Orange peel paint on new cars?

norm

norm

norm

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Was looking at a brand new 64 plate white BMW in the street today, and you could distinctly see orange peel type markings in the paint.

What causes it, and why do manufacturers think it's acceptable?
 
Because their paint process isn't that great, and to 99% of customers it IS acceptable. You hear a lot about it being because of the nanny state water based paints they have to use, but that is nonsense. Plenty of other manufacturers put out better paint jobs within the same regulations.
 
norm said:
Was looking at a brand new 64 plate white BMW in the street today, and you could distinctly see orange peel type markings in the paint.

What causes it, and why do manufacturers think it's acceptable?
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Because no one is going to pay for the extra cost of having it flattened.
 
The orange peel on lots of late reg. BMWs is a disgrace tbh, my E93 isn't too bad but it's certainly not a great finish.

One of the reasons I probably won't be purchasing a BMW as my next car
 
HEADRAT said:
The orange peel on lots of late reg. BMWs is a disgrace tbh, my E93 isn't too bad but it's certainly not a great finish.

One of the reasons I probably won't be purchasing a BMW as my next car
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It's not as if the other brands are any better. Quality gets in the way of piling out body kitted 4 cylinder diesels for 200 quid a month :p
 
Honda are another who are quite well known for orange peel. It makes repairing and replicating the finish quite interesting in the accident repair shops.
 
I think it's luck of the draw, as there's a girl at work who's got a 64 plate Clio that may as well be an orange.

My Honda was so bad I bought myself a DA polisher (paint was soft enough to be corrected by it) but the paint on my e92 is so hard I've only been able to very slightly improve it
 
balls said:
My Honda was so bad I bought myself a DA polisher (paint was soft enough to be corrected by it) but the paint on my e92 is so hard I've only been able to very slightly improve it
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How can you repair it? I thought the defect is in the paint, if you polish it you are only effecting the clearcoat? Removing the clearcoat and later respraying it must be a massive undertaking?
 
If the clear coat Is flat the colour underneath will look flat

Read a diy spraying guide where they tell you to sand with fine paper before clear coating for example . everyone thinks this step is madness and that you will see the dull hazy colour through the clear but the clear fills the high and low spots then once flat itself can look great

Obviously if its particularly awful you have a big risk of striking through the clear though
 
"andy" said:
If the clear coat Is flat the colour underneath will look flat

Read a diy spraying guide where they tell you to sand with fine paper before clear coating for example . everyone thinks this step is madness and that you will see the dull hazy colour through the clear but the clear fills the high and low spots then once flat itself can look great

Obviously if its particularly awful you have a big risk of striking through the clear though
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It is madness on a metallic base, it kills the flake effect.
 
This is a broad sweeping statement but I have always found the Italians and French to be the best regarding paint. Especially over time.

Japanese paint tend to be very soft which is a good thing for correction but a bad thing for wear.

Regarding BMW paint what do you expect when the 3 series out sells the Mondeo. BMW have been living off their prestige rating for some time now.
 
adam cool dude said:
Regarding BMW paint what do you expect when the 3 series out sells the Mondeo. BMW have been living off their prestige rating for some time now.
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Should see some brand new merc's they're definitely not any better

The directors at our company all get Merc company cars every 2 years, and they all look

Go on youtube "How to remove orange peel"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPxOoso3ZrQ
 
Counters the argument regarding vehicle cost or volumes..... MINI being sold in colours probably steers them to a differnet finish? I dont know.

Worth noting Im talking about my Countryman which is built in Austria on the same line as the BMW X3. I dont know if the BMW X3s have the same issues as the cars you normally see the problem on?
 
adam cool dude said:
This is a broad sweeping statement but I have always found the Italians and French to be the best regarding paint. Especially over time.

Japanese paint tend to be very soft which is a good thing for correction but a bad thing for wear.

Regarding BMW paint what do you expect when the 3 series out sells the Mondeo. BMW have been living off their prestige rating for some time now.
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I'll agree with you on that.

My 306 has very nicely done paint where it's original.
And no rust whatsoever
 
I'm having my Ford Capri painted next year and if it comes back with a modern factory quality finish they can re-do it! I was following a 14 plate Volvo the other day and the orange peel on the tailgate was ridiculous.

It's bad when I can get a better finish with rattle cans.
 
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