Hardest Paint?

PiKe · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:25

Just wondering how paint varies from car to car thickness etc., I've learnt that Ford paint/lacquer seems really soft and scratches if you so much as look at it, but I was wondering if other cars have this same problem?

SoliD · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:38

Many of the ford priced cars, such as vx, renault, peugeot etc have very thin paint, find much thicker harder paint on the up market brands as you would expect when you pay more, audi, bmw, merc etc.

Toker · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:40

generally, if it's german it'll have hard paint

Dup · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:42

If it's a Honda, its probably painted with poster paint. The 206 had more solid paint.

Magic_x_uk · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:50

If it's a TVR then its just gently put on

vila · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:51

Is this to do with the type of paint or the number of layers put on?

Toker · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:51

if its an old ferrari it was hand painted, so the paint thickness can vary from 0.0001 microns to 100000000000000000000000 microns

Toker · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:53

http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/f39/paint-thickness-gauges-101-a-1175.html

there's a reasonable article on paint depth

MikeHunt79 · 20 Oct 2008 at 14:59

Wasn't there a Merc in the 70's that had something stupid like 10+Kg of paint on it?

Magic_x_uk · 20 Oct 2008 at 15:11

MikeHunt79 said:
Wasn't there a Merc in the 70's that had something stupid like 10+Kg of paint on it?

Yes but that was just tins of paint in the boot from B&Q I think. (Don’t think there a competitor?)

Fropome · 20 Oct 2008 at 15:54

Toker said:
generally, if it's german it'll have hard paint

Avalon · 20 Oct 2008 at 16:10

Toyota paint is stupidly easy to chip/scratch as well.

-Neil- · 20 Oct 2008 at 17:59

The paint on my Integra was so soft swirls appeared with hard scrubbing of a sponge. IIRC Porsche and German car paints can be rock solid.

Neil.

Minxy · 20 Oct 2008 at 18:30

It tends to be the lacquer that is rock solid rather than the paint and this will vary dependant upon which brand is used by the manufacturer and by any aftermarket bodyshops. There are shedloads of brands out there including Sikkens, RM, Spies Hecker and PPG/Nexa/ICI.

mrk · 20 Oct 2008 at 18:31

But they still swirl quickly if not washed properly

Minxy · 20 Oct 2008 at 18:34

Some are worse than others. Just make sure you use a clean mitt for washing and something that is quite soft.