Please help identify paint issue - Nissan GT-R

[autodetailer]

Hello. As you can tell, I am new to the forum, so let me first introduce myself. My business partner & I started a mobile car wash company 2 summers ago. We began doing washes and the odd wax or shampoo. My partner went through a detailing program at an automotive training school. We practised many hours on our own vehicles before taking on any clients. We've had mostly positive results over the past year, but realize that we still have a long way to go before we're as good as some of you guys!

That brings me to the topic of my post. We've run into something we can't figure out on our own, so we're looking to have some more experienced guys weigh in. This might be totally novice, but please don't judge, as we're here to learn.

Photos are attached. Vehicle is a Nissan GT-R. 2011, I believe. Black.

Any idea what we're looking at? It is present only on the driver & passenger door panels. Nowhere else. It is as tho the paint is bubbling/slightly raised. Some are round bubbles as though an spray of some sort was left on the surface. There are also heavy drip lines coming down from the mirrors. We have washed the car many times. Detailed it once. This showed up about 1 month after we detailed it. Since the detail, we washed it twice before this appeared.

Just before we noticed this, the owner did have the 3M protective film on the front of the car completely removed and replaced with a new one. The paint was in this condition after the first wash following that job. Could it be related?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully my explanation clear. I realize it was quite wordy. Let me know if you need any clarification/additional details.

Thanks in advance!

[Setec Astronomy]

Those cars have that self-healing paint on them (or did, at one time). Is it possible there was some bodyside molding on the doors that was pulled off and distorted the paint? Or perhaps repeated door dinging? It's hard to tell the scale of the defect from your pic.

[BobbyG]

:welcome: To Autogeek Online! :props:

I looked closely at the photos and to me it appears to be a plastic film with bubbles underneath it and streaking. Is this correct?

[autodetailer]

Those cars have that self-healing paint on them (or did, at one time). Is it possible there was some bodyside molding on the doors that was pulled off and distorted the paint? Or perhaps repeated door dinging? It's hard to tell the scale of the defect from your pic.

To my knowledge, there was never any film on the side panels. I am fairly confident that I would have noticed that. The damage you're seeing in the photo is raised from the surface of the paint. They are not dings or dents. It looks as though it was wet/swollen. It's extremely difficult to photograph. :s


:welcome: To Autogeek Online! :props:

I looked closely at the photos and to me it appears to be a plastic film with bubbles underneath it and streaking. Is this correct?

There is no film on the door. We have inspected in thoroughly. We've spent so much time staring at it that it's become ridiculous. Just can't figure it out.

Could this somehow be the result of a cleaning product sprayed on the car and left there? A quick detail product, for example?

Attached a better shot of the bubbling effect. Hopefully it's clearer.

[Setec Astronomy]

To my knowledge, there was never any film on the side panels. I am fairly confident that I would have noticed that. The damage you're seeing in the photo is raised from the surface of the paint.

I'm not talking about film, I'm talking about a molding strip. That self-healing paint is an amorphous solid, and I can definitely imagine it being "distorted" by pulling of a strip of something glued to it, and it looking just like that. That paint "heals" with heat, you might (carefully!) try a heat gun/hair dryer on it to see if it flattens out.

[autodetailer]

I'm not talking about film, I'm talking about a molding strip. That self-healing paint is an amorphous solid, and I can definitely imagine it being "distorted" by pulling of a strip of something glued to it, and it looking just like that. That paint "heals" with heat, you might (carefully!) try a heat gun/hair dryer on it to see if it flattens out.

Sorry bout that! I misunderstood you. I will take a closer look next time I see the car and do a little more reading, then probably give that a try in an area near the bottom on the panel. I'll start with the hair dryer before a heat gun tho. Hopefully it helps. Thanks for the advice!

In the meantime, still open to other suggestions too!

[DaveT435]

What did they use to take the film off??? Heat??

[autodetailer]

What did they use to take the film off??? Heat??

I have no idea. I wasn't involved in that process at all, nor do I know which shop did the work.

The thing I find most suspicious is the drip lines that seem to be showing in the paint, the same way you see the "bubbles" in the photos I attached. Unfortunately, those lines did not photograph well.

It's the drip lines that lead me to believe that maybe some product was sprayed on the 2 doors, and left there, damaging the paint.

If it were heat from the removal/re-application of the protective film on the front end, wouldn't the hood show some damage? It looks pristine. This is present ONLY on the 2 door panels. I can't figure it out...

[Setec Astronomy]

How big is the area we are seeing in the pics?

[swanicyouth]

You may never figure out what caused it. To me, it looks like someone heated the paint for some reason or something caustic got on the paint (like brake fluid). Possibly, its an act of vandalism. But, that is hard to tell without seeing the pattern and distribution of the damage. Unless what we are looking at is above surface contamination. However, based on that picture only, it looks like the only solution is a repaint.

[swanicyouth]

Looking at that again, that reminds me of this guys Camaro I knew. He pissed someone off and they dumped brake fluid on his hood. Brake fluid ruins paint. It sort of looked like that from what I recall. Not as much the bubbles, but the drip lines. But whatever it is, probably the same thing caused all the damage

Was the car like this the first time you detailed it?

[DaveT435]

I don't know what they use to remove those either. The only thing I can think of that would make paint so that is excessive heat. If it were only on one side I would think it was parked near a fire. The lines don't fit with a heat scenario though. It seems like if it were chemically induced the paint would be soft...

[DaveT435]

Looking at that again, that reminds me of this guys Camaro I knew. He pissed someone off and they dumped brake fluid on his hood. Brake fluid ruins paint. It sort of looked like that from what I recall.


The brake fluid also made the paint soft didn't it??

[AutowerxDetailing]

It may not be an isolated issue...

Rust / Paint Bubble - GT-R Register - Official Nissan Skyline and GTR Owners Club forum (http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/165194-rust-paint-bubble.html)

Subscribed.

[swanicyouth]

The brake fluid also made the paint soft didn't it??

I believe so. It's been over 15 years since this happened. I just remember it made it look "drippy"