Anyone else noticed the awful finish on new car paintwork? All major brands seem to have it now

Almost matt on some cars and very very "orange peel" finish.

Worst offender I have seen was a Mitsubishi Triton in metallic white brand new terrible, at first I thought it was matt white.

Many new cars have "pearl" instead of metallic in the paint. It's ground-up oyster shells and it does give more of a soft glow than a shine. Could that be what you're seeing?

Most new cars are painted by a robot.

Yep, it'll most likely be white pearl - I don't think Mitsu do a standard white. In any case, white is always a hard color to make 'pop'.
As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time.

Out with the 1000 then 1200 then 1500 nothing a days detailing won't cure

Yep, it'll most likely be white pearl - I don't think Mitsu do a standard white. In any case, white is always a hard color to make 'pop'.

As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time.

Orange peel effect will never "settle", it's an imperfection in the painting process and to remove it requires wet sanding.

Yep, it'll most likely be white pearl - I don't think Mitsu do a standard white. In any case, white is always a hard color to make 'pop'.

As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time.

Orange peel effect will never "settle", it's an imperfection in the painting process and to remove it requires wet sanding.

Maybe my eyes just keep getting older along with all my previously orange peeled cars

It may well have been pearl finish on the Triton ( but surely this is lacquered like metallics) but really all of them now have this goddamn awful REALLY noticeable orange peel effect. Tends to be more on doors and less ( but not much) on bonnets /hoods

Have a look on a new car next time you walk past, doors seem to be worst.......robot needs a bloody good kicking in my opinion.

No new cars these days have lacquer on them. It is all water based urethane.

Many new cars have "pearl" instead of metallic in the paint. It's ground-up oyster shells and it does give more of a soft glow than a shine. Could that be what you're seeing?

Most new cars are painted by a robot.

z.jpg

I thought it was Mica?

Isuzu white pearl doesn't POP, reminds me of a Cuttle Fish Bone in Grannies Budgie Cage.

Yep, it'll most likely be white pearl - I don't think Mitsu do a standard white. In any case, white is always a hard color to make 'pop'.

As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time.

"As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time."

+1

With the exception of Rolls Royces with their 26 coats of hand-rubbed lacquer, most new cars come off the line with orange peel.

In the showroom, the ones without orange peel have usually been on display for some time, giving the paint time to "lay down."

I did not invent this information, a Japanese friend who works for Honda company told me this.

Yep, it'll most likely be white pearl - I don't think Mitsu do a standard white. In any case, white is always a hard color to make 'pop'.

As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time.

Orange peel effect will never "settle", it's an imperfection in the painting process and to remove it requires wet sanding.

I believe this is not entirely correct. Here is some information from a painting expert --

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/ask-a-pro-orange-peel-part-two-of-two-how-to-rid-your-paint-of-it/

Yep, it'll most likely be white pearl - I don't think Mitsu do a standard white. In any case, white is always a hard color to make 'pop'.

As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time.

Orange peel effect will never "settle", it's an imperfection in the painting process and to remove it requires wet sanding.

I believe this is not entirely correct. Here is some information from a painting expert --

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/ask-a-pro-orange-peel-part-two-of-two-how-to-rid-your-paint-of-it/

Believe what you like, what I posted is correct, if it is not correct why is the paint correction business flourishing so well? Incidentally the article you linked to said exactly what I said.

Yep, it'll most likely be white pearl - I don't think Mitsu do a standard white. In any case, white is always a hard color to make 'pop'.

As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time.

Orange peel effect will never "settle", it's an imperfection in the painting process and to remove it requires wet sanding.

I believe this is not entirely correct. Here is some information from a painting expert --

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/ask-a-pro-orange-peel-part-two-of-two-how-to-rid-your-paint-of-it/

Believe what you like, what I posted is correct, if it is not correct why is the paint correction business flourishing so well? Incidentally the article you linked to said exactly what I said.

The settling on my cars is more than likely because they've all had meg's M105 followed by meg's M205 a few times.

Mr IMOH ... I thought that you were big into glass coating, or did I mis-understand. Did you use M105 as part of the glass coating preparation? Does putting M205 or other on top of glass coating reduce the water sheeting? Did you put Si700 on top of your glass coating? thanks

Mr IMOH ... I thought that you were big into glass coating, or did I mis-understand. Did you use M105 as part of the glass coating preparation? Does putting M205 or other on top of glass coating reduce the water sheeting? Did you put Si700 on top of your glass coating? thanks

I didn't get into glass coating until my newest car was about 12 months old - by which time it had the above treatment 3-4 times already.

That said, before I glassed all of my cars, I did: clay, M105 and M205 on the ones that I still thought could use it, and clay followed by meg's Paint Reconditioning Cream for the one's that were already looking good under my xenon light.

Mr IMOH ... I thought that you were big into glass coating, or did I mis-understand. Did you use M105 as part of the glass coating preparation? Does putting M205 or other on top of glass coating reduce the water sheeting? Did you put Si700 on top of your glass coating? thanks

I didn't get into glass coating until my newest car was about 12 months old - by which time it had the above treatment 3-4 times already.

That said, before I glassed all of my cars, I did: clay, M105 and M205 on the ones that I still thought could use it, and clay followed by meg's Paint Reconditioning Cream for the one's that were already looking good under my xenon light.

IMHO, I just got my swift back from painting to repair a few scratches and dents - fortunately they repainted the whole car as now the orange peel is quite prominent, more so on the original paint which had hardly any. Will the M105 and M205 reduce or eliminate them, and did you apply this by hand? I'd rather not wet sand as I'm sure I'd make a mess of it and I don't have an electrical buffer. I doubt nissan (who painted the car) would be interested and say it's 'normal'. I'm at a loss as to why car manufacturers are producing cars like this, especially when the paint is applied by humans with paint guns. Why I got my honda done at a different garage, there was no visible orange peel, but that is silver and seems less likey to show it. The swift is blue and shows it all.

RE # 18 "...there was no visible orange peel, but that is silver and seems less likey to show it. The swift is blue and shows it all."

Interesting observation.

Are there certain automotive colors less likely to suffer the orange peel effect?

RE # 18 "...there was no visible orange peel, but that is silver and seems less likey to show it. The swift is blue and shows it all."

Interesting observation.

Are there certain automotive colors less likely to suffer the orange peel effect?

On my honda I don't see any orange peel from any angle or lighting. I don't recall the original paint having much orange peel. The resprayed swift shows a lot of it. They factory paint (also blue had little). I think its more to do with how the car is sprayed. I didn't feel so bad after parking next to a new cls benz at the shopping center. It's black paint was full of orange peel:)

Mr IMOH ... I thought that you were big into glass coating, or did I mis-understand. Did you use M105 as part of the glass coating preparation? Does putting M205 or other on top of glass coating reduce the water sheeting? Did you put Si700 on top of your glass coating? thanks

I didn't get into glass coating until my newest car was about 12 months old - by which time it had the above treatment 3-4 times already.

That said, before I glassed all of my cars, I did: clay, M105 and M205 on the ones that I still thought could use it, and clay followed by meg's Paint Reconditioning Cream for the one's that were already looking good under my xenon light.

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm now doing. I just glassed the newest car (14 months old - but perfect like new condition before glass), and I have a couple others including a big German barge to do that I will clay as you suggested.

Regarding the OP's view that new mass market cars are orange peeled out of the factory, I haven't seen that, at least on mine and other friends,several Japanese and American new models.

You must have washed and dried it very carefully not to have any swirls after 18 months.

Yes, clay it first. Then use 105 or 205 or both depending on what you see. After washing use 25% IPA to remove all the polish/grease etc

After glass coating, I wouldn't polish ... just a once over with SI-700 every three months or so.

Out of interest what glass coating did you use ... I got my Eco direct from Crystal Products in Japan.

Orange peel ... actually it helps protect the paint. I looked at some Fords yesterday and they weren't that bad ... at the Isuzu garage a while back they were worse. My V-Cross is pearl white so it doesn't show much.

^I used Kanzai 3D from Japan, but I think it's a Thai company that sells it. This was my trial car first, and I will probably have my other two more expensive ones done with direct buy from Japan and Claying etc., as you suggested.

I used the 2 pack paint system which was solvent based back in Oz. As long as the spray booth was warm and I didn't apply it to heavy there was never a problem with 'orange peel'.

Maybe the temperature their spraying at is the problem? I've never used the water based product so I am guessing!

No new cars these days have lacquer on them. It is all water based urethane.

All metallics and pearl colours have clear lacquer on them and most solid cplours too. The orange peel finish is caused by voc laws that force them to use high solids paints and clears which are generally one pass of the gun these days. water base paints are the base coats only IE colour. Be careful wet flatting to polish the peel out it's not as thick as years ago.

The "pearl white" color in new cars was a 1993 "innovation" in car paint..Very nice color indeed...but...vey hard to match in case of any body repair...

Many new cars have "pearl" instead of metallic in the paint. It's ground-up oyster shells and it does give more of a soft glow than a shine. Could that be what you're seeing?

Most new cars are painted by a robot.

z.jpg

Incorrect, My company makes auto accessories and more than 99 % of the products that are painted to match the vehicle's colour is not pearl.

We paint about 10,000 units per year and in the 14 years that I have been working at my company we have probably painted less than 20 units in a pearl colour.

The majority of paint used on vehicles is metallic followed by flat and pearl way behind and bringing up the rear

Yep, it'll most likely be white pearl - I don't think Mitsu do a standard white. In any case, white is always a hard color to make 'pop'.

As for the orange peel, that actually settles with a little time.

Mitsubishi's main white colour is 'Polar White W32' and their pearl white is 'Pearl White W54'.

All major paint suppliers have a waterbourne 2k (base coat, clear coat system).

No auto maker uses laquer paint these days and have not for many years.

If you want to know how thick your clear coat is then measure the total thickness on the exterior and then check under the bonnet where there is no clear coat... you would expect a diffrrence of around 100 microns and that will be the thickness of your clear coat.