Paint issues
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 332
Likes: 67
From: Needham MA.
I agree there's no need to obsess, but weve torn this argument apart several times that "all cars have orange peel." Certainly that's true. But there are some cars coming out of Bowling Green that still get a radically bad job. Some are better. It seems to be a humidity or environmental problem that we hope is cleared up when they open up the new paint shop in 17-18. But how would you like to have your car like this?
Or this:
Or this:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 348
From: My interests are mobile
Thanks for the votes guys...the voting for the paint question to Tadge is ahead and will hopefully be answered if it wins in 5 days. Keep the votes coming to ask Tadge about the paint process, what we can expect in the future, etc.
You can vote below
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ry-2016-a.html
You can vote below
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ry-2016-a.html
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 841
Likes: 53
From: LaGrange KY
I must be missing the boat. I bought a Corvette to drive. I bought it for it's powertrain, suspension, alum frame, brakes, and composite components that make it light and nimble. I didn't purchase it for the paint or the glass. This is not a concourse car! I have orange peal, I have small specs in my windshield and not once have either of these slowed me down or stopped it from drifting around a tight corner with black strips of rubber being laid down! It's a toy after all!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 920
Likes: 87
I must be missing the boat. I bought a Corvette to drive. I bought it for it's powertrain, suspension, alum frame, brakes, and composite components that make it light and nimble. I didn't purchase it for the paint or the glass. This is not a concourse car! I have orange peal, I have small specs in my windshield and not once have either of these slowed me down or stopped it from drifting around a tight corner with black strips of rubber being laid down! It's a toy after all!
Well than go to ToysRUs ...and try to find any toy in the entire store that has a paint job as bad as the C7 ... you will then see ... that no toy...or for that matter any tool ... or anything new that you may see or purchase has this bad of a paint job.....
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 1,168
Likes: 353
I'll just say that some parts of my $50k-ish red BMW (which I bought new in 2013) look very much like the orange peel on the panels shown above. It hasn't bothered me as much and I've merely opti-coated the car and gone on with life.
However, if it does bother me on a nearly $80k C7 which I plan to spend on by the end of the year....
Does the stingray (yellow is what I would go for) have enough clear coat to maybe do paint correction using denim pads? I probably won't spend as much as folks demand for a full-on wetsanding.
However, if it does bother me on a nearly $80k C7 which I plan to spend on by the end of the year....
Does the stingray (yellow is what I would go for) have enough clear coat to maybe do paint correction using denim pads? I probably won't spend as much as folks demand for a full-on wetsanding.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 841
Likes: 53
From: LaGrange KY
you have GOT to be kidding ..."It's a toy after all"
Well than go to ToysRUs ...and try to find any toy in the entire store that has a paint job as bad as the C7 ... you will then see ... that no toy...or for that matter any tool ... or anything new that you may see or purchase has this bad of a paint job.....
Well than go to ToysRUs ...and try to find any toy in the entire store that has a paint job as bad as the C7 ... you will then see ... that no toy...or for that matter any tool ... or anything new that you may see or purchase has this bad of a paint job.....
Sorry for your luck buddy, but the paint on my 16 is very acceptable!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,163
Likes: 686
From: SUFFIELD CONNECTICUT
you have GOT to be kidding ..."It's a toy after all"
Well than go to ToysRUs ...and try to find any toy in the entire store that has a paint job as bad as the C7 ... you will then see ... that no toy...or for that matter any tool ... or anything new that you may see or purchase has this bad of a paint job.....
Well than go to ToysRUs ...and try to find any toy in the entire store that has a paint job as bad as the C7 ... you will then see ... that no toy...or for that matter any tool ... or anything new that you may see or purchase has this bad of a paint job.....
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 920
Likes: 87
If your paint was that bad on your car, why did you accept it? For the most part the corvette paint is very good. Look at the front and rear covers, look at the hood, roof. They look better than the sides right? that's because the SMC material the side panels are made of have the wavy uneven surface that the top panels are not made of. The front and rear bumpers are a urethane material and very smooth, hence look much better than the sides generally speaking. The hood & roof are carbon fiber.
" for the most part the corvette paint is very good. " my eyes and the eyes of some outstanding body shop owners that I know must be going bad ..
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,163
Likes: 686
From: SUFFIELD CONNECTICUT
I have a black car, am a body man and a painter and the orange peel or texture of the paint is no worse than Ford, BMW, Honda and all the GM , japan cars. There evidently are a number of cars that have more peel than others, I have not seen them in person indicating some sort of quality control issues at the plant. If all the corvettes came out like mine, there should be no complaints regarding paint. Yes I do agree the side panels are wavy, irregular and just not smooth. What jumps out at you is what is under the all the clear, color, sealers, primers ...the prep and the poor surface of the SMC should be super blocked before the paint process and the cars will look a lot better but never like sheetmetal. Yes you can block the clear and reclear and block again to smooth the look, the panels should be made flatter during the manufacture and surface finishing process long before they are painted.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,664
Likes: 49
From: Atlanta GA
I have never had any orange peel on any of my Corvettes from the factory. I had a 2004 (silver), 2005 (silver), 2010 (JSB), and now 2014 (black). However, when I had a 2010 GS painted because of an insurance issue at the dealership, the areas that were painted showed significant orange peel while the rest of car paint looked like glass.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,163
Likes: 686
From: SUFFIELD CONNECTICUT
I have never had any orange peel on any of my Corvettes from the factory. I had a 2004 (silver), 2005 (silver), 2010 (JSB), and now 2014 (black). However, when I had a 2010 GS painted because of an insurance issue at the dealership, the areas that were painted showed significant orange peel while the rest of car paint looked like glass.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,784
Likes: 433
From: FEMA Region 4
The first early production C7 I saw was TR looked almost this bad on the doors and had runs in the fender. It does look like a poor repaint, but I wouldn't have believed a production car could be that bad until I saw one. When I toured the plant in April, I spent a lot of time looking at the painted bodies coming down the line. Every one looked consistent from color to color in terms of OP.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 332
Likes: 67
From: Needham MA.
The first early production C7 I saw was TR looked almost this bad on the doors and had runs in the fender. It does look like a poor repaint, but I wouldn't have believed a production car could be that bad until I saw one. When I toured the plant in April, I spent a lot of time looking at the painted bodies coming down the line. Every one looked consistent from color to color in terms of OP.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 920
Likes: 87
we are not speaking of new wheels or tires or some other mod....no ...this is to correct a lousy paint job .... shame on GM ...
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 11,825
Likes: 2,474
From: Ft Lauderdale
Tech Contributor
This is a bit of a stretch… I realize you don't like GM's paint at all… And neither do I but EVERY car needs correction before you put on a semi perm coating.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 332
Likes: 67
From: Needham MA.
Lesson learned, next time I will look a lot more carefully before I sign the deal on the next one.