Orange Peel problem
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 945
Likes: 0
From: Bloomingdale IL
Orange Peel problem
I was just at the dealer today. They called me to say they had a car until Saturday on the showroom floor and to come look. It was sold for 6,000 over sticker (sucker). A Sunset Orange with Tan interior. I went to look and I was surprised. Although I am and always will be an avid Corvette lover I was somewhat disappointed. I have on order a C6 and wanted to see this one in person not having seen them before. I was shocked to see the WHOLE car was orange peeled to death, the upgrade rims(chrome) where somewhat dull. I did not however see any misfit body panels or unusual gaps. I was impressed with the car but disappointed in the finish. I was told it was the primer that causes the orange peel effect and hopefully it will be updated. My question to the dealers are, if this is on a car that gets delivered does the owner call it a defect and have to be fixed by the dealer? It is a flaw on a 50-60k car. WOW. 
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: Westlake Village CA
The rims that you saw were not chrome....they were the optional "high polished wheeles" for $1295.00. In my opinion, they are truly one of the biggest waists of money! They look like crap compared to a good aftermarket chrome job, which can be done fro around $500.00. The factory wheels are not supposed to look like chrome...and they don'T!!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,762
Likes: 2
From: Murphy TX
Stinks about the orange peel. I think it does vary quite a bit car to car... My '01 had it pretty bad, as does my Dad's '01, but my '04 is very nice (all horizontal body panels (roof, hood, hatch) are all quite smooth. Rear quarters have some, but nowhere near my '01.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,240
Likes: 1,879
From: USA
A few months back my local Cadillac dealer got a black XLR in so I stopped to look at it. The paint was absolutely perfect! It was the deepest, most beautiful black paint I have ever seen on a car. I thought to myself, "it will be awesome if the paint on the C6 is anything like this" so it's disappointing to already hear several accounts of orange peel problems. I wonder if this will be a continuing problem throughout production of if this is just something plaguing the early cars.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,762
Likes: 2
From: Murphy TX
Originally Posted by paystyle
educate me, what's an orange peel problem?...I'm assuming it has something to do w/the appearance of the paint texture.
Look at the paint on most production vehicles at a low angle and you'll see similar.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,950
Likes: 363
From: Colorado
Originally Posted by c6nut
I was just at the dealer today. They called me to say they had a car until Saturday on the showroom floor and to come look. It was sold for 6,000 over sticker (sucker). A Sunset Orange with Tan interior. I went to look and I was surprised. Although I am and always will be an avid Corvette lover I was somewhat disappointed. I have on order a C6 and wanted to see this one in person not having seen them before. I was shocked to see the WHOLE car was orange peeled to death, the upgrade rims(chrome) where somewhat dull. I did not however see any misfit body panels or unusual gaps. I was impressed with the car but disappointed in the finish. I was told it was the primer that causes the orange peel effect and hopefully it will be updated. My question to the dealers are, if this is on a car that gets delivered does the owner call it a defect and have to be fixed by the dealer? It is a flaw on a 50-60k car. WOW. 
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 945
Likes: 0
From: Bloomingdale IL
I am not a repair guy and I noticed it and so did the dealer. It was bad. I have an 02' torch red and no orange peel anywhere. How do you fix it, do you fix it? Is the dealer responsible to help? It made the paint look flawed.
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,338
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From: San Diego & Palm Harbor Ca. & Fl.
Cruise-In 9 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08
I have an 01 GMC Sierra C-3... Black... with orange peel.
Tried to have it removed by color sanding at my body shop.. Was told there was not enough paint under the clear coat to effectively remove the "peel".. Was quoted a figure of $8,000 to re-paint.. Soooooo, be careful when you take delivery of that new coupe.... If you feel the "peel" is bad- Get a regional rep. from Chev. to look at it... Don't trust the dealer to make "good" on the paint!!!And don't accept an inferior paint job on your $50,000 plus vehicle...
Tried to have it removed by color sanding at my body shop.. Was told there was not enough paint under the clear coat to effectively remove the "peel".. Was quoted a figure of $8,000 to re-paint.. Soooooo, be careful when you take delivery of that new coupe.... If you feel the "peel" is bad- Get a regional rep. from Chev. to look at it... Don't trust the dealer to make "good" on the paint!!!And don't accept an inferior paint job on your $50,000 plus vehicle...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,141
Likes: 0
From: Huntington IN
Originally Posted by c6nut
It is a flaw on a 50-60k car. WOW.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: Westlake Village CA
Originally Posted by Matt69-ZO6
No its not a flaw, its a factor of the price. If you want show quality paint add big bucks for slowing down the production speed big time!
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
I saw a black C6 yesterday at a dealership and it had orange peel on the bumper (didn't check the rest of the car).
However, as I was driving North on the Dallas N. Tollway I was checking out the oogles of luxury cars next to me and noticed orange peel on every single one of them. Jaguars, Mercedes, Lexus, BMW's...all of them had it and it was on the rear quarter panel.
It's just something everyone will have to accept. With that said, I say it's a fair trade off for 400/400 of American Muscle for $45-50,000.
However, as I was driving North on the Dallas N. Tollway I was checking out the oogles of luxury cars next to me and noticed orange peel on every single one of them. Jaguars, Mercedes, Lexus, BMW's...all of them had it and it was on the rear quarter panel.
It's just something everyone will have to accept. With that said, I say it's a fair trade off for 400/400 of American Muscle for $45-50,000.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 7,135
Likes: 168
From: banana republic
As stated above, you do see orange peel on many a fancy, high priced vehicle from foreign soils. It is not an easy problem to solve. I bet those custom rod creators spend a good deal of energy to get a glassy smooth finish.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 945
Likes: 0
From: Bloomingdale IL
It should be an option for a hi quality paint job. After spending to be exact $56,310 I would spend a few extra to have a better paint job. Maybe pearl white or something. Just a thought. As far as the 400/400 power, that is nice but it is the style of the car that makes it not just the power. I was just a little disapointed. Maybe all the hype and not seeing a C6 before I bought, created some unrealistic expectations. I still want my car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 9,127
Likes: 2,326
From: Pottsville, PA. USA Home Of America's Oldest Brewery Yuengling
The Corvettes are painted in DuPont waterbase paint. Waterbase paint means the paint is thinned with water not paint thinner.
The Corvette paint process is two coats of black sealer, two coats of color, and two coats of clear.
If the cars had more color and clear they could be wet sanded and buffed to remove the orange peel.
I would not wet sand and buff a C5 or a C6 to remove the peel. C5/C6 paint tends to dull or blush when it is compounded and buffed. You will also get deep swirl marks.
The bumpers will show the peel more because they are painted separate not with the whole car. If you take the plant tour you will see racks of different color bumpers. They just take what color is needed to put on the cars
The Corvette paint process is two coats of black sealer, two coats of color, and two coats of clear.
If the cars had more color and clear they could be wet sanded and buffed to remove the orange peel.
I would not wet sand and buff a C5 or a C6 to remove the peel. C5/C6 paint tends to dull or blush when it is compounded and buffed. You will also get deep swirl marks.
The bumpers will show the peel more because they are painted separate not with the whole car. If you take the plant tour you will see racks of different color bumpers. They just take what color is needed to put on the cars
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 902
Likes: 21
From: Pensacola FL
C6 FAQ Master
My wife's Mercedes SLK has orange peel ($50K)
But my buddies 1991 NSX has an absolutely flawless black paint job from the factory... the paint looks a mile deep and could double as a mirror. But it was a hand-made Japanese car that now runs in the $80k's...
How to determine if you have "orange peel":
It's "normal" amount of orange-peel if only you notice it while detailing it for hours and finding every imperfection...
It's "abnormal" amount when your wife can see it in a second and goes "why is the paint kind of yukky?"
But my buddies 1991 NSX has an absolutely flawless black paint job from the factory... the paint looks a mile deep and could double as a mirror. But it was a hand-made Japanese car that now runs in the $80k's...
How to determine if you have "orange peel":
It's "normal" amount of orange-peel if only you notice it while detailing it for hours and finding every imperfection...
It's "abnormal" amount when your wife can see it in a second and goes "why is the paint kind of yukky?"
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 7,695
Likes: 51
From: Imperial Beach CA
Caused by the Electrostatic paint process. What happens is the top surface of the paint do the High Electric charge can discharge to the surface causing Thermal absorbtion and a melting process at that point causing the indentation to occur. Very common in powder coating.
Last edited by jimman; Aug 29, 2004 at 09:30 AM.
