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Okay, I just had my '87 Trans Am repainted and I'm just not crazy about the way it looks. It doesn't have orange peel, but it has a wavy look to it, mostly on the sides. I sent it back to the guy that painted it and he said that he wetsanded and buffed it, but I still see the waves . I saw the car in prep and everything look right, the primer looked smooth, the emblems, moldings, mirrors, and rubbers were removed, etc... Should this be wetsanded even more?
Also, he said that he did use three coats of clear. Maybe it's too thick?
To be more clear (pardon the pun), you can see the reflection of my Chevy Venture in the door. The distortion of the image is what I'm talking about. Both sides are like this.
Lots of info here
Help With Troubleshooting Paint Problems | Street Rodder Magazine Article at Automotive.com (http://streetrodder.automotive.com/97425/0901sr-help-with-troubleshooting-paint-problems/index.html - broken link)
Its always in the prep. Somebody got tired of working with the green stuff. It can be a daunting task on an older car. There was a guy I met at a car show in Mobile or around there I think it was like Cockrel Custom or similar. It has to be looked at in person and anyone who paints cars can tell you. I used to paint a lot of stuff but you can't really tell anything from the photos. I just bought a car from pictures and when I got it home it was all swirley. It buffed out OK but i would have made the seller do it if I had seen it in the photos.
Why not give it a go yourself? There are several wet-sanding demonstrations on youtube, its a fairly straight forward procedure if you are patient. It could be a problem coating or it could be a prep problem. How much glass did they slober on?
Why not give it a go yourself? There are several wet-sanding demonstrations on youtube, its a fairly straight forward procedure if you are patient. It could be a problem coating or it could be a prep problem. How much glass did they slober on?
Lex, there are a few things that one should pay others to do. One is sealing the driveway. Another is dry walling your ceilings. But the thing that always comes to mind for me is body work on a good car. Not to be a wet blanket, but getting a smooth door on a 20 year old car is something that we should be darn glad that a guy only making $18/hour is doing. If life was fair he should be making $80/hour.
Lex, there are a few things that one should pay others to do. One is sealing the driveway. Another is dry walling your ceilings. But the thing that always comes to mind for me is body work on a good car. Not to be a wet blanket, but getting a smooth door on a 20 year old car is something that we should be darn glad that a guy only making $18/hour is doing. If life was fair he should be making $80/hour.
I agree with you but I am not suggesting that he redo anything. If the prep work was done poorly then those waves are not coming out however if it is a coating issue there is the possibility of improving the topography. Wet sanding is an end of process procedure and it can be done in the driveway at home followed by a good buff.
I agree with you but I am not suggesting that he redo anything. If the prep work was done poorly then those waves are not coming out however if it is a coating issue there is the possibility of improving the topography. Wet sanding is an end of process procedure and it can be done in the driveway at home followed by a good buff.
Don't be afraid, research.
You're right it is good to learn this stuff. And, its a very satisfying feeling to solve a problem like this yourself. Maybe he should give it a shot. It supposedly has three coats of clearcloat which is probably PPG, a two part urethane coating.
OP: Find out what that clear coat is and go to the PPG or other manufacturers web site and read the tech instructions carefully before you do anything involving sanding.
You didn't disagree with the drywall ceiling thing though.
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. I saw the car in prep and everything look right, the primer looked smooth, the emblems, moldings, mirrors, and rubbers were removed, etc... Should this be wetsanded even more? 
. Any idea why?
