Can we talk about people painting over old clearcoat without scuffing it properly?

Honestly I keep seeing cars come through our shop where some other guy just shot new clear right over the old stuff that wasn't even sanded down. It looks fine for a month then starts peeling in big sheets. Last Tuesday I had a guy bring in a 2019 Silverado where the whole passenger side was flaking off like sunburn. I asked him who did the work and he said a buddy charged him $300. Ngl I spent two hours with 600 grit just getting that mess smooth again before we could do it right. You can't skip the prep no matter how much you want to save time. Has anyone else dealt with customers who got burned by those cheap quick jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenix2917d ago

Is that clear failing after a month the usual result when someone skips the sanding? @gibson.elizabeth nailed it about borrowing time, because that cheap bond will always let go eventually if you didn't rough up the old surface first. I've peeled enough of those sheet-style clear fails to know 600 grit is your best friend even when the paint looks fine.

gibson.elizabeth18d agoMost Upvoted

300 bucks for a whole side clear job should have been the first red flag, honestly. I used to think hey as long as it looks okay when it leaves it's fine, but then I watched a buddy's 2017 F-150 shed its clear like a snake after three months because he did exactly that. Spent a weekend at his place with a DA sander and enough 800 grit to sand a boat, and now I'm a firm believer that any shortcut on prep is just borrowing time. You can't cheat the bond, period.