Checked out a very nice looking 2002 coupe today that a local dealer just took in. The car is extremely clean in every aspect, especially considering it has 70,000 miles.

I looked into every crevice I could see and I noticed two places where there were runs in the paint. They weren't on any exterior surface, but one was on the edge of the left quarter under the hatch when it's closed and the other is on a similar place on the top of the nose and out of sight when the hood is closed. (The picture is from the front, a little hard to see because of reflection but it's just below the bolt)

The carfax shows no history of accident damage (I know, carfax isnt the whole story on a car) and the dealer says there was never any body/paint work ever done (of course they'd say that).

So, could it be that is was sloppy paint work at the factory?

 

I wouldn't rule out that it happened at the factory. But since the car was built 14 years ago, hard to say.

 

Looks like a clear run. Around the run it looks like there is trash in the paint and the clear has quite a bit of orange peel. Most likely was repainted at one point time and the work was sloppy. Most owners aren't going to necessarily check that spot so it allows the body shop to over look it.

 

I just looked at a history report on the car and it shows that a paint sealant was applied by the dealer in 2010. I'm not familiar with that process, but could that be it?

 

That is usually a manual coating applied like a spray wax. If there is no structural damage I'd say that the bumper cover was repainted at some point for cosmetic reasons. Possibly no big deal for a 70K mile car. Mine was purchased from the original owner and had some rock chips from being driven, even though the miles were good.

 

Looks a little "thick" to me suggesting maybe a respray over the front bumper.

 

Agreed, orange peel on it looks different than the orange peel on the headlight cover.

 

Doesn't look factory but a respray on the nose cone wouldn't be alarming to me. Could be a light parking lot tap or a respray due to rock chips or other road hazards. If anything, it could be looked at as a positive on a higher mileage car since it'll look fresh up front. If the rest of the car looks clean, do what your heart tells you.

 

I also read somewhere that it's good to inspect the right front frame rail, just behind the nose where the VIN is printed, for signs of repair. The frame rail on that side was straight but the surface around the VIN looked different than the left side -- a little grimier and not as consistent finish as the other side.

 

That could be a bad sign. If you really like the car, have a PPI done and go from there.

 

Looks like it is ready to "part out".

 

And for $19k (the dealer's asking price) you've got yourself a parts car!

Actually, the car is very clean. It's not for me (too many miles and I need an automatic) but I gave it a thorough look as an exercise in my sleuthing ability before I leave tomorrow to look at an 04 that interests me. Those paint drips are pretty slight and my guess is a lot of average car buyers would never notice. But thanks to everyone on this forum I've learned quite a bit about what to look for in terms of finding clues to a car's history that the dealer won't admit.

 

I personally would not care about the paint issues, both the orange peel and the clear coat runs are easily corrected with wet-sanding and/or polishing. My only concern would be "why" they were maybe repainted. With 70,000 miles that bumper probably took a pretty good beating from road-rocks, etc. and if that is the reason it was repainted, then no problem as long as it was done right; however, most repainted bumpers show wear sooner if exposed to the same torture. There are lots of reasons to repaint a panel where there was only cosmetic damage.

I special ordered my 2001 Black and within a few weeks the clear on the front left fender turned yellow and started peeling off in sheets! The Dealership stripped the clear and re-cleared it and it still looks like new after 15 years as a DD. Right after my warranty expired, I got the somewhat common deck lid bonding strip bubbling the paint all across the rear deck - fortunately GM agreed to replace and repaint the entire deck lid on their dime since I had purchased so many new Corvettes in the past. Deck lid looks like new years later. Then I had a dump truck drop rocks on the highway that bounced up and got my hood - repainted it about 8 years ago, still looks like new. If I had not had the 3M Clearmask on the front bumper - that would have been hosed as well, but it repelled all the rocks without a scratch.

What I am trying to say is, if you drive the car every day and you want to keep it looking pristine (like I do), then an occasional repainted panel may be necessary. Cosmetic damage just happens.