fatbastard Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 OK...I am looking into picking up an 05 Legacy GT from another state and I just recieved a few pics of it. In two of the shots you can see a reflection of another car but it isn't really sharp, it looks like it has a pickled finish. Is this common? I tried to look at other pictures on the site but none were close enough to show what I was talking about. I just don't want to fly out somewhere and be disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 That would be called 'Orange Peel'. It is common among nearly all cars painted in the US from the last few years. It is caused during the painting process and isn't something easily or cheaply fixed. It is easier to accept that all cars have it and just learn to live with it. I think a lot of the problem with that picture is poor resolution. It looks pretty grainy and that has a lot to do with how bad the paint looks. It won't look that bad in person. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two-Five Sti-L Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Speaking of paint quality, I've heard alot of negatives about Subaru's factory paint quality. What I'm concerned is how "cheap" is the quality of the paint, does it: - Does the paint scratch/swirl easily, from wash/polish/waxing of car - Does the paint fade easily, say after ~3 years - Does it chip/bubble easily, esp. in snow/winter conditions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 - Does the paint scratch/swirl easily, from wash/polish/waxing of car Yes, but so does every other car. I will say that from my experience I feel that the Legacy is a little higher maintanance if you want it to stay looking good than some other cars out there. However, with VOC standards impacting every auto manufactuer in America, the only way to avoid low paint quality is to get a car that was painted in Germany or Japan. - Does the paint fade easily, say after ~3 years Couldn't tell you. I've only had the car for a year. However, I can tell you that any car that isn't protected will fade in 3 years. It doesn't have as much to do with the paint as it does with the protection. If you keep the car waxed or sealed then you shouldn't have any problems with it fading. - Does it chip/bubble easily, esp. in snow/winter conditions While the paint quality isn't that of a car painted overseas, it isn't total crap. The paint does hold up well and I haven't noticed any damage from the winter other than the scratches that driving around in ice and salt can cause. In other words, winter hasn't damaged my car in any way that I can't fix it. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbastard Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 WOW...US regs are tighter than Europ for chemical release???? I would have thought the other way around. All of the equipment I buy from Europe is help to a much tighter standard than US fabricated equipment, granted it is safety related I just assumed all of their regs were tighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two-Five Sti-L Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Thx for ur input OC! I didn't even realize that the US has more strict chemical standards which effects the car's paint quality. I'm so concerned about this since I plan to get a black or dark-colored LGT, which is a major PITA to keep clean and shows all imperfections quite easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 All I know is that since the US started really tighening up on the VOC standards US paint jobs have gone to shit. The paint is too thin to bond properly (or at least bond like it used to) and orange peel is on every car. The paint is so thin on the Legacy that you can even see weld lines under it in some areas (specifially on the side along the hood as it meets the back windshield). The only cars I see without orange peel are cars that are either custom painted or were painted overseas. Mercedes is a good example most of the time. Even overseas cars aren't immune to orange peel. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_knoxville Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 The paint is so thin on the Legacy do you have access to a paint thickness indicator? i am curious to know what the thickness is on your '05. My friend ran one over my '06, and it showed 5.5 mil on the steel body panels, which he said is pretty thick. He said by comparison Lexus often register 3.5 mil. On his GM truck, it read 4.0 mil. i've read many subjective comments about thin paint on these boards, but have not seen one thread which referenced objective data. The only cars I see without orange peel are cars that are either custom painted or were painted overseas. yeah, mine definitely has that trait, though it doesn't bother me much Mercedes is a good example most of the time. aha, NOW i know why i was so mesmerized by that black pearl E350 i saw in a parking lot.....that hood looked like glass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EL PAALO Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 agreed that US paint blows now. my '05 tacoma paint was just as bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 I wish I did have a paint thickness gauge. That is an expensive piece of equipment that I haven't been able to justify. If I did more wetsanding then I would definitely get one, but the liability is too high to warrant the risk right now. I should check around and see if a paint shop around has one and would measure my paint though... _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifiandmtb Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Looking at the paint finish on a (made in South Africa) BMW 3-series the other day, the orange-peel finish was terrible. So bad, in fact, I would not buy the car. The (made in Carolina) BMW X5 finish was heaps better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 I'm not saying all cars painted outside the US are superior. You can still cut corners no matter what country you paint in. Cars painted in the US will be held to a standard that all but forces the paint job to have pretty bad orange peel simply because of cost effectiveness. They could wetsand between layers and avoid orange peel, but do you really feel like adding an extra couple grand onto the price of the car just to avoid something that most people don't even notice? _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfd425 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 fatbastard, I PM'd you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clapper Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I am glad to learn that I am not the only owner with a crappy OEM paint job. Has anyone pursued getting it fixed by the dealer or is the repair worse than the original? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 There is no repair. This is the standard of new car paint today. Your older car may have better paint, but most new cars are in the same boat. There isn't anything you can do to improve it. It really isn't that bad anyway. Sure it is softer and easier to scratch, but that just means you have more reasons to stop using the brush at the car wash and drying the car with a beach towel. With proper care the paint looks fine. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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