How bad is our paint?

[scotto79]

And this is why my FRS gets a basic wash when its dirty. It will never be a show car, its a driven car that gets abused at times. As soon as I got the car I noticed chips from salt trucks, construction areas, and so forth within the first few weeks of driving it.

[RToyo86]

I've got 40k km on mine in a year and a half and the paint is still near pristine. Most of the scratches were near the passenger door from people hitting the door with zippers etc.

I'd suggest ceramic to most people if the cost associated with it wasn't so expensive.
I personally wouldn't pay for a ceramic installation unless it was something like opti-coat. If you are handy with a polisher, the consumer grade stuff stuff is worth it if you don't mind the intensive prep.

[Jordanwolf]

Originally Posted by scotto79

And this is why my FRS gets a basic wash when its dirty. It will never be a show car, its a driven car that gets abused at times. As soon as I got the car I noticed chips from salt trucks, construction areas, and so forth within the first few weeks of driving it.

Salt trucks... This is what did me in one winter, got stuck behind one and I had to find an opening to race around him...

[NWFRS]

Found my first rock chip with surface rust in it. It was on the cabin roof. It's a six-year-old car so not really a big deal. Cleaned with alchohol and applied a generous drop from my six-year-old paint pen. Not going to sweat it but I feel like my car is aeging in dog years.

[anticubus]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

Found my first rock chip with surface rust in it. It was on the cabin roof. It's a six-year-old car so not really a big deal. Cleaned with alchohol and applied a generous drop from my six-year-old paint pen. Not going to sweat it but I feel like my car is aeging in dog years.

Six years? That's some good luck.

I've got swirls, chips, scratches, and dents after 1.5 years and it came with orange peel. I have a dent and scrape on the roof where some wind blew a nice 4cm thick branch chunk at it from ~5m away and ~15m up, and it has multiple spots needing PDR from acorns. Birds love to drop bombs on it. It's also been my DD through snow belt winters, city construction, and gravel road drives, so the paint abuse racked up quickly.

Then again, each problem has been a great excuse to buy detailing equipment, so maybe I'll just quit my day job and take care of cars for a living!

[COLETRICKLE]

i thought i read somwhere that the twins body is Aluminum,or was it just the hood???

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by COLETRICKLE

i thought i read somwhere that the twins body is Aluminum,or was it just the hood???

just the hood, and i believe the roof panel-- iirc, it was done to slightly reduce the CG. but i can't find the confirmation of that

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by soundman98

just the hood, and i believe the roof panel-- iirc, it was done to slightly reduce the CG. but i can't find the confirmation of that

Just the hood. The roof is steel. Untreated steel unlike the the bottom panels. I have the massive rust spots alone the front edge to prove it.

[soundman98]

plastic rusts now too!




:twitch/:

[Stomachbuzz]

Yes, very displeased with the paint on this car.
I love the car, but it seems every day I noticed a new spot of
Reinforces the idea of it being a cheap, disposable 'entry level' sports car...
The car still shines overall, and looks "mint" to any random passerby, but the paint is very concerning.
I've never seen paint fail like this before.
As far as the "no more VOCs" comment goes - my girlfriend has a 2013 Camry in Toyota's 'super white' paint (which is known to be the cheapest paint, as whites are usually single stage blah blah or something. Which is why work vans always look like the paint on the hood blew off in full sheets). The paint on her car has held up remarkably well despite the abuse the car receives. Parked outside 100% of its life, often under trees. Gets washed at a drive-through carwash about once every 2 years. NEVER been waxed (lol are you kidding me?) or properly cared for.
I also have several friends with 2013-2014 VWs Jettas which even more spectacular paint.

Here are a few pictures that might make your skin crawl the same way it does to me.
Increasing zoom-in:








It's quite awkward. I've never seen anything like it.
Although this hood blemish is the worst of them by far, the hood has about 4-5 other similar blemishes of lesser magnitude. It also seems like the paint is being 'sanded down by the air' as it has symmetric 'raw marks' right on the hips/haunches of the car above the rear wheel bulge. I suspect, if you put the car in a wind tunnel, that's where the most air pressure is.

I'm dismissing the typical "oh you just let sap sit there" or "bird shit caused that because it's acidic" excuses in advance as these surfaces are almost perfectly vertical.
Additionally, I currently have a drip of sap that's been on my 2008 Tundra for like 5 months now that I expect to wipe off (whenever I get to it) perfectly well.

My car is a 2013 with 52k miles.
I bought it in April with 42k miles in nearly mint condition. I washed my car regularly, and always careful of parking in shade or under trees. 6 months later, all this BS pops up. It's crazy.
Again, I've owned ~40 cars in my life, and this is just shocking.

[korhun]

Parking under the trees is not a good idea for the paint. You have dismissed it already but, it looked like an after effect of a pigeon poo to me.

[JD001]

Originally Posted by Stomachbuzz

Yes, very displeased with the paint on this car.
I love the car, but it seems every day I noticed a new spot of
Reinforces the idea of it being a cheap, disposable 'entry level' sports car...
The car still shines overall, and looks "mint" to any random passerby, but the paint is very concerning.
I've never seen paint fail like this before.
As far as the "no more VOCs" comment goes - my girlfriend has a 2013 Camry in Toyota's 'super white' paint (which is known to be the cheapest paint, as whites are usually single stage blah blah or something. Which is why work vans always look like the paint on the hood blew off in full sheets). The paint on her car has held up remarkably well despite the abuse the car receives. Parked outside 100% of its life, often under trees. Gets washed at a drive-through carwash about once every 2 years. NEVER been waxed (lol are you kidding me?) or properly cared for.
I also have several friends with 2013-2014 VWs Jettas which even more spectacular paint.

Here are a few pictures that might make your skin crawl the same way it does to me.
Increasing zoom-in:








It's quite awkward. I've never seen anything like it.
Although this hood blemish is the worst of them by far, the hood has about 4-5 other similar blemishes of lesser magnitude. It also seems like the paint is being 'sanded down by the air' as it has symmetric 'raw marks' right on the hips/haunches of the car above the rear wheel bulge. I suspect, if you put the car in a wind tunnel, that's where the most air pressure is.

I'm dismissing the typical "oh you just let sap sit there" or "bird shit caused that because it's acidic" excuses in advance as these surfaces are almost perfectly vertical.
Additionally, I currently have a drip of sap that's been on my 2008 Tundra for like 5 months now that I expect to wipe off (whenever I get to it) perfectly well.

My car is a 2013 with 52k miles.
I bought it in April with 42k miles in nearly mint condition. I washed my car regularly, and always careful of parking in shade or under trees. 6 months later, all this BS pops up. It's crazy.
Again, I've owned ~40 cars in my life, and this is just shocking.

Time for a carbon hood.. probably work out cheaper than repainting the existing (getting the colour to match..).

[HKz]

I've had zero complaints with either Steel or when I had my Hot Lava..compared to what I experienced with my 240SX, Liara & Camry, the 86's paint has held up reasonably well but I admit think living in AZ does makes it easier to take care of besides the constant barrage of rocks getting hurled at my bumper and hood. Even the relatively bad door ding I received did not crack the surrounding paint. I've just washed her once a week, have yet to use a claybar...60 K in 4 years and she still looks alright

[DandoX]

That is a bummer, sorry to see that problem with your paint. On my asphalt 13 FRS my paint looks very good still but a few spots where I didnt clean bird poop off quick enough left a tiny bit of a blemish but it isn't that bad. Now after 6 years of ownership the trick to keeping the paint looking good is to protect it with wax or the like. If you get Mcguires quick spray wax and Mcguires quick detail spray. After every wash you should wax it. Anytime you see any bird poop spray the quick detail on it and wipe with a microfiber cloth. Trust me if you do this your paint will last.