There are some cars you cannot fix

[Mike Phillips]

There are some cars you cannot fix (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/52226-there-some-cars-you-cannot-fix.html)



Extreme Clearcoat Failure - This cannot be fixed
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/ClearcoatFailureonFord.jpg



There are some cars that you simply cannot fix. That is to say, there are some paint jobs that you cannot fix. By this I mean there's nothing you can pour out of a bottle or scoop out of a can and then rub it onto the paint and undo any existing damage.

It has nothing to do with you, your skills, experience, choice of tools, pads, products or your knowledge base, it has to do with the paint.


The paint is past the point of no return...


In cases like these, the paint is past the point of no return which is why I included this as one of my 11 Paint Condition Categories in my first how-to book.

So just be honest with your customer and in these cases you're going to have to educate them on the facts. Feel free to print out the article below and show them the picture of Category #11 or if you have a copy of my book simply show them page 37 and the paragraph on the following page that pretty much states what I wrote above.


Page 37 - Paint Condition Categories (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/51281-page-37-paint-condition-categories.html)


I reference this so much on this forum and other touch points that it's come to the point where it's going to make things faster for me while typing to have a dedicated page with the picture on it...

Page 37 - Paint Condition Categories

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1313/Page37ofBook.jpg




This is also why it's so important to practice the "Best Practice" of always doing a Test Spot on every car you work on before buffing out the entire car.


How To Do a Test Spot (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/50162-how-do-test-spot.html)
(and why it's so important)


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/TestSpot03.jpg


Paperback
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/medium/paperbackDetailingBook01.jpg (http://www.autogeek.net/art-of-detailing-paperback-book.html)



http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/images/smilies/xyxthumbs.gif

[BobbyG]

As with most things in life, once you get part the point of no return it's over....and this is one of them...:props:

[Mike Phillips]

As with most things in life, once you get part the point of no return it's over....and this is one of them...:props:





I took the picture of the Ford above at the parking lot of the pool where I work out and yes, the paint is definitely past the point of no return.

The important thing I want to share with the topic of this article is that if you detail cars long enough, there are going to be times when people bring you a vehicle that for whatever reason, the paint is past the point of no return and it has nothing to do with your skills or abilities.

For cars like these you want to do two things,


1. Walk away, let someone else have the blessing as I like to say...

2. Educate your customer.



Believe it or not, some people don't have a clue about things like the paint on their car nor the common sense to listen to someone that does, see reason #1 above.


:)

[RoadRageDetail]

Case in point:

Had a potential customer talk to me about fixing a couple "bad spots" in the paint of his Civic. So I asked him to send me some pictures if it was possible so I could get a better idea of what he was wanting me to address. Needless to say I didn't have good news for him. I informed him of the situation with his clear coat failing, and that there was no hope for any detailer to fix his issue.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd129/Road_Rage_Photos/badpaint1.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd129/Road_Rage_Photos/155ietv.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd129/Road_Rage_Photos/15q3w3p.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd129/Road_Rage_Photos/2ptukcp.jpg

He purchased the car used at a Honda dealer less than two years ago, and it has less than 50k on the clock. It looks to me as if it were resprayed, noting the peeling on the edges of the pillars, they are vinyl wrapped from the factory, and appeared to be clear coated at one point. I have seen horribly oxidized vinyl on these cars but at no point have I come across them ever being clear coated, nor it failing like that on a factory coating. Poor guy had no idea and at no point did the dealer disclose paint repairs him.

He still wants me to try a polish on the rest of the car, and making me feel terrible about wanting not touch it whatsoever. But I don't want to diminish what life the rest of his paint has by attempting any sort of repair.

[Bobby B.]

I would give that car a cheap paint job with some Chalk Board paint lol. Why not have some fun with the car if the paint can't be saved.

http://kidoozy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/chalkboard-paint.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7224/6857318728_8e1c9097b8_b.jpg

[Mike Phillips]

Anyone that's ever went out into the sun at the beach, a lake or a river for a day of fun without sun protection knows how badly you can get a sunburn. Like this,

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/sunburn.jpg


Any car parked outside is exposed to the same UV rays that cause our skin to burn.

Think about it... the sun emits powerful spectrums of light day in, day-out and this type of repeated exposure takes it's toll on ANYTHING it shines down on...

It's all cause and effect and clear coat failure is the effect with modern basecoat/clearcoat paint technology.


Also, just to note, this topic isn't just about clear coat failure. There's all types of reasons why the paint on a car can reach the point of no return...

:)

[Mike Phillips]

He still wants me to try a polish on the rest of the car,




Did you ever buff out this car?


:dunno:

[Pureshine]

Mike I have a couple cars like the first come through my shop hoping I can fix it for them. I have to tell them time for a repaint and there not to happy with that answer sometimes. It's time to call Macco lol!

[Bill1234]

As Larry from Ammonyc said, Paint is like skin, it reacts in almost the same way ....

[Jaretr1]

Not surprised to see that on the Civic. I think Honda had an issue with paint on the Civics around those years and you often see them with clear coat failure, which is rare for a car around that age. It would not be surprising to find out that car was sprayed for a warrantee issue or just sprayed to fix damage already done to sell the car.