Fading clear coat - can you 're-clear'?
Discussion
Hi All,
I have an issue with my Subaru Forester, 2004 in world rally blue.
It has original paint, now 20+ years old, and the clearcoat is starting to fail/peel - the plastic roof rail caps have mostly peeled already and are now a non-lacquered blue, as has a horizontal section of the front bumper.
I can see that the bonnet scoop clearcoat is starting to lose its shine and go dull, which is very similar to what happened on the roof rail parts before they actually peeled. And I think I can see it just about starting on the rear spoiler too. For clarity this can't be polished back to shiny, I tried that on the roof rails before they went. Polished the clear, it stayed dull-ish, then maybe a year later it started peeling.
Does anyone know if I can pre-emptively re-clear this and save it?
I'm fairly sure where it has already peeled off it's too late, as it's a metallic base colour I can't exactly sand it flat and re-clear.
I'm thinking If I give it a light scuff up and get some 2k clearcoat I could potentially save my original paint for a bit of time and not much money.
I'm trying to find out the exact mechanism that clearcoat fails from time/UV exposure etc, and whether it will continue deteriorating underneath a new paint layer that I add, or will it be effectively sealed in? Can't really find much information on this.
What does everyone think? anyone have any experience?
I have an issue with my Subaru Forester, 2004 in world rally blue.
It has original paint, now 20+ years old, and the clearcoat is starting to fail/peel - the plastic roof rail caps have mostly peeled already and are now a non-lacquered blue, as has a horizontal section of the front bumper.
I can see that the bonnet scoop clearcoat is starting to lose its shine and go dull, which is very similar to what happened on the roof rail parts before they actually peeled. And I think I can see it just about starting on the rear spoiler too. For clarity this can't be polished back to shiny, I tried that on the roof rails before they went. Polished the clear, it stayed dull-ish, then maybe a year later it started peeling.
Does anyone know if I can pre-emptively re-clear this and save it?
I'm fairly sure where it has already peeled off it's too late, as it's a metallic base colour I can't exactly sand it flat and re-clear.
I'm thinking If I give it a light scuff up and get some 2k clearcoat I could potentially save my original paint for a bit of time and not much money.
I'm trying to find out the exact mechanism that clearcoat fails from time/UV exposure etc, and whether it will continue deteriorating underneath a new paint layer that I add, or will it be effectively sealed in? Can't really find much information on this.
What does everyone think? anyone have any experience?
The clear would bond to any good clear that is on there if suitably keyed, but the danger is you have no way of knowing what's good and what's bad.
Also, the compromised base will have lightly changed colour under the UV and you will have a patchy effect where the exposed areas will be a slightly different shade of blue.
In theory, yes, you could scuff and shoot, but by scuffing the base you will likely rub through to the primer.
The much better job, for only a little extra in both time and cost is just do it right.
Are you doing it yourself? Sand back the compromised areas until your on decent paint, shoot some primer past the edges of the base/lacquer and feather it out, blend the new base on the areas that need painting and lacquer the lot.
UV deteriorates the clear coat, if you seal it with new clear, the clear below will be protected, but what you don't know is how well that is bonded to the substrate, so if the old lacquer isn't bonded, it will lift from the substrate and take the new lacquer with it. Thats why as a painter I cant guarantee my work on top of someone else's work if its had a previous repair.
So to try to visualise it, new clear would bond to a keyed surface on the top, and that would protect that surface from future UV damage, but you don't know if the underneath of the old clear is still well bonded to the base beneath or if its been compromised over time, and therefore it fails on that edge, not the edge between the old and new keyed clear, if that makes sense?
Also, the compromised base will have lightly changed colour under the UV and you will have a patchy effect where the exposed areas will be a slightly different shade of blue.
In theory, yes, you could scuff and shoot, but by scuffing the base you will likely rub through to the primer.
The much better job, for only a little extra in both time and cost is just do it right.
Are you doing it yourself? Sand back the compromised areas until your on decent paint, shoot some primer past the edges of the base/lacquer and feather it out, blend the new base on the areas that need painting and lacquer the lot.
UV deteriorates the clear coat, if you seal it with new clear, the clear below will be protected, but what you don't know is how well that is bonded to the substrate, so if the old lacquer isn't bonded, it will lift from the substrate and take the new lacquer with it. Thats why as a painter I cant guarantee my work on top of someone else's work if its had a previous repair.
So to try to visualise it, new clear would bond to a keyed surface on the top, and that would protect that surface from future UV damage, but you don't know if the underneath of the old clear is still well bonded to the base beneath or if its been compromised over time, and therefore it fails on that edge, not the edge between the old and new keyed clear, if that makes sense?
Edited by DaveF-SkinnysAutos on Sunday 8th November 22:05
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