Paint issues
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 8,071
Likes: 317
From: Central Florida
Glen,
I have the upmost respect for your knowledge and skill, and you provide a lot of valuable information on this forum which is greatly appreciated. However, knowing that most forum members need instruction on just washing and polishing their cars, letting them loose with wet sanding and a orbital buffer could result in a catastrophic result.
You are a seasoned professional, although I am not, but do have the knowledge and skills to wet sand and buff, I hesitate on doing this, simply because I know all too well the edges, corners and other parts of the car should be taped off before wet sanding as those areas are so thin with paint and CC.
You provide a great service here, and its appreciated by all, but I just want to caution the casual detailer and state, let the professional do this task... I agree it can be done, but under most circumstances the do it yourselfer would need more skills and know how then they think.... Just my humble opinion, base on years of experience.....
I have the upmost respect for your knowledge and skill, and you provide a lot of valuable information on this forum which is greatly appreciated. However, knowing that most forum members need instruction on just washing and polishing their cars, letting them loose with wet sanding and a orbital buffer could result in a catastrophic result.
You are a seasoned professional, although I am not, but do have the knowledge and skills to wet sand and buff, I hesitate on doing this, simply because I know all too well the edges, corners and other parts of the car should be taped off before wet sanding as those areas are so thin with paint and CC.
You provide a great service here, and its appreciated by all, but I just want to caution the casual detailer and state, let the professional do this task... I agree it can be done, but under most circumstances the do it yourselfer would need more skills and know how then they think.... Just my humble opinion, base on years of experience.....
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 11,825
Likes: 2,474
From: Ft Lauderdale
Tech Contributor
Glen,
I have the upmost respect for your knowledge and skill, and you provide a lot of valuable information on this forum which is greatly appreciated. However, knowing that most forum members need instruction on just washing and polishing their cars, letting them loose with wet sanding and a orbital buffer could result in a catastrophic result.
You are a seasoned professional, although I am not, but do have the knowledge and skills to wet sand and buff, I hesitate on doing this, simply because I know all too well the edges, corners and other parts of the car should be taped off before wet sanding as those areas are so thin with paint and CC.
You provide a great service here, and its appreciated by all, but I just want to caution the casual detailer and state, let the professional do this task... I agree it can be done, but under most circumstances the do it yourselfer would need more skills and know how then they think.... Just my humble opinion, base on years of experience.....
I have the upmost respect for your knowledge and skill, and you provide a lot of valuable information on this forum which is greatly appreciated. However, knowing that most forum members need instruction on just washing and polishing their cars, letting them loose with wet sanding and a orbital buffer could result in a catastrophic result.
You are a seasoned professional, although I am not, but do have the knowledge and skills to wet sand and buff, I hesitate on doing this, simply because I know all too well the edges, corners and other parts of the car should be taped off before wet sanding as those areas are so thin with paint and CC.
You provide a great service here, and its appreciated by all, but I just want to caution the casual detailer and state, let the professional do this task... I agree it can be done, but under most circumstances the do it yourselfer would need more skills and know how then they think.... Just my humble opinion, base on years of experience.....
Last edited by Glen e; Dec 3, 2015 at 12:43 PM.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 552
Likes: 67
From: Everett/Mesa WA/AZ
In my case it was the result of ordering the car through an out of state dealer, paying for it before delivery, and picking it up late afternoon from the courtesy delivery dealer. Got a good deal on the car but I now know to inspect very carefully in full sunlight before acceptance.
Not sure what I could have done about it at that point anyway since I had already paid for the car.
Not sure what I could have done about it at that point anyway since I had already paid for the car.
Last edited by rramjet; Dec 3, 2015 at 12:04 PM.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 17
Likes: 5
From: Overland Park/ Palm Desert
The key to satisfaction is to lower your expectations.
Corvettes have never had good paint jobs. I owned one thirty years ago and they were bad then. It has been kind of a trademark. We used to have to scrub overspray off the tires. How it got on the tires, I don't know.
Why the sudden hissy fits over orange peel? It's a Corvette; it's not supposed to have good paint.
Corvettes have never had good paint jobs. I owned one thirty years ago and they were bad then. It has been kind of a trademark. We used to have to scrub overspray off the tires. How it got on the tires, I don't know.
Why the sudden hissy fits over orange peel? It's a Corvette; it's not supposed to have good paint.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: Jacksonville FL
I have a black 14 and it has op and tiny divots all over the paint. It kind of looks like some sort of metallic paint in the sunlight but when you look closer you see millions of tiny divots. At first I thought it was overspray of some kind, but it's definitely tiny divots in the paint. Does anyone else have this problem?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,090
Likes: 51
From: Georgetown TX
The key to satisfaction is to lower your expectations.
Corvettes have never had good paint jobs. I owned one thirty years ago and they were bad then. It has been kind of a trademark. We used to have to scrub overspray off the tires. How it got on the tires, I don't know.
Why the sudden hissy fits over orange peel? It's a Corvette; it's not supposed to have good paint.
Corvettes have never had good paint jobs. I owned one thirty years ago and they were bad then. It has been kind of a trademark. We used to have to scrub overspray off the tires. How it got on the tires, I don't know.
Why the sudden hissy fits over orange peel? It's a Corvette; it's not supposed to have good paint.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 522
From: Central Jersey
I have a 79 Z/28 that I've had for 36 years. Love this car -it has the original paint which is a little tired, but I always thought looked OK overall -not a great performer, but it has a 4 speed and 373 posi. I just went out in the garage and held up a light and looked at an angle and sure enough -ORANGE PEEL.
My wife has a 2011 Cadillac SRX. We love this SUV, it is black and I always thought it looked great. But, I just went out in the garage and held up a light and looked at an angle and sure enough -ORANGE PEEL.
I bought a 2015 GMC Denali Crew cab, this is an amazing truck with 420HP/ 8A and scoots pretty good. It is black and I love the way it looks in the driveway on a sunny day. But, I just went out in the driveway and looked at an angle and sure enough -ORANGE PEEL.
I bought a 2015 Corvette Z51, it is black and I think that it looks amazing and it performs better than any car I've ever owned. But, I just went out in the garage and held up a light and looked at an angle and sure enough -ORANGE PEEL.
Now I don't know if I should just sell them all and look for replacements with better paint jobs, repaint them all or just continue to drive and enjoy them like I did before I saw that they all have paint issues ...
My wife has a 2011 Cadillac SRX. We love this SUV, it is black and I always thought it looked great. But, I just went out in the garage and held up a light and looked at an angle and sure enough -ORANGE PEEL.
I bought a 2015 GMC Denali Crew cab, this is an amazing truck with 420HP/ 8A and scoots pretty good. It is black and I love the way it looks in the driveway on a sunny day. But, I just went out in the driveway and looked at an angle and sure enough -ORANGE PEEL.
I bought a 2015 Corvette Z51, it is black and I think that it looks amazing and it performs better than any car I've ever owned. But, I just went out in the garage and held up a light and looked at an angle and sure enough -ORANGE PEEL.
Now I don't know if I should just sell them all and look for replacements with better paint jobs, repaint them all or just continue to drive and enjoy them like I did before I saw that they all have paint issues ...
I recently went and took a closer look at my wife's Honda Accord and it too, had OP.
Now, I've clay barred and polished her car twice a year for the last 6 years and never noticed it.
I'm convinced that the orange peel is a problem only because it is "front of mind" from the sheer volume of negative comments I've read over the years.
So, like glava 2876, I am no longer going to obsess over it. No drips or runs or scratches on it, I'm just going to lay on another coat of Zaino and step back, admire the shine and enjoy the ride.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 11,825
Likes: 2,474
From: Ft Lauderdale
Tech Contributor
After reading all the complaints about orange peel for the last year, the first thing I checked was the paint when I picked up my '16. The Laguna blue coupe looked awesome, but damn, it was covered with OP upon closer inspection.
I recently went and took a closer look at my wife's Honda Accord and it too, had OP.
Now, I've clay barred and polished her car twice a year for the last 6 years and never noticed it.
I'm convinced that the orange peel is a problem only because it is "front of mind" from the sheer volume of negative comments I've read over the years.
So, like glava 2876, I am no longer going to obsess over it. No drips or runs or scratches on it, I'm just going to lay on another coat of Zaino and step back, admire the shine and enjoy the ride.
I recently went and took a closer look at my wife's Honda Accord and it too, had OP.
Now, I've clay barred and polished her car twice a year for the last 6 years and never noticed it.
I'm convinced that the orange peel is a problem only because it is "front of mind" from the sheer volume of negative comments I've read over the years.
So, like glava 2876, I am no longer going to obsess over it. No drips or runs or scratches on it, I'm just going to lay on another coat of Zaino and step back, admire the shine and enjoy the ride.
Or this:
Last edited by Glen e; Dec 3, 2015 at 08:39 PM.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 17
Likes: 5
From: Overland Park/ Palm Desert
Having worked for one of the big three car manufacturers, I can tell you there are specs for paint thickness on all new cars. These are checked at specific locations by QC with a densitometer. The manufacturers realize the only way to achieve these specs, without multiple coats, is to put down one very heavy coat of paint. The result is orange peel.
For a " good " paint job you need several trips through the paint booth and thinner coats each time. This costs more and requires more space. This may be what the expansion at BG is going to address.
For a " good " paint job you need several trips through the paint booth and thinner coats each time. This costs more and requires more space. This may be what the expansion at BG is going to address.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,556
Likes: 200
From: Houston Texas
TBH, mine is pretty crappy. Even have a huge mountain of a pimple clotted near the sill plate.
That said, I knew what I was getting into and completely satisfied with my car. Had I bought without lurking on this forum for almost a year, I'd be bent out of shape.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 348
From: My interests are mobile
I've submitted a question to "Ask Tadge" to address, on behalf of many of you, the questions that often arise when talking about orange peel. I have structured the question, in the hopes that Tadge will provide an in-depth look at what decisions, compromises and/or factors are involved, when choosing what "grade" of finish these cars come with.
I am hoping he will involve some paint dept folks and we can really get an understanding to end the, often very random, opinions about the paint.
This is the link (below says "click here") to my exact question. You can vote for my "improve the paint finish" option, as it's been placed! Let's answer the question for good, straight from the source.
Click here
I am hoping he will involve some paint dept folks and we can really get an understanding to end the, often very random, opinions about the paint.
This is the link (below says "click here") to my exact question. You can vote for my "improve the paint finish" option, as it's been placed! Let's answer the question for good, straight from the source.
Click here
Last edited by RC000E; Jan 4, 2016 at 08:18 PM.
Advanced
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 86
Likes: 20
From: Cordova TN
Paint
I have to agree with you. You know at best you are going to get just a marginally ok paint job. Why gamble with $55-$100K. GM has always had orange peel issues. Vote with your money if you want to make a difference, meaning buy something else. A true show quality paint job will run $20,000 to $40,000 just for paint and body. Maybe more if their extensive body work to be done. IMHO
TT
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 8,243
Likes: 4,617
From: Southwest Florida
I may have mention this before. Although I am disappointed with the amount of OP on my new 2016 C7 but I have seen many more expense cars that are much worse.
Case in point. I was at our local mall and looked at a Tesla and Maserati that we're on display. The Tesla has lots of OP but the Maserati was down right terrible. On the way home I stopped next to a Lexus LX Sport and it had the worst, I mean worst, OP I have ever seen.
Again, I'm I happy about my paint, no. Have I seen worse on much more expensive cars, yes.
Case in point. I was at our local mall and looked at a Tesla and Maserati that we're on display. The Tesla has lots of OP but the Maserati was down right terrible. On the way home I stopped next to a Lexus LX Sport and it had the worst, I mean worst, OP I have ever seen.
Again, I'm I happy about my paint, no. Have I seen worse on much more expensive cars, yes.
Last edited by Maxie2U; Jan 4, 2016 at 09:08 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 348
From: My interests are mobile
I may have mention this before. Although I am disappointed with the amount of OP on my new 2016 C7 I have since many more expense cars that are much worse.
Case in point. I was at our local mall and looked at a Tesla and Maserati that we're in display. The Tesla has lots of OP but the Maserati was down right terrible. On the way home I stopped next to a Lexus LX Sport and it had the worst, I mean worst, OP I have ever seen.
Again, I'm I happy about my paint, no. Have I seen worse on much more expensive cars, yes.
Case in point. I was at our local mall and looked at a Tesla and Maserati that we're in display. The Tesla has lots of OP but the Maserati was down right terrible. On the way home I stopped next to a Lexus LX Sport and it had the worst, I mean worst, OP I have ever seen.
Again, I'm I happy about my paint, no. Have I seen worse on much more expensive cars, yes.
Some guys buy a Corvette...and it's the "toy" purchase of a lifetime for them. They see spending 70k on a car as a HUGE moment, and they expect flawlessness. It's a lot of what compelled me to ask, and structure the question to Tadge as I did. You can only give people so much for 70 grand. Warranty, leather, carbon fiber, huge hp, tons of handling...the penny is getting stretched thin.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,202
Likes: 5