Those rust colored spots are called rail dust. Its specks of hot steel that come off the train rails when it is being moved from the plants. They become embedded and is most noticeable in white paint. Try a clay bar to get them out.
New Paint Quality
- Thread starter WagonBoss
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Originally Posted By: The Critic
For some reason, the gold paint on my Saturn is fantastic.
Yes, it has faded, but swirling is very minimal and I have very, very, very few chips after more than 15 years.
I hope you're looking at the metal hood when you judge.
I wonder if mixing metal in with the plastic panels made them really quality conscious about the whole process- fading etc.
The plastic panels on my wifes y2k SL1 have fake orange peel.
Her hood is chipping and looks duller than my 95.
I had great paint, and all sorts of fancy chrome window moldings etc on my Japan-made 1989 mazda 323. But it's probably not fair to judge against history.
For some reason, the gold paint on my Saturn is fantastic.
Yes, it has faded, but swirling is very minimal and I have very, very, very few chips after more than 15 years.
I hope you're looking at the metal hood when you judge.
I wonder if mixing metal in with the plastic panels made them really quality conscious about the whole process- fading etc.
The plastic panels on my wifes y2k SL1 have fake orange peel.
I had great paint, and all sorts of fancy chrome window moldings etc on my Japan-made 1989 mazda 323. But it's probably not fair to judge against history.
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I've never seen anybody beat Ferrari's factory finish for a production line car. They also have a proprietary clearcoat that is double tuff.
But I have to agree, the bean counters have cheapened the whole finishing process any way they could to save money. Most cars today chip and fade and peel more than ever after just a few years.
And yet, the price of new cars continues to go up every year...
I've never seen anybody beat Ferrari's factory finish for a production line car. They also have a proprietary clearcoat that is double tuff.
But I have to agree, the bean counters have cheapened the whole finishing process any way they could to save money. Most cars today chip and fade and peel more than ever after just a few years.
And yet, the price of new cars continues to go up every year...
...and even more if you get the right colors. Candy Apple Red with a white top on 2011 Ford Flex is $800 worth of paint option, but it is no more durable than the grey.
I don't know what the "best" would be, but I know it's not Ford, nor Chrysler (and yet I keep buying them).
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
The Mexican built PT Cruisers are bad too. I doubt they have to worry about EPA rules but follow the US way to apply paint.
German vehicles seem to be the best with paint that I've seen.
I disagree.
Our Mexican made PT Cruiser has very good paint. No visible orange peel. Very chip resistant. It is a GT though. I have seen lesser models with the same Cool Vanilla white that did not look nearly as good. IMO, it is better overall than my brother-in-law's SLK. Even with minimal maintenance and lots of UV exposure it still looks shiny. (my wife parks on the top floor of the parking garage because the spaces that are open are closest to the elevator.
)
By comparison, my made in Michigan Mazda has horrible paint. Almost as bad as '80's and early '90s GMs. It hasn't come off in sheets like GMs used to but it is super easy to chip, doesn't polish as well as I would like, and gets swirls easily.
There is a spot on the hood where a bird's dropping burned the paint. I don't know what that bird ate but in 6 hours or less it left a permanent mark.
The Mexican built PT Cruisers are bad too. I doubt they have to worry about EPA rules but follow the US way to apply paint.
German vehicles seem to be the best with paint that I've seen.
I disagree.
Our Mexican made PT Cruiser has very good paint. No visible orange peel. Very chip resistant. It is a GT though. I have seen lesser models with the same Cool Vanilla white that did not look nearly as good. IMO, it is better overall than my brother-in-law's SLK. Even with minimal maintenance and lots of UV exposure it still looks shiny. (my wife parks on the top floor of the parking garage because the spaces that are open are closest to the elevator.
By comparison, my made in Michigan Mazda has horrible paint. Almost as bad as '80's and early '90s GMs. It hasn't come off in sheets like GMs used to but it is super easy to chip, doesn't polish as well as I would like, and gets swirls easily.
There is a spot on the hood where a bird's dropping burned the paint. I don't know what that bird ate but in 6 hours or less it left a permanent mark.
Haha, I had a couple of GM cars of the '80s where paint vanished in sheets.
IMO, the clearcoat should have resisted that bird poop on the Michigan Mazda. Are they simply going too cheap?
On the subject of German paint, I had an old 1987 era Mercedes for a couple of years, didn't drive it more than a couple of times a week even though it was my only vehicle. Someone in the apartment building threw some rotten tomatoes on it. By the time I noticed it a few days later the tomato acid had burned permanent marks on the root. On the upside, that car did have some excellent headlights with glass lenses that never fogged or yellowed.
But even that was to be lost as someone backed their towing hitch into one of those headlights one day and left me with the repair bill.
IMO, the clearcoat should have resisted that bird poop on the Michigan Mazda. Are they simply going too cheap?
On the subject of German paint, I had an old 1987 era Mercedes for a couple of years, didn't drive it more than a couple of times a week even though it was my only vehicle. Someone in the apartment building threw some rotten tomatoes on it. By the time I noticed it a few days later the tomato acid had burned permanent marks on the root. On the upside, that car did have some excellent headlights with glass lenses that never fogged or yellowed.
Originally Posted By: WagonBoss
Which manufacturer seems to have the best paint quality out the door for new cars? Several years ago I did a walk around at the car show and thought Audi had the least orange peel and deepest look to it. Just wondering if anyone is in the know?
Mercedes IMO.
Which manufacturer seems to have the best paint quality out the door for new cars? Several years ago I did a walk around at the car show and thought Audi had the least orange peel and deepest look to it. Just wondering if anyone is in the know?
Mercedes IMO.
My 2004 Volvo XC70's paint looks factory fresh with no rock chips or orange peel. My 2008 S40 is also high quality but has a couple chips on the plastic running boards/trim below the doors that are starting to peel a tiny bit. I'll get them touched up soon. All the paint on the steel is still factory new looking.The Tahoe is almost 15 years(1996)old and it was made in Mexico and it still looks perfect with no orange peel. The flat gun metal paint on the fender flairs are flaking off and they need to be repainted and clear coated.
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