Clear coat repair

**supra90** · 05-04-2013, 05:48 PM

Just wondering guys. Some anti-freeze spilled on my hood and I didn't get it wiped off in time. It burned thru the clear. It's a small area about a nickel in diameter. You can only see it from certain angles. Is there any product that could fill in the clear and not have it look touched up? I have clear coat touch up but I am afraid to play with it, as it will look worse.

**T3 AutoDetails** · 05-04-2013, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by supra90

Just wondering guys. Some anti-freeze spilled on my hood and I didn't get it wiped off in time. It burned thru the clear. It's a small area about a nickel in diameter. You can only see it from certain angles. Is there any product that could fill in the clear and not have it look touched up? I have clear coat touch up but I am afraid to play with it, as it will look worse.

Do you have any pics of the damage?

**supra90** · 05-05-2013, 10:59 AM

Not as of right now. But I have some RIDS and it looks like what is left after bird poop has been sitting for too long in the sun. In other words etching into clear and it's deep. I used 2000 grit wetsand and etching remained. Then hand polished with Meguiars ultimate compound and then polish. I knew it wasn't good when I could still see the etching after the wet sand.
Would using an orbital buffer make a difference? Just got a Griot's. I was thinking of hitting it again with megs or 3M compound. I am concerned I might go thru the clear. If I use Megs compound, what setting should I put the Griot's? I have never used a DA buffer before.
One guy at a body shop said it needs to be recleared. I don't know....maybe he wants my money. But the funny thing with the etching.....it doesn't catch your finger nails so I didn't think it was that bad. But it doesn't come out. If it's not thru the clear....it's pretty dam close.

**rmagnus** · 05-05-2013, 06:13 PM

Bottom line is it needs to be recleared. You can try a spot respray and blend it tough to do but not impossible. Just recleared the hood and you'll be good. I would be careful about continuing to buff the spot.

**supra90** · 05-06-2013, 09:56 AM

Thanks....yeh I am not going to touch the spot. Ofcourse you don't see it from 10 feet. You have to be on top of it and looking at it from the right angle. It's on the headlight cover of a 90 supra. I usually drive with the headlight up. Like most of us here on this site I am very anal about the car. Most people would wax it and forget about it.
I could go a body shop guy and ask for his opinion. I think they would have wet sand down the whole headlight and rear clear it. Spot resprays are tough, because after they wetsand down you get that little circle that looks like a water spot. I think I will just live with it. It's a shame because there aren't any other defects anywhere on the car.

**statusdetailing** · 05-06-2013, 10:43 AM

Some paint damage won't catch your fingernail. Paint is actually somewhat porous and some chemicals are able to penetrate and create damage down to the base coat. If wet sanding didn't fix it, I would stop. Polish the area the best you can and live with it unless you won't to repaint.

**supra90** · 05-06-2013, 06:17 PM

Thanks for the message. Body shop guy says he would have to do a whole repaint. In other words, they just can't "sand down the clear" and spray new clear. New base coat has to be added also. Not thrilled about this because the colors may not match. The color code is 8G5 indigo blue for a 90 Supra Turbo. Problem is sometimes the color doesn't have the same amount of metallic. He could do a repaint....but then it won't match the headlight on the other side.
On a side note.....he said he never heard of engine coolant burning thru clear. Is that possible? I think it burnt thru because it does have some acidic parts, and it was quite hot at the time.
Not going to wet sand anymore...it is just going to look worse at this point. Not much you can do if 2000 grit doesn't take it out.

**Dadillac** · 05-06-2013, 07:30 PM

Supra90 how does the spot appear when you wet it? Does the blemish disappear?

Don

**supra90** · 05-07-2013, 10:50 AM

As you know scratches and other defects disappear when water is on top of it. If there is some water on top it goes away. But wipe it dry the defect comes back.

**Dadillac** · 05-09-2013, 06:31 PM

Clearcoat will act just like the water. If it was mine I would clean the part really well and shoot some clear on it. Do not sand before clearing. If you have a clean wax free surface the clear will stick to it. After letting it cure for a week you can wet sand the clear if you had to blend it and then polish it out.

Don