New paint bubbling from heat.

[Gingerbread Man]

Just rebuilt my car. Went for a run. Pulled over at a point during the run and noticed this! Seems the paint job is wrecked. Newly sprayed ~8 months ago and then it's sat in a garage being rebuilt. First time out on the road.

What has caused this? It looks like a vinyl wrap with air still stuck under it to describe it well. I also notice the paint is very soft. Fitting the nosecone seems to have chipped the paint at the slightest contact with the body.

Bit gutted really as it needs to be in a shipping container for late October!

[paintman]

Fluid filled or air?
Could be http://www.ppg.com/coatings/maxmeyerengland/Pages/...
Or it could just be that the paint system (primer,colour,clearcoat)is simply not capable of taking the heat.
What paint type did you use?

[Gingerbread Man]

It's Kawasaki lime green. I believe he said it was water based.

[paintman]

There are several different types of paint & we need to know exactly what was used. That includes what was used as a primer. By that I mean the name of the paint maker and the name of the paint itself (not the colour name).

If this was professionally painted by someone & you have paid for it then you need to take it up with them as a warranty issue.

[Gingerbread Man]

I plan to Monday morning. Paint seems soft in other areas, easily chipping.

[trickywoo]

Maybe a paint fault but lack of heat shielding on the exhaust isn't going to help.

I'd wrap the exhaust or get them ceramic coated.

Bit late now but some heat shielding on the body work would also do the job if look more unsightly than wrapping or coating the 'zorst.

[Gingerbread Man]

trickywoo said:

Maybe a paint fault but lack of heat shielding on the exhaust isn't going to help.

I'd wrap the exhaust or get them ceramic coated.

Bit late now but some heat shielding on the body work would also do the job if look more unsightly than wrapping or coating the 'zorst.

The thing is that every other Caterham, and mine since 1999 has been fine like that, so something's a miss.

[Jam Spavlin]

Is it in direct gloss or base and clear?

[civicduty]

Have you taken it back to the place who painted it yet? What is their opinion?

[Gingerbread Man]

Not as yet. MOTed it yesterday, will hopefully get it to them this week. The nosecone is still to be painted, so needs some work either way.

[Gingerbread Man]

It's hopefully going in for Wednesday.

I delivered a bare ally (newly repaneled) chassis to him. The scuttle and bonnet had need paint stripped by me, they were reused in their then newly bare ally finish.

How should be have gone from this to paint to ready to hand to customer. What are the stages, oven bake? Etch primer?

Just so I have a better understanding,

Thanks.

[Squiggs]

Etch prime
Prime (there maybe a quick bake at this stage)
Then either direct gloss or paint and lacquer.
Full bake.
Obviously there are prep stages between all of those.

It could be that etch wasn't applied but prep is more likely the problem.
If the sanding stages - either on the bare skin or on the primers - was too smooth it means key for the following stages is to fine and the next coat has nothing to grip onto.

I would hope that the painter would investigate as I'm sure he would like to know what's gone wrong.

[7even]

Generally fibre glass isn't baked as it tends to cause more problems than it cures... pardon the pun.

[Gingerbread Man]

7even said:

Generally fibre glass isn't baked as it tends to cause more problems than it cures... pardon the pun.

Caterham are aluminium skinned.

[Gingerbread Man]

Squiggs said:

Etch prime
Prime (there maybe a quick bake at this stage)
Then either direct gloss or paint and lacquer.
Full bake.
Obviously there are prep stages between all of those.

It could be that etch wasn't applied but prep is more likely the problem.
If the sanding stages - either on the bare skin or on the primers - was too smooth it means key for the following stages is to fine and the next coat has nothing to grip onto.

I would hope that the painter would investigate as I'm sure he would like to know what's gone wrong.

I find the paint to easily chip, soft as it were. Would this say anything about the paint?

[Squiggs]

One question not as yet answered - 2k solid or lacquer over base?

I'm no expert in complete resprays - it could be is the mix (amount of hardner v's thinners) to make the 2k or solid flow.
If it's lacquer over base it could be cheap lacquer.
I've never used 2k so I don't know if you can get 'cheap' or what happens if you do use cheap?

I was asked to look at these sort of bubbles on an ali horse box years ago - and the bubbles were full of liquid ..... had me flummoxed!
What time of year was it worked on?
Bodywork should be at 20 degs before spraying to eliminate moisture - maybe it's a simple case of moisture being trapped and trying to escape.

I'm very surprised that the body and/or restoration guys aren't helping!

[Gingerbread Man]

Not too sure other than I believe it to be water based paint. That's as far as my knowledge goes at mo. I was meant to take it down tonight,but having had my day dragged on, hopefully tomorrow now.

It was painted around April this year I think, my memory goes.

[Gingerbread Man]

Right, turns out it's not water based. The lad said it was 2 pack. Kept going on about heat shields. They look wk, I'm not having one, it was never an issue prior, research the issue and sort was my point I hopefully got across.

Fingers crossed.

[robdcfc]

As a painter myself, if you bring that back to me and take professional advice that you need heat shields(all paint will bubble at those exhaust temps) then I am likely to tell you where to go.

Can you not have some shields made and powdercoated in a similar colour to the vehicle to disguise them?

[Squiggs]

I have to agree with the above I'm afraid.

If it was designed to have a heat shield then it was obviously put there for a reason.
The fact that you previously removed it for aesthetic reasons and didn't get a problem was probably down to luck - but you can't really expect the same luck following a respray.