Talked to an old school painter who changed how I look at clear coats

I was at a shop over in Charlotte last week dropping off some parts, and this guy in his 60s who's been painting since the 70s started talking to me about clear coat failures. He said most of what I was blaming on bad prep was actually just cheap clear that was too thin from the factory. He walked me over to his booth and showed me a Civic he was about to scuff down, pointed out how the clear had this weird orange peel pattern that wasn't a spray error but the formulation breaking down. Said he sees it mostly on Honda and Nissan stuff from around 2010 to 2015. I always figured it was me doing something wrong when I see that hazy look come back after buffing. Has anyone else noticed certain years or makes just have clear that degrades faster no matter what you do?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_kelly4d ago

That 2010-2015 Honda and Nissan thing is more of a regional humidity issue than the paint itself. I've seen plenty of those cars hold up fine here in dry climates.

dylan_patel4d ago

Drove a 2012 Civic for 7 years in Arizona and the paint was fine, not a single scratch or fade. Then moved to Florida for a job and within 2 years the clear coat was peeling on the roof and hood. That humidity and sun combo just eats the cheap paint these cars used. If you live in a drier place you probably won't see it, but don't think it's not a factory issue. A good ceramic coating or keeping it garaged helps a ton in humid spots.

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