What's on my paint work?

Stinky · 1 May 2017 at 10:36

hi all,

I've had the mx5 for a few weeks now, and over that time the door seems to be getting more white, it looks like water waters.

I have tried t cut, autoglym polish, a lot of washing and drying. And it just keeps coming back after I wash it.

Last thing I'm going to get today is a clay bar. But while I'm buying stuff has anyone got any thoughts?

InvaderGIR · 1 May 2017 at 10:38

Dead lacquer by the looks of things...if you can't DA it out, it'll need new clear coat...

Stinky · 1 May 2017 at 10:42

Sorry DA??

paradigm · 1 May 2017 at 10:48

Machine polisher.

Though why you'd say DA when you could also use a rotary is beyond me.

Si105 · 1 May 2017 at 10:55

Wet sanding and machine polishing might save it. See a similar mx5 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owIRfEPgs58

adolf hamster · 1 May 2017 at 10:59

looks like maybe the door's been resprayed at some point?

mate of mine had a similar thing on his 306 front arch, but because its a 306 doesnt bother to do anything about it.

Quartz · 1 May 2017 at 11:07

Did you buy the car from a dealer? If not, how carefully was the car inspected before you bought it?

Stinky · 1 May 2017 at 11:15

Quartz said:
Did you buy the car from a dealer? If not, how carefully was the car inspected before you bought it?

I gave it a look over, was a priv sale, was £800 and it's just for a road trip, I'm just being fussy and trying to polish it back out

The body work is fair from great

Stinky · 1 May 2017 at 11:15

Just to add it's on both doors and one head light cover

Quartz · 1 May 2017 at 11:17

Stinky said:
I gave it a look over, was a priv sale, was £800 and it's just for a road trip, I'm just being fussy and trying to polish it back out

I'm wondering if the car has been hit side-on and that's a panel from a different car that's been resprayed. If the car has been hit, then what other problems lurk?

Stinky · 1 May 2017 at 11:22

Quartz said:
I'm wondering if the car has been hit side-on and that's a panel from a different car that's been resprayed. If the car has been hit, then what other problems lurk?

That would mean both doors but neither wings had the same treatment

InvaderGIR · 1 May 2017 at 11:23

Quartz said:
I'm wondering if the car has been hit side-on and that's a panel from a different car that's been resprayed. If the car has been hit, then what other problems lurk?

It'll just be shoddy lacquer from factory, it's a ~30 year old car after all.

As has been said by Si105, it'll want wet sanding at various grits but it's unlikely to actually fix it as I suspect the paintwork is just old an knackered. Only way to really fix it is to flat the whole car back and repaint / relacquer it but that's not a uick or simple fix.

When I said DA, I wanted to avoid the word "polish" to ensure it wasn't taken as "that'll hand polish out" as it wont.

Quartz · 1 May 2017 at 11:27

Stinky said:
That would mean both doors but neither wings had the same treatment

Ah, I didn't spot that you had said the problem was on both sides.

Quartz · 1 May 2017 at 11:27

Rather than getting a full respray, how about getting the car skinned?

Stinky · 1 May 2017 at 12:05

I'm not too worried. Just wondered if it's anything could do with polish. It does get better when I polish but doesn't last more than a couple days

Dogbreath · 1 May 2017 at 12:19

It would be worth having a go with some fine wet and dry (e.g. 1200+) used wet, followed up with some cutting compound. Even if it doesn't fix the problem it's not going to look any worse...

Stinky · 1 May 2017 at 17:28

That's after clay bar and 2 goes with some polish by hand

lordrobs · 1 May 2017 at 18:05

Is that British racing green/neo green? If so I don't think it has a clear coat on top assuming the paint is original.

I had issues with my one from a previous respray on the boot lid and one pop up lid. When water sat on the car it would draw out a white haze in the paint. Ended up like this -

I never tried anything more than hand polishing but the paint ended up crazing as well so I just swapped the panel over for one with good paint.

Stinky · 1 May 2017 at 18:10

Tha

lordrobs said:
Is that British racing green/neo green? If so I don't think it has a clear coat on top assuming the paint is original.

I had issues with my one from a previous respray on the boot lid and one pop up lid. When water sat on the car it would draw out a white haze in the paint. Ended up like this -

I never tried anything more than hand polishing but the paint ended up crazing as well so I just swapped the panel over for one with good paint.

thats it!

One pop up lid, and both doors. If some is breaking one local to see I might swap bits but other than that it's only a little summer road trip car. I'm not to worried

lordrobs · 1 May 2017 at 18:19

Yeah, that's had paint at some stage then. It drove me mad as you can get it looking much better, then some moisture sits on the car and overnight, BAM. White again

You might be lucky though. I saw quite a few BRG doors come up while looking for a boot. Lids are very easy to find as people swap out for vented items.