the air when it was painted.
Only real fix is to sand and repaint it. From what it sounds like, the whole car might have that problem. Maybe your car didn't get prepped properly, or there was some contamenants in the air when it was painted.
Josh
surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT
If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT
If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
Clear is paint without the pigments. And yes, it sounds like it is having adhesion problems. Clearcoating the car is not that big of a deal. The hardest part is taping everything off. Then the painter has to blend the doors halfway when he resprays the clear. Find a painter that is someones friend and see if you can work out something where you will tape it up for him.
1993 WMP BC6 5MT EJ22T 9psi 3.9:1 213k 205/55R16
62.6 m/s @ 0.66 bar. Gotta love boost. :)
62.6 m/s @ 0.66 bar. Gotta love boost. :)
if you're going to have it resprayed.....i'd probably suggest just getting the whole thing redone.
If you do the labor of taking off the trim and prep work, I'm sure you could get it done reasonably....especially if you know someone that knows someone.....
If you do the labor of taking off the trim and prep work, I'm sure you could get it done reasonably....especially if you know someone that knows someone.....
Josh
surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT
If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT
If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
It shouldn't hurt anything as long as there is no serious rust problem. If there is some rust you should fix it right away, or if it is minor you can spray it with some WD-40.vrg3 wrote:But I have no money right now.
How bad is it for me to just put wax over it and hope it survives another winter?
My Mercedes has a big problem were the clear coat cracked from a bad respray, then the base coat cracked too, and now there is rust forming where the paint has flaked away. I have just sprayed it down with WD-40 in these areas, and it seems to protect the metal from getting any worse...
[color=red][b]1993 Subaru BC Turbo Legacy (193k miles)
1971 VW Super Beetle
1989 Honda Elite 50
[/color][/b]
1971 VW Super Beetle
1989 Honda Elite 50
[/color][/b]
Some did, some didn't, mine is Milan Brown Metalic Clearcoat. I know that many of the non-metalic color's didn't have clear coatsvrg3 wrote:Thankfully my BC doesn't have any noticeable rust yet.
Did 123s come with clear coats? I just assumed my old Benz didn't have one, though I guess it could have all worn off...
[color=red][b]1993 Subaru BC Turbo Legacy (193k miles)
1971 VW Super Beetle
1989 Honda Elite 50
[/color][/b]
1971 VW Super Beetle
1989 Honda Elite 50
[/color][/b]