Orange peel
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2008
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Orange peel
I need some help. I've got a 1999 corvette convertible. It's all original and has never been in an accident. It's got 37,000 miles on it. The amount of orange peel on the doors amd rear quarters is unacceptable.
Is there enough clear on the paint to allow me to wet sand and buff the the orange peel out of it or do I need to add some clear?
I'd appreciate your input.
Lee
Is there enough clear on the paint to allow me to wet sand and buff the the orange peel out of it or do I need to add some clear?
I'd appreciate your input.
Lee
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,969
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From: Champaign IL
Chances are the Orange Peel or wavys you are seeing is in the Base Coat and the Clear Coat is Magnifying the Orange Peel in the base Coat. I'd take it to a good body shop and see what they think.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 4,419
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From: Arroyo Grande CA
I had a small area on the left rear quarter panel that had orange peel, and some light scratches all over (got caught in some winds) from a car cover. I took it to a good (excellent, after-the-fact) detailer. No sanding, only buffing. He did the the entire car an it turned out fantastic. No more orange peel, and the Vette was a mirror.
Good luck with yours. Hoping it'll buff out.
Good luck with yours. Hoping it'll buff out.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: center of Kalifornia
Typical cut and polish would require 1500 or 2000 grit sand paper and work up with various compounds to a mirror finish. Depending on how much orange peel.
Have a pro do it, not as easy as it sounds. Could run a few hundred if many panels.
Have a pro do it, not as easy as it sounds. Could run a few hundred if many panels.
Uber Waxer
Joined: May 2004
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From: Hanover MD
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St. Jude Donor '08-'10
I did my entire car, started with meguires unigrit 2500 and moved to 3000 then polished with several passes using wool and foam pads. entire process took me around 80 hours to do but was worth it.
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From: Maker of Sharp Objects, AL - Roll Tide
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
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I'd be very careful cutting (wet sanding) factory clear coat. It is often very thin, and it is easy to burn through. It would definitely fix the "orange peel", but you risk burning through. once you cut it you have to buff it and if you don't know how to use a buffer you can cause more damage than you have already. Not saying you don't know what you are doing by any means, just giving warning a fellow Vetter...
Like another person said earlier-take it to a body shop and let them check it out. They look at this stuff every day, and they can tell you the way to fix it.
Good Luck
PS. Fill out your profile
Like another person said earlier-take it to a body shop and let them check it out. They look at this stuff every day, and they can tell you the way to fix it.
Good Luck
PS. Fill out your profile
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Uber Waxer
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From: Hanover MD
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St. Jude Donor '08-'10
seen body shop work on something like this and often you are better off leaving it the way it is.
a high end body shop is going to charge you by the hour to do it at about 50-70 per.
just things to keep in mind when you are looking around.
when I was looking to get mine done, all I would get is a price per hour or they werent interested in doing it.
a high end body shop is going to charge you by the hour to do it at about 50-70 per.
just things to keep in mind when you are looking around.
when I was looking to get mine done, all I would get is a price per hour or they werent interested in doing it.
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From: Queens New York
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Best bet is to talk to a body shop you trust and see if they think it can be easily fixed. Good luck.
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If you need to ask about the clear coat, you probably do not have a skills for this tricky work.
Just kidding. Do like everyone says and leave it to the experts. If they F$ck it up, you have someone to blame. If you do it and screw something up, you'll be kicking yourself.
Just kidding. Do like everyone says and leave it to the experts. If they F$ck it up, you have someone to blame. If you do it and screw something up, you'll be kicking yourself.
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Just an FYI, a body shop has no way of determining how thick your clear is. All you can measure is overall thickness and this can only be done on cars with steel panels as the tool used to check paint thickness does not work on anything else.
The difference between you doing it and them doing it is if they burn thru they MAY have to fix it. Most shops will have you sign a document stating that they are not responsible if they burn thru or sand thru since they did not originally paint the car and cannot guarantee someone else's work.
The difference between you doing it and them doing it is if they burn thru they MAY have to fix it. Most shops will have you sign a document stating that they are not responsible if they burn thru or sand thru since they did not originally paint the car and cannot guarantee someone else's work.
Uber Waxer
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From: Hanover MD
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St. Jude Donor '08-'10
they make a paint thickness gauge for fiberglass and plastic, its just VERY expensive.
the clear is thicker than you think and 3000 grit paper will not remove as much clear as a wool pad and compound would in the hands of most body shops.
the clear is thicker than you think and 3000 grit paper will not remove as much clear as a wool pad and compound would in the hands of most body shops.
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From: Fremont CA
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I'm no expert, but it seems that if you polished the car then had a paint shop shoot a couple more layers of clear with polishing between coats, you could then start with a nice thick clear coat. You would then have much less to worry about.
Again, I know nothing about painting cars, so you would want to run this idea by someone who knows better than me.
Again, I know nothing about painting cars, so you would want to run this idea by someone who knows better than me.
Uber Waxer
Joined: May 2004
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From: Hanover MD
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St. Jude Donor '08-'10
I'm no expert, but it seems that if you polished the car then had a paint shop shoot a couple more layers of clear with polishing between coats, you could then start with a nice thick clear coat. You would then have much less to worry about.
Again, I know nothing about painting cars, so you would want to run this idea by someone who knows better than me.
Again, I know nothing about painting cars, so you would want to run this idea by someone who knows better than me.
have to scuff the finish with 600 grit, tape everything off, might as well repaint at that point....Thought of this myself and that was the answer I got.
plus to do it right with no tape lines, you would pretty much have to take the car apart.
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From: HOW FAST WAS I GOING OFFICER? Los Angeles Hating GM Dealership Service Dept.'s Since Sept. 2004
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
I looked into it a few years ago... that's the same thing the paint guy told me so I left it alone.