Paint

[grandam455]

I was wondering if someone can tell me what kind of paint is used on the fiero my car had left front fender painted by former owner and it is bubbling and peeling off the fender, my guess clear coat but the rest looks great, different kind of paint or bad paint job on fender. Thanks Tom

[FieroBUZZ]

The GM clearcoat does go bad, but usually the top of the car first.  It will dull with a white 'ring' around it.  If your fender is bubbling and peeling and the top of the car is fine, it's probably something else.

I'd guess that it may be a replaced fender with either a poor prep or a reaction of the clear.

Kitten may be our most experienced body person here.   

[Kitten]

Is only the clear peeling and bubbling?  or is the color underneath doing it too?  How old is the paint job?

Possible causes:
 - surface was not clean enough when paint/clear was applied
 - bubbling can be caused by the layers not being allowed to cure before recoat
 - air was too humid for the mix
 - gun was set to incorrect spray pattern causing "bubbles" to be sprayed onto the surface

I'm not a hundred percent sure what the original factory job was done with, but I suspect it was a urethane based paint.

[grandam455]

Yes only the clear bubbling so when the car gets a repaint what paint can be used acrylic ennamel ok and i was told you have to use flexiable paint?? because of plastic body,Thanks Kitten for your help, also- not buzz till its done. Tom

[Kitten]

There are mixed schools of thought when it comes to painting plastic body panels.  Some will tell you that you need a flex additive in the paints... others will say it's not necessary.

If it were me in your situation I would have the color re-done and then have it cleared.  Then you know that the different types of paints are, and you know they work together. 

If you are planning to get the color redone.... as long as the prep is done and a good primer/adhesion promoter is used it shouldn't be a problem to use pretty much anything over the old paint.  This assumes that the prep sanding gives a good surface to paint on.  Any orange peel, bubbles and what not need to be gone.

But if you are hoping just to get a clear coating done.... I don't really know what to recomend I'm afraid.... especially since most shops will have there own preference to this that or the other thing anyway.  So even if you come in saying I want you to use this type of paint.... they may not be willing to do it as it is an unknown to that particular painter.

All I can really suggest is to find a trustworthy shop and talk to the painter.  Show him/her what it is you need done.  It's much easier to figure it out when the painter is able to "see" the problem 

[grandam455]

Thanks kitten will do just need to save up some money also was told clear paint is 900.00 a gallon is this true? Tom

[Kitten]

Depends on the clear.  Like everything else there's a range of prices.

The stuff I normally use on motorcycle paint jobs is not nearly that much.  But different clears are designed for different applications... it's kinda crazy how many variations there are 

See if you can find out what brand/type of clear the shop you are looking at is using... wouldn't hurt to look it up.  Also you'll need to know if that 900 dollars includes whatever activators and other additives the shop feels the need to use.  A number of clears are two part clears, which require an activator/catalyst to be mixed in.

Getting paint done ain't cheap.... it's one of the reasons I started learning to do it myself although... ask Don... me learning how ain't much cheaper ....