Should I expect some orange peel on fresh paint?
Discussion
Just had a new bonnet fitted and sprayed (don't ask). Not sure about the finish on it though. The bodyshop have a good reputation and have done some insurance work for me before that was good (this was out of my own pocket). I was expecting a mirror finish on new paint but looking at reflections in it they are distorted... It is almost impossible to photograph. I tried to take a vid which I will try to link to.
Altogether a bit depressed
Altogether a bit depressed
Orange peel is common, not ideal but I would bet 99.9% of people would not notice or complain about it.
Did you raise it as a concern with the shop before the work was done that you wanted a perfect flatted finish?
How much clear coat is on there if you check with a PDG? Could it be flatted and polished?
Did you raise it as a concern with the shop before the work was done that you wanted a perfect flatted finish?
How much clear coat is on there if you check with a PDG? Could it be flatted and polished?
It's quite difficult to compare with the rest of the car as it's a convertible so all other panels are vertical. I don't recall the old bonnet being anything like that bad though. I don't want to go back and moan if it's acceptable, but at the same time it was not a cheap job by any means so I want it looking decent. I have no idea regards thickness of paint/lacquer or whether it could be polished out...
To be honest I wouldn't think to tell the bodyshop I wanted a perfect finish - I would have thought that would be obvious (or as close to perfect as possible)
To be honest I wouldn't think to tell the bodyshop I wanted a perfect finish - I would have thought that would be obvious (or as close to perfect as possible)
Just tried looking at it in the dark with an LED lamp. Just looks the same, lots of distortion. Of course it is impossible to photo/video. The rest of the car isn’t mirror finish - maybe I wouldn’t have noticed it if I wasn’t looking for it, I don’t know. Difficult to compare as there are no other horizontal surfaces. But it does seem excessive. I’d love to compare it with the old banner (which is still sat in a corner of the bodyshop).
What I really need is somebody independent with no axe to grind to look at it. I wonder if it’s worth taking it to another bodyshop for an opinion…
What I really need is somebody independent with no axe to grind to look at it. I wonder if it’s worth taking it to another bodyshop for an opinion…
If it looks much the same as the rest of the car then best leave it alone.
If you're not happy with the finish & want it absolutely smooth & mirror like then take it back & ask them to do it.
Bear in mind that that will involve sanding all the high spots to the same level as the lows then polishing.
This will lose quite a bit of the clear coat so depending how much they put on in the first place what's left may be a bit on the thin side with the risk that trying to polish out any daily use type scratches in the future could break through to the colour coat - & that puts you back into another full bonnet respray as they can't be touched in.
ETA Worst orange peel I've seen to date was on a brand new black L322 Range Rover that stopped at traffic lights next to me.
The bonnet looked like it had been finished with wood chip wallpaper.
Didn't speak to the driver but they'd just come out so it may well have been a case of 'take it or leave it but there's a long waiting list'.
If you're not happy with the finish & want it absolutely smooth & mirror like then take it back & ask them to do it.
Bear in mind that that will involve sanding all the high spots to the same level as the lows then polishing.
This will lose quite a bit of the clear coat so depending how much they put on in the first place what's left may be a bit on the thin side with the risk that trying to polish out any daily use type scratches in the future could break through to the colour coat - & that puts you back into another full bonnet respray as they can't be touched in.
ETA Worst orange peel I've seen to date was on a brand new black L322 Range Rover that stopped at traffic lights next to me.
The bonnet looked like it had been finished with wood chip wallpaper.
Didn't speak to the driver but they'd just come out so it may well have been a case of 'take it or leave it but there's a long waiting list'.
Edited by paintman on Tuesday 14th June 23:53
Problem is that once you see it, you can't unsee it?
I had the whole front end sprayed on my car, purely because of the sheer amount of stone chips that were on it ('14 plate Merc).
Once it was back, I was the same, something not quite right with the 'quality', BUT, I was looking very closely at it, once I looked at it as I did the rest of the car, it does look exactly the same and I'm now pretty happy with how it all turned out. In fact, if it had been absolutely A1, it would probably scream out respray and could cause issues in the future.
I had the whole front end sprayed on my car, purely because of the sheer amount of stone chips that were on it ('14 plate Merc).
Once it was back, I was the same, something not quite right with the 'quality', BUT, I was looking very closely at it, once I looked at it as I did the rest of the car, it does look exactly the same and I'm now pretty happy with how it all turned out. In fact, if it had been absolutely A1, it would probably scream out respray and could cause issues in the future.
Yes, it’s hard to unsee!
It’s most obvious on the hump over he headlights (MINI bonnet). The only paintwork I’ve had done before as been on vertical panels or absolutely flat horizontal panels. I was driving this morning and as I looked down the bonnet at a shallow angle I could see what looked like distortions. I’ve tried looking at bonnets of similar coloured bonnets as I walk around and they look similar so I dunno.
I might take it to another local bodyshop and ask them to have a look over and give an honest opinion. TBH I wish I’d retained the old bonnet as then I could do a like for like comparison!
It’s most obvious on the hump over he headlights (MINI bonnet). The only paintwork I’ve had done before as been on vertical panels or absolutely flat horizontal panels. I was driving this morning and as I looked down the bonnet at a shallow angle I could see what looked like distortions. I’ve tried looking at bonnets of similar coloured bonnets as I walk around and they look similar so I dunno.
I might take it to another local bodyshop and ask them to have a look over and give an honest opinion. TBH I wish I’d retained the old bonnet as then I could do a like for like comparison!
Gassing Station | Bodywork & Detailing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff