Delicate Paintwork

mykl · 11th June 2007, 11:46

I have noticed that the paintwork on my car marks very easily.

I ran over a twig last week, it kicked up and put a 3 inch scratch right down to the undercoat on the passenger door.

Just yesterday whilst loading the boot I dropped a 4 foot length of 2"x 2" onto the bumper and it took a chip out of the paint again right down to the undercoat. The wood slipped out of my hand and in reality only travelled 6 inches or so.

My paintwork is obviously soft (been used to VW's lately, hard paint) Does anyone else suffer this problem?
I am using Autoglym products with a final high gloss (Gold Label) finish, as I thought that might resist some scratches.

How can I toughen up my paintwork ? Any ideas ?

__________

mykl

Zeb · 11th June 2007, 11:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykl

I have noticed that the paintwork on my car marks very easily.

I ran over a twig last week, it kicked up and put a 3 inch scratch right down to the undercoat on the passenger door.

Just yesterday whilst loading the boot I dropped a 4 foot length of 2"x 2" onto the bumper and it took a chip out of the paint again right down to the undercoat. The wood slipped out of my hand and in reality only travelled 6 inches or so.

My paintwork is obviously soft (been used to VW's lately, hard paint) Does anyone else suffer this problem?
I am using Autoglym products with a final high gloss (Gold Label) finish, as I thought that might resist some scratches.

How can I toughen up my paintwork ? Any ideas ?

__________

mykl

I have the same problem....partial solution is the Carplan Nanomeric Sealant which, after several coats, does seem to have helped considerably! It also makes the car a doddle to keep clean...like non-stick!

tourerfogey · 11th June 2007, 12:39

I think the paint was a big problem with the 75 / ZT.

My Tourer (in midnight blue) is in effect two-tone; one shade on the metal body, a slightly different shade on the plastic bumpers. Rover couldn't seem to get this right - most other makers have managed to do so. Also the paint coverage on the bonnet edges, under the wheelarches and in the door shuts and tailgate slam is very poor.

As for scratching, then yes, this does happen all too easily. What infuriates me most is that manufacturers use light coloured undercoat on dark coloured cars so that if the paint gets scratched the light undercoat really shows up against the surrounding paint. There is no justifiable reason for using light undercoat other than it's easier, cheaper and quicker to use the same on all cars whether they are to be painted in a light colour or dark colour (whereas dark colour undercoat on a light coloured car obviously causes problems).

I think that the paintwork and other fitting problems turned the 75 / ZT from an excellent car into just a good car.

Bartonrover · 11th June 2007, 12:49

My Cowley built Wedgewood Blue (metalic) still looks fantastic IMHO - even after 104k. Stone chips certainly (which I have touched up of course) but the undercoat seems to be a grey (zinc?) colour. For a time I also ran a Longbridge 75 Tourer in BRGreen (pearlescent) which chipped at just the sight of a gravel path and the white undercoat really showed. Also really hard to beat out polish circles and I found touching up a much harder task. Modern water based paints are naturally very soft anyway - but I suspect the proble is partly dependent on colour/type. (But in the past month my front windscreen has gathered two nasty stone chips right in my field of view!). Robert

Zeb · 11th June 2007, 12:56

I found the lacquer coating to be a tad 'soft' on my facelift car but have not had anything go any deeper than that thus far. The Naomeric has definitely hardened things up and the early scratches have not been added to since using it.

tigerchubs · 11th June 2007, 13:24

mykl
shame on you 4foot 2x2 its not a van.
As for the paint only marks I have are on the plastics which does seem easy to mark. I dropped my key on the rear bumper which resulted in a chip.

mykl · 11th June 2007, 13:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by tigerchubs

mykl
shame on you 4foot 2x2 its not a van.
As for the paint only marks I have are on the plastics which does seem easy to mark. I dropped my key on the rear bumper which resulted in a chip.

Sorry tigerchubs it's the timber company I use they still insist on imperial measurement.

Would you prefer metric 4foot=1.2192m and 2"x 2"= 0.0504m x 0.0504m

I'm sorry to hear that others are experiencing delicate paint.

Looks like a design characteristic then....oh dear.

_________

mykl

Big Blue · 11th June 2007, 14:34

Sorry to hear that Mykl, I actually think the paintwork on my car is very good. I wonder if the colour has anything to do with it. I have a Royal Blue ZT, which is now 5 years old, and looking better than when I bought it (18 months old). My previous Audi A4 had dark blue matallic paint, and this was terribly scratched and dull no matter how often I polished it when it was 5 years old. Mys wife's Copperleaf Red 75 was quite resistant to chips, but needed regular polishing to keep it shiney, more so than my ZT, though the ZT was 'Supagaurd'ed by the first owner. Actually I think the paintwork on my ZT is better than the black on my wifes brand new Mercedes C-class Sports Coupe - which I feel is very orange-peely.

baxlin · 11th June 2007, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykl

Sorry tigerchubs it's the timber company I use they still insist on imperial measurement.

Would you prefer metric 4foot=1.2192m and 2"x 2"= 0.0504m x 0.0504m

mykl

I think you missed the point - the admonishment was for loading timber into a 75/zt, not for using Imperial measurements, which I reckon should be compulsory on here (except for engine capacity)

Bought some curtain material, had to buy so many metres of 54" wide - how silly's that, although I understand that's changed now

Malcolm

mykl · 11th June 2007, 18:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by baxlin

I think you missed the point - the admonishment was for loading timber into a 75/zt, not for using Imperial measurements, which I reckon should be compulsory on here (except for engine capacity)

Bought some curtain material, had to buy so many metres of 54" wide - how silly's that, although I understand that's changed now

Malcolm

Malcolm you are so right I did miss the point (Blond moment probably, only I have no hair and I'm male). I must read more carefully.

I take the point........... why did I load all this wood in the back of my ZT. Ahh I remember SWIMBO garage tidy excercise.......

__________

mykl

11th June 2007, 11:46	#1
mykl Loves to post MG ZT 1.8T + 160.... Le-Mans Green Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Salisbury Wiltshire Posts: 396 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Delicate Paintwork I have noticed that the paintwork on my car marks very easily. I ran over a twig last week, it kicked up and put a 3 inch scratch right down to the undercoat on the passenger door. Just yesterday whilst loading the boot I dropped a 4 foot length of 2"x 2" onto the bumper and it took a chip out of the paint again right down to the undercoat. The wood slipped out of my hand and in reality only travelled 6 inches or so. My paintwork is obviously soft (been used to VW's lately, hard paint) Does anyone else suffer this problem? I am using Autoglym products with a final high gloss (Gold Label) finish, as I thought that might resist some scratches. How can I toughen up my paintwork ? Any ideas ? __________ mykl

11th June 2007, 13:24	#6
tigerchubs Gets stuck in Rover 75 CDT+ in Yorkshire Gold Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Sheffield Posts: 975 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	mykl shame on you 4foot 2x2 its not a van. As for the paint only marks I have are on the plastics which does seem easy to mark. I dropped my key on the rear bumper which resulted in a chip. __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

11th June 2007, 12:39	#3
tourerfogey Banned Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I think the paint was a big problem with the 75 / ZT. My Tourer (in midnight blue) is in effect two-tone; one shade on the metal body, a slightly different shade on the plastic bumpers. Rover couldn't seem to get this right - most other makers have managed to do so. Also the paint coverage on the bonnet edges, under the wheelarches and in the door shuts and tailgate slam is very poor. As for scratching, then yes, this does happen all too easily. What infuriates me most is that manufacturers use light coloured undercoat on dark coloured cars so that if the paint gets scratched the light undercoat really shows up against the surrounding paint. There is no justifiable reason for using light undercoat other than it's easier, cheaper and quicker to use the same on all cars whether they are to be painted in a light colour or dark colour (whereas dark colour undercoat on a light coloured car obviously causes problems). I think that the paintwork and other fitting problems turned the 75 / ZT from an excellent car into just a good car.

11th June 2007, 12:49	#4
Bartonrover Gets stuck in Rover 75 CDT & V6 saloons in Wedgwood Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Norfolk Posts: 782 Thanks: 2 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	My Cowley built Wedgewood Blue (metalic) still looks fantastic IMHO - even after 104k. Stone chips certainly (which I have touched up of course) but the undercoat seems to be a grey (zinc?) colour. For a time I also ran a Longbridge 75 Tourer in BRGreen (pearlescent) which chipped at just the sight of a gravel path and the white undercoat really showed. Also really hard to beat out polish circles and I found touching up a much harder task. Modern water based paints are naturally very soft anyway - but I suspect the proble is partly dependent on colour/type. (But in the past month my front windscreen has gathered two nasty stone chips right in my field of view!). Robert

11th June 2007, 12:56	#5
Zeb Banned MGZT V8 & ZTT 190+LPG Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8,089 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I found the lacquer coating to be a tad 'soft' on my facelift car but have not had anything go any deeper than that thus far. The Naomeric has definitely hardened things up and the early scratches have not been added to since using it.

11th June 2007, 14:34	#8
Big Blue Newbie MG ZT Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sorry to hear that Mykl, I actually think the paintwork on my car is very good. I wonder if the colour has anything to do with it. I have a Royal Blue ZT, which is now 5 years old, and looking better than when I bought it (18 months old). My previous Audi A4 had dark blue matallic paint, and this was terribly scratched and dull no matter how often I polished it when it was 5 years old. Mys wife's Copperleaf Red 75 was quite resistant to chips, but needed regular polishing to keep it shiney, more so than my ZT, though the ZT was 'Supagaurd'ed by the first owner. Actually I think the paintwork on my ZT is better than the black on my wifes brand new Mercedes C-class Sports Coupe - which I feel is very orange-peely.