Re: Paint problem?

[AW <weststar@ziplink.net>]

Dear Fred:

Thanks for your email message.  I had not seen that happen with other
older cars (my relatives tend to keep their cars until they drop).  From
what I understand, simply reapplying the clearcoat will not solve the
problem, as clearcoat should only be applied to perfect paint--otherwise
imperfections are magnified by that new clearcoat.  The autobody shop
owner indicated that I would be better off buying another car than
paying to repaint mine, even though the car is otherwise in great
condition--good paint jobs aren't cheap.

I bought some materials to deal with the scratches.  Anything will be an
improvement.  I also plan to apply some 3M hand glaze.  

Sincerely,
Andy  


Fred Munro wrote:
> 
> Andy;
> 
>     Audi had a problem with their clearcoat finish which gave the appearance
> of numerous fine scratches. These would appear over large areas as the
> clearcoat failed. The problem usually appears after 3-4 years and gets
> progressively worse until the clearcoat actually peels off the basecoat.
> Horizontal surfaces are the worst because they get more sun, heat, and
> airborne contaminants.
>     This problem was quite prevalent in the early clearcoat finishes ('86 -
> '87). Resolution requires a re-paint, although 600 grit wetsanding the
> clearcoat and re-applying clearcoat may resolve the problem.
>     Audi is not the only manufacturer with this problem - my wife's '87 Olds
> is beginning to show the same symptoms.
>     I had a total clearcoat failure in this fashion on my Zermatt Silver '86
> 5ktq. My Titanium Gray '91 200q shows no sign of failure at this point.
> 
> HTH
> 
> Fred Munro
> '91 200q  261k km