Car paint clearcoat eco repair options

The trusty family Corolla has been afflicted with a rather unsightly feature over the last 12 months or so. True to form, I've procrastinated about the cheapest and best repair option as it's got progressively worse.

A local painter said he could sort it for $3k, which is probably reasonable, however that would be the definition of overcapitalising. The car is a cheap and reliable run around so don't really want to sell it - I'm not looking for a showroom finish, just some way to make it more presentable.

Would love to hear some options on a cheap DIY repair that might last a few years at least?

Attachment 276010

there are no cheap options, that clear coat has delaminated.
its a full repaint job and 3k is very reasonable.
dont know what the cost of wrapping it would be. might be worth pursuing

I'm having the same argument with my son currently, same car, same color have told him it's not worth doing anything about it as it would cost more than the car is worth....great car though mechanically

I went through a similar debate recently. My Toyota runabout has fractured paint (not just the clearcoat) & it's flaking off in several places, after looking closer it came down to repaint vs live with it as the age & mileage didn't make it worthwhile. I used a wire brush in a 4" grinder and a can of spray paint, then another can of clearcoat.

Maybe you could waterblast the loose stuff off, lightly sand & spray with a can of clearcoat. $50 and an afternoon in the sun.

Have a go yourself I reckon. Supercheap sell everything you need (including spray guns and compressors etc if you wanted to get carried away). But I’d just sand it smooth being careful to try not go thru the paint then give it a clear coat from an aerosol can and call it good. Worse case is you’re in the same place and only $100 down.

just keep driving it.

Either peel off everything that's loose, and spraycan clearcoat it - or ignore it and run it into the ground. As noted, it's not worth paying someone to do the job properly although $3K isn't actually a bad price for the work.

Your other option is camo green/brown it and claim it's a hunting hack - what this will achieve is slow down the rust from developing once the colour under the clearcoat starts to fail and you will likely get more of a run out of the thing before the WoF man takes a hate to it.

Some good thoughts!

I hadn't considered using the water blaster to prep - got a shiny new one sitting around which could be worth a test. Maybe a spray can is worth a hoon too.
I do have a compressor and basic spray gear, but don't have any experience painting car panels.

I'd read somewhere about people using a roller as a paint applicator for vehicles - I'd imagine it wouldn't be the best finish, but would presumably offer some protection?

The 'keep driving it' perspective has definitely been the motto so far, however the 'other driver' has been making some noise about the current cosmetic state of the vehicle.

Before waterblasting, try a plastic scraper to just flick the loose edges up and pull off anything that's really loose. A waterblaster might make a mess of it if there is any adhesion issues with the colour layer underneath and that comes away with the clear...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by No.3

Your other option is camo green/brown it and claim it's a hunting hack - what this will achieve is slow down the rust from developing once the colour under the clearcoat starts to fail and you will likely get more of a run out of the thing before the WoF man takes a hate to it.

---

Imagining the most humble suburban family wagon as a crudely camo'd hunting hack gave me a lol.

A backyard job risks getting dust, fly legs, grit and any other airborne crap sticking to it. It will be economical, but not pretty. Worth considering when weighing up the cost against that $3k quote.

same problem with my Rav 4 was quoted $4000 - well it will be a home job - spray can - after a water blast and cut was told they were painted for Japanese home market and should have had more coats for our climate but irrelevant just look crap my little mechanic down the road still gives it a warrant for now- only worth likely $2-3 k so not spending on it despite the fact the motor is great - now camo thats got me thinking hand painted

Stickers, lots and lots of stickers..
Not at all helpful I know.
As you were.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by earplay

Imagining the most humble suburban family wagon as a crudely camo'd hunting hack gave me a lol.

---

:thumbsup:

Pointing out it doesn't need to be a crude paint job. Just don't paint it Nissan deep forest metallic green - that's a terrifying colour for a car to be painted if you are sitting in it. It seems that that particular shade of metallic green is right at the spectrum where colour blind people can't see it. My wife used to have a Pulsar in that colour, after the third time she got driven into I started to take her seriously when she told me she was afraid everyone was trying to kill her on the roads... I swapped the Safari with her for a few days, fark me - never again!!! I only lasted three days and it got sold...

The flaking clear coat will come off using an air gun and compressor

apply the clear coat with a spray can

Then keep on driving

Watch some youtube videos first. When you sand off the clearcoat, be carefull not to sand off too much of the paint. when you got the clearcoat off, use an 800 grit to prep the paint for the clearcoat. Just do a small area first to practice before doing the entire roof.

I have been using CRC Wash and Wax product for years on my Cruiser and Camry. The 2003 Camry sat outside for about ten years before I sold it a year or so back. The clear coat was failing in parts on the roof but the CRC product protected and obscured it – the Guy that bought it was not concerned. Give it a try – a great way to wash and wax your car - the water will just run off it. It used to be available in an applicator with a hose fitting – but you may now have to purchase it in a standard container – but if you need an applicator to attach to a hose – I have a spare one.

Attachment 276149

Attachment 276150

Attachment 276151

Watching this thread with interest....I am having th same issue with my Toyota Avalon. Two things to note...watchin because I want to deal with it too , and noticing all the aforementioned afflicted cars are corrolas, Camry Rav4 and land cruiser, and my one is an avalon...is it a coinciidence that these are all toyotas?

Wash your mouth out - there is nothing wrong with the fabled and legendary Toyotas at all!

Bit of clear coat peel isn’t bad when everything else on the car lasts forever. Nothing a bit of learning and $100 odd bucks at Supercheap won’t fix.

Could be worse, could spend thousands, if not 10s of thousands fixing a shitty Ranger with too much sealant where is shouldn’t be, and still have something that might not get ya home 😂

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timattalon

Watching this thread with interest....I am having th same issue with my Toyota Avalon. Two things to note...watchin because I want to deal with it too , and noticing all the aforementioned afflicted cars are corrolas, Camry Rav4 and land cruiser, and my one is an avalon...is it a coinciidence that these are all toyotas?

---

I had it happen on a Subaru Impreza

Scrap, water blast. Cutting compound. Polish compound

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timattalon

is it a coinciidence that these are all toyotas?

---

short answer .....no
long answer ....... Toyota had a bad run with their factory finish a while back in some cases the base coat wasn't sticking to the primer other cases it was poor clearcoat.
the manufacturer logic is that its cheaper to deal with it later if someone complains rather than stop the flow on the production line for a redo .... but its not just Toyota most manufacturers have had similar issues over the years ....I guess when you have robots mixing up 100s of liters of clear to push out hundreds of cars per day then shit will happen....
then of course most cars older than 5 years old have been touched up at some point.....and when someone quotes 33% less for a repaint than the paint shop down the road he's most likely using a lesser quality product.. when I owned panelshop years ago I repainted my Suzi we used ppg paint products I chose to use the lesser quality clear coat over the ppg top of the line clear as it was $100 ish for 4 liters as opposed to close to $400 for 4 liters....... it lasted 9 years before degrading the more expensive stuff carried a lifetime warranty .....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dvk-kp

Bit of clear coat peel isn’t bad when everything else on the car lasts forever. Nothing a bit of learning and $100 odd bucks at Supercheap won’t fix.

Could be worse, could spend thousands, if not 10s of thousands fixing a shitty Ranger with too much sealant where is shouldn’t be, and still have something that might not get ya home ��

---

Oi... :D

What was your line, Nothing a bit of learning and...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gkp

Scrap, water blast. Cutting compound. Polish compound

---

Freudian slip there... Scrap!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scotty

short answer .....no
long answer ....... Toyota had a bad run with their factory finish a while back in some cases the base coat wasn't sticking to the primer other cases it was poor clearcoat.
the manufacturer logic is that its cheaper to deal with it later if someone complains rather than stop the flow on the production line for a redo .... but its not just Toyota most manufacturers have had similar issues over the years ....I guess when you have robots mixing up 100s of liters of clear to push out hundreds of cars per day then shit will happen....
then of course most cars older than 5 years old have been touched up at some point.....and when someone quotes 33% less for a repaint than the paint shop down the road he's most likely using a lesser quality product.. when I owned panelshop years ago I repainted my Suzi we used ppg paint products I chose to use the lesser quality clear coat over the ppg top of the line clear as it was $100 ish for 4 liters as opposed to close to $400 for 4 liters....... it lasted 9 years before degrading the more expensive stuff carried a lifetime warranty .....

---

If I have it correct from the mate that runs a panel outfit over the hill - some colours are far more prone to delaminating clearcoat than others. Something laced with science and jargon about colour spectrum, frequency, UV levels in NZ and some other points which eluded me at the time (Steinlager brain). Basically what I got out of it was "avoid dark, and red sucks" - but that might be the overly simplistic answer.

So having a "have a go attitude" generally, my experience of patching up paint jobs is reasonable and I've achieved between "reasonable" and "you can hardly spot it" results.
Prep is everything.
This is how I would go about it if it was my vehicle. (others have covered some of this in their replys)

You will need the following:

Grades of wet n dry 600, 800, 1000 + 1200, don't cheap out, by a heap
colour matched aerosol paint, DO NOT go off the colour code, it won't match as yours will have faded, take the petrol cap flap to Resene Automotive or similar, get more than you need as a remix for 1 can will be expensive
Cans of clearcoat
Primer
Suitable face mask...no not the Ronald Reagan one

Paint polish, something like T cut or similar, although I use Farecia G6
Masking tape and newspaper
PATIENCE....can't emphasize that enough.

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the below process that has worked for me, remember, you're an adult and it's your responsibility to use your discretion, don't come running to me if you wear holes in your roof or a paint can explodes in your face.
ALSO DISCLAIMER: Individual results may vary - I know mine do!
ADDENDUM TO THE DISCLAIMER: I'm not a professional painter/panel beater this is just what's worked for me

1: Use a plastic scraper to flick off the loose stuff, use water to stop the scraper picking up grit and digging holes in the top coat
2: Using the 600 grit (WET stops the paper clogging, rinse frequently in a bucket of water) use a sanding block, rubber or hard foam if you've an orbital sander it's quicker but also easy to take too much off and get down to bare metal REALLY quickly...oh yeah and they don't much like getting dipped in a bucket of water so use a spray bottle) work along the hard edge of the clearcoat and feather it into the top coat, we're not looking for seamless here, we just want to get the "line" between clearcoat and topcoat blurred as much as we can, basically we're trying to get rid of the hard step and turning it into a micro bevel, run your fingers over the edge, if you can feel it, keep going. You want the sanding pad to be sitting more on the clearcoat to start with but you'll get a feel for it as you go.
3: Rinse off and have a look, if you want you can go over it with some 800 grit for a final tickle, rinse off with plenty of water and dry with a chamois....a good clean one that's not full of carwash residue, once it's dry, give it a quick wipe over with a clean cloth with some acetone on it, don't drown it, you want just enough for the cloth to be damp, not even close to dripping

Have a cuppa, by now you've got a big ugly mess possibly with bare metal showing, fear not, all will come good, hopefully, if you've crossed everything and sacrificed your first born on the sabbath during a blood moon.....I might have made that last bit up

4:Mask off the bits of car you don't want covered in overspray using tape and paper, tape first for hard line say over your roof trim, then tape the paper to the first line of tape, slightly back from the edge, use random bits of tape to hold the untaped edge of the paper to the car, you'd ont want it flapping around., don't bother masking the other end/edge of the panel you're doing, overspray isn't an issue here, more on that later, DO mask off adjoining panels.

A note on painting, don't be doing it first thing on a damp cool morning, painting is a chemical process, damp and cold are your enemies and will fuck it right up, hopefully you're in a garage, if your outside you want to be doing this next bit at at least 15 degree's C...and rising, not falling, if you're inside, all the better, get that heater cranking....not a fan heater, it'll dump shit all over your freshly prepped panel.

So, the next bit is a wee trick I learned to pressurise your can of primer, which will in turn give you a finer spray particle and thus it will lay on smoother and more consistently, drop the can into a bucket of handhot water...and forget about it for 5 minutes.
Take it out of the water, take the cap off and shake that thing like your having a sneaky masty in the bosses en-suite. DON"T forget about it too long.....I've never had one go pop but I'm sure it's possible

5: Start spraying, you're not aiming for full coverage in one pass, overlap your passes and probably come up onto the clearcoat by 50mm or so, don't worry about the overspray beyond this
if you need to do a second coat, do that, after waiting the required re-coat time on the can, also temperature and how thick you've laid it on can lengthen this time. Don't try and cover it all in one go, I generally do a mist coat and then immediately do a full coat depending on the paint and temperature etc you may be ready for the next step in a couple of hours or maybe next day, it'll tell you on the can remember I said you needed patience eh? The primer MUST be fully cured before the next step

6: Sanding the primer, get some 800 grit on your block and with water, sand the primer, again biasing your block on where the edge of the clearcoat was before you hid it with primer, (primer is much much softer than clearcoat so will come off a lot quicker) use your fingers to detect that edge, if you can feel it you'll see it, keep sanding until there's no discernible bump, this may mean you'll need to do another coat of primer but time taken now will reap dividends. (overspray, some of this will lift off with a damp rag, the rest we'll deal to shortly) Rinse off with water, and then go over it lightly with your 1000 grit, now's a good time to get rid of any overspray that didn't lift off earlier, gently go over the panel with the 1000 grit rinse again and dry with chamois and another wipe down with a damp rag of acetone - used carefully this can also remove any stubborn overspray - or you can use some paint polish but if you do, wipe over with acetone afterwards as the polish will contaminate the panel and stuff up the next step

Assuming you've now got a fully primed and nicely smooth panel, you're now ready for the fun and tricky bit....some colour....there may already have been colourful language but this is colour you can see!

7: Top/colour coat:
As before, drop the can in a bucket of hot water for 5, (whilst you remask the car..as your previous masking will now be a pile of soggy papier mache all over the floor and inside your boots, unless you were smart and removed it first) give it a damn good shake and just as the primer, lay it on in even overlapping passes, you're going to do 2-3 coats to get full coverage, following the recoat times on the can.

8: Forget about it, for a few days, like the primer this coat needs to be fully cured before you go anywhere near it, if that means it's the next weekend, thats not a problem, just don't be that guy driving around in grey primer for months or you'll need to reprep the whole thing all over again

9: Sand the colour coat as per primer BUT using only 1000 grit and work across the whole panel taking off any over spray (some of the overspray will just wipe off with a damp rag), rinse with water, dry with chamois etc

FORGET ABOUT IT for a few days, follow the timelines on the can, as a guide only, cooler weather makes things take longer.

10 Clearcoat: As per topcoat but remember to clean panel with just water to remove dust/debris/traffic wardens, chamois off and yep, a quick once over with ole mate damp acetone cloth.
In the bucket with the can, mask off again and then start laying it on, you want to feather the new clearcoat onto the existing clearcoat and you want 2-3 coats of clearcoat, again following the writing on the can.

Once done, leave it alone for 1-2 weeks to full harden (for those wondering how paintshops do all this in a few days, they have spray booths, which are also vehicle sized ovens so the curing process is massively speeded up, plus 2 pack paint works differently)
Once fully cured, give it a wash down and then get busy blending the edge of the new clearcoat into the old clearcoat (Note, you can avoid this step by just clearcoating the whole panel - which is easier but dramatically increase the amount of clearcoat required and the possibility of fucking it up) using ole mate rubber sanding block and grades 1000, 1200 of wet n dry used WET, lots of water on this step...once you're happy with it, rinse off, chamois and then the final step, polish with finishing polish such as G6

Job done, sit back and bask in the glow of a job done to the best of your ability.....and vow to have a job that pays well enough to be able to just drop it into the panel n paint shop next time :thumbsup:

NOTE: If you have an auto finishing supply shop near you, use them for your gear, they'll set you up for success as they know what they're talking about

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by No.3

Wash your mouth out - there is nothing wrong with the fabled and legendary Toyotas at all!

---

I guess there is two ways to look at it....As it looks to be just toyotas on the list it could be thought that it afflicts toyotas....OR it could afflict ALL cars but Toyotas are the only ones that last long enough for it to be first...All the others died before the paint did...?

It truth, as mentioned, it has more to o with the colour and more likely the treatment the car gets...My one was not garaged and was parked in canterbury sun and weather for much of its life. Being a dark burgundy, heat will have been an issue. In fact that has also cause roof lining issues too which are the only two issues with what is actually still a dam good car....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zedrex

So having a "have a go attitude" generally, my experience of patching up paint jobs is reasonable and I've achieved between "reasonable" and "you can hardly spot it" results.
Prep is everything.
This is how I would go about it if it was my vehicle. (others have covered some of this in their replys)

You will need the following:

Grades of wet n dry 600, 800, 1000 + 1200, don't cheap out, by a heap
colour matched aerosol paint, DO NOT go off the colour code, it won't match as yours will have faded, take the petrol cap flap to Resene Automotive or similar, get more than you need as a remix for 1 can will be expensive
Cans of clearcoat
Primer
Suitable face mask...no not the Ronald Reagan one

Paint polish, something like T cut or similar, although I use Farecia G6
Masking tape and newspaper
PATIENCE....can't emphasize that enough.

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the below process that has worked for me, remember, you're an adult and it's your responsibility to use your discretion, don't come running to me if you wear holes in your roof or a paint can explodes in your face.
ALSO DISCLAIMER: Individual results may vary - I know mine do!
ADDENDUM TO THE DISCLAIMER: I'm not a professional painter/panel beater this is just what's worked for me

Edited / Abridged...

Job done, sit back and bask in the glow of a job done to the best of your ability.....and vow to have a job that pays well enough to be able to just drop it into the panel n paint shop next time :thumbsup:

NOTE: If you have an auto finishing supply shop near you, use them for your gear, they'll set you up for success as they know what they're talking about

---

@Zedrex Thank you for that. I got my Toyota specifically so I could try fixing the clear coat issue as I also have an original MX5 that needs a respray and I dont want to bugger that one up. I ot the Avalon cheap because the clear coat was going so it is essentially a practice canvas....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by No.3

If I have it correct from the mate that runs a panel outfit over the hill - some colours are far more prone to delaminating clearcoat than others. Something laced with science and jargon about colour spectrum, frequency, UV levels in NZ and some other points which eluded me at the time (Steinlager brain). Basically what I got out of it was "avoid dark, and red sucks" - but that might be the overly simplistic answer.

---

of the solid colors (non metallic 2k enamels) white red and yellow are the worst for degradation they generally oxidize and go "chalky" but you can cut and polish them until the paint is so thin you cut thru
the COB colors (clear over base) can be solid or metallic and the clearcoat can let go on any color as its the clearcoat that's failed , this could be a product issue or a prep issue or even just where you live and how much time it spends in the sun . bear in mind paint shops can only bake your car up to around 40 degrees without risking cooking your computers and melting your plastic...electric cars are an even bigger problem. in the factory a car is baked up a lot hotter .....so when the car is finished from factory the solvents have well cured and dispersed into the atmosphere in a paint shop scenario the paint will still be curing when you roll it out into the sun and proclaim "oooh ain't that purdy" even tho it feels hard to touch. all the modern paints and clearcoat used in the industry are loaded with isocyanates and other nastys that absorb into your body that's why painters wear those condom suits full face masks and air fed breathing gear ..... they don't want their nuts to swell to the size of tennis balls and need to be removed (its something that has a higher incidence than other industry's).
you wont get as good a finish from 1k spray bombs and it wont last as long...no ifs or buts , so it comes down to how fussy you are and how long you want it to last by all means use spray bombs don't expect it to still be purdy in a few years time

Ford told me the new fangled isocyanate free two-pack paint system they use takes about 2 months to fully cure, some sort of water-borne emulsion setup. I know it isn't as good as the older isocyanate systems, bird beaks leave a considerable groove through to the primer at anything over 65km/H! :D

https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/l...0g/386985.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by earplay

Imagining the most humble suburban family wagon as a crudely camo'd hunting hack gave me a lol.

---

I did it to Mazda station wagon 30 years ago in Timaru.

YES, it's a Toyota, all the sharp corners on the panels have started to rust and many other areas are flaking off like this.
Attachment 276321
It's a 2007 Ractis (shopping basket) with 220,000kn so not worth any big repairs, just wire brush & spray can for me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by No good names left

YES, it's a Toyota, all the sharp corners on the panels have started to rust and many other areas are flaking off like this.
Attachment 276321
It's a 2007 Ractis (shopping basket) with 220,000kn so not worth any big repairs, just wire brush & spray can for me.

---

looks like it is/was white or pearl.... and looks like the topcoat (if its white) or the base coat if its pearl hasn't adhered to the undercoat this was a common warranty claim for Toyotas 2 or 3 years ago (so not that long ago) we did a pearl one it was an import around the same age a harrier I think but not sure anyways the owner went to the Toyota dealer about it . they didn't make any promises but sent a claim into Toyota and they came to the party on it.... if its the original paint
what Im saying is it might be worth a few minutes of your time to pay them a visit .......although I don't know whether your local (I see your in the hood)are good guys ......my experience with them says nah

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scotty

looks like it is/was white or pearl.... and looks like the topcoat (if its white) or the base coat if its pearl hasn't adhered to the undercoat this was a common warranty claim for Toyotas 2 or 3 years ago (so not that long ago) we did a pearl one it was an import around the same age a harrier I think but not sure anyways the owner went to the Toyota dealer about it . they didn't make any promises but sent a claim into Toyota and they came to the party on it.... if its the original paint
what Im saying is it might be worth a few minutes of your time to pay them a visit .......although I don't know whether your local (I see your in the hood)are good guys ......my experience with them says nah

---

Dam you're good, it was indeed a white pearl at one stage in it's life. The paint's also covered in cobweb type cracks. It wouldn't be fair to even try to claim warranty as I only paid $5000 for it and have done 140,000 km since so no complaints