Peeling Clear Coat

[Zak99b5]

Just noticed a new spot on the roof where the clear coat is failing.

I'd like to address this and make a decent cosmetic repair (meaning it doesn't need to be perfect) before it spreads and I'm Plasti-Dipping the roof.

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• Zak99b5
• May 7, 2022

Peeling clear coat

Can I just clean it up and use the folded-paper masking technique and spray 2k clear from a can over this? My goal is to keep the car "presentable."

Also, does this mean the clear is about to fail in other spots?

 

[Rrusse11]

Yes, a gentle feather of the edges with some 800 or so.
And yes, your clearcoat is getting old, breaking down from UV.
Ideally give the whole car a light sand and recoat with clear, at least the horizontal surfaces.

 

[Mongler98]

Yep. No matter what you do or cant ve stopped unless ots put of the sun. Sanding and recoating is just buying time and IMO a waste of $. Only solution eventually is a repaint. But for now as it's not too bad you can chase it like mentioned above. There will be a point you either live with it or just repaint.
Happens to most cars especially from this era.

 

[Zak99b5]

Ok, looks like I'll just clear the whole roof (the peeling spot is only 3-4"). It's got a few scratches and scuffs in spots anyway.

 

[Rrusse11]

The only real answer is to get a garage. Or at least one of those cheap Harbor Freight car canopies. My 20yr old paint is actually
in good shape still, but I suspect it spent most of its previous life under cover. Also I'd avoid polishing it, that'll really accelerate
the degredation/thickness of the clear coat IMO.

 

[Zak99b5]

Unfortunately, a garage is not in the forseeable future.

As for doing clear on the whole roof, I was thinking a decent scuff with 800 (?) then putting the clear on (2K from a can). But then it occured to me that maybe more clear would start to fail under that.

So, should I do more sanding and basically remove all the clear? I can get new base coat color matched to the paint code. I did rattle-can base and 2k clear on my replacement fenders, and they turned out surprisingly well.

 

[Rrusse11]

Zak,
No need to completely remove the old, in fact I'd leave as much as I could, it's still doing the job of filtering out UV.
Hence my recommendation of some fine grit, I'd go wet, and wipe it carefully as you go. You just want to "key" the
old coat to ensure good adhesion. Knock the gloss off.
No need for extra base coat if it's still there. Just do the roof, hood and trunk and motor on with a good clearcoat,
a 2 pack, ie one with an isocyanate hardener, will give the most durable film.
If you've managed to do a good job on the fenders, you'll have no problem doing the flats on the car.
Catch it now, before the film deteriorates, and you'll get years out of it.
MUCH cheaper and easier than a total repaint. You can even do it section by section, roof first. Do get a good mask/
respirator!

 

[Mongler98]

I have never seen a diy clear that stopped a peal ... just prolongs the inevitable.
Stay away from rainx too. For some reason it speeds up the issue.

 

[BobnOH]

Patch it up and forget about it, it's a 20 year old paint job. These cars last so well, it may be worth re-sprayng the whole car sometime.
Some colors/makes fail after only 5 or 10 years.

 

[Zak99b5]

Definitely will have a respirator. The 2K clear I used on the fenders was super nasty in the fumes department. I basically held my breath as I was laying down coats.

Would 2 cans be enough? I also need to clear my daughter's headlights.

 

[KrashDH]

Definitely will have a respirator. The 2K clear I used on the fenders was super nasty in the fumes department. I basically held my breath as I was laying down coats.

Would 2 cans be enough? I also need to clear my daughter's headlights.

Unfortunately holding your breath with any 2 part clear isn't going to do anything. The organics in that are nasty. They can also permeate your skin. It's highly advised to research the correct PPE for spraying 2k clear. Respirator (with new and correct filters), goggles, full clothing coverage and fresh air, at a minimum.

1 can should do approximately 4 sets of headlights so you can kind of judge your need from there.

 

[Mongler98]

Ikon pay some smuck $30 labor and let them get the cancer. Or pay the $100 for se one time use PPE or forget it.
Your health is not worth sacrificing over some crappy cars clear coat job

 

[Genesis]

Isocyanates are nasty stuff folks. Seriously. Like "kill you" nasty. Proper full-coverage suit and positive pressure breathing supply or let someone else do it.

 

[Zak99b5]

They are indeed. When I did the fenders, it was outside in the driveway.

 

[Rrusse11]

India Bhopal accident, Union Carbide - Big Chemical Encyclopedia

chempedia.info

Nasty stuff, some of you may not be old enough to remember the above accident. I've sprayed too much of it, it does make paint a lot more durable and is a key component in 2 pack polyurethane paints. Mostly used on aircraft and marine applications.

 

[Zak99b5]

As alluded to in the "daily" thread, I shot the clear on Sunday. A light scuffing with 800 grit to get a uniform matte finish, masking on most of the car, and parked under an EZ up.

After the first couple coats it started to rain, pretty heavily at times, but it stayed dry under the EZ up. Glad I bought the proper respirator. I didn't get even a whiff of the clear as I was applying it.

The horizontal roof proved harder for me to get a nice wet coat for the final, since I was spraying at an angle. When I did the fenders, it was before I installed them and had them leaning in a makeshift cardboard booth.

I'll get pictures later, but I'm sure you can all imagine the texture that I have. I did do 5 or 6 coats at least, so I will be able to wetsand and buff it all out later though. Still, I'm a bit disappointed and crestfallen with how it turned out this time.

Another goof I made was when I feathered the peeled spot. I sanded a little too hard on the base that was exposed and revealed some primer, but since I was wetsanding I didn't notice until after I'd sprayed the clear.

 

[Rrusse11]

Ayup, you're on the learning curve! Not to worry, it's better than it was, right? And there's always the 30' rule.
How's it look from that distance?
Th
Don't let the micro analysis get you down, cars live outside on the streets, not in a glass case on the mantlepiece.
The better you get the more you'll see, there's a good reason the high end finishes are so expensive. It's difficult!,
and time consuming. Be happy and motor on, let's face it, our elderly cars aren't worth much, but with a good
protective coat of paint, will continue on for a long time. This forum will help you keep it going mechanically for
a loooong time, the real killer is rust. Prevent that and keep it tidy, try to stay out of accidents! The MkIV is a
very durable platform.

 

[Zak99b5]

Oh yes I am definitely glad I did this little project. And I know after wetsanding and buffing it will look better than it did before. And with any bodywork I attempt, I definitley keep the 30' rule in mind, knowing my skill set resides in the mechanical spectrum of car care. As I said before, my goal is to keep the car looking presentable--a show car it ain't.

 

[KrashDH]

Post up some pics!

 

[JB05]

I can relate to the OP's concern. I too have to convince myself not to look for perfection when painting outdoors with rattle cans.
I do have some rust which is almost an annual event to get rid of. The front of my hood has the most rust.

 

[Zak99b5]

Post up some pics!

Will do after it stops raining. Hopefully of each stage of sanding, buffing, and polishing as well.

 

[Zak99b5]

Ok have some pics of the clear as I laid it (meaning not wet sanded or anything yet).

It was wet with rain and the sun was setting, so I dried it with a towel. White terry, so any white specks you see are bits of towel.

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• Zak99b5
• May 19, 2022

Wet with rain

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• Zak99b5
• May 19, 2022

Roof dried of rain

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• Zak99b5
• May 19, 2022

Sanded through base oops

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• Zak99b5
• May 19, 2022

Towel dried

 

[Zak99b5]

The fore to aft streaks are also from wiping it with the towel.

 

[Zak99b5]

Ok here are some pics:

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

First pass 1500

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

1st pass 1500 closeup

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

2nd pass 1500

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

2nd 1500 closeup

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

3000

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

3000 closeup

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

5000

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

5000 closeup

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

Compound

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

Compound closeup

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

Polished

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

Polished closeup

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

More polishing

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

Reflection

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• Zak99b5
• May 22, 2022

All washed

 

[Zak99b5]

The ninth pic that says “compound” is actually just after the 5000.

Not great by a long shot, but it looks as good as the of the car, so it blends in perfectly.

Glad I did it myself, and I learned a few things about paint.

 

[KrashDH]

Great work!
The end result looks really good.