[Embalmer]

I took my car in to a local body shop to have the underside of my hood blasted and painted due to the corrosion most of us get. I decided to have them paint the top of the hood as well because it had numerous rock chips and paint swirls. They had it for 2 days, and charged me $350 to R/R the top of the hood. I got it home and put it under the lights and this is what I saw:





So the very next day I called them up and told them it was unacceptable to have these kinds of swirl marks on fresh paint. They tried to tell me how it always looks worse under direct light, etc... but I wasn't buying it. I took it back and told them to make it right. So, 2 days later I bring it home again and here are those pics:





Some quality work, huh? I came to the conclusion that they simply were not capable of producing the kind of results I wanted. You know, smooth glossy clear paint with no scratches! So I broke out my DA and some Meguiars Swirl X, and after 4 attempts of buffing and removing, here are the results!

[StangGTR07]

That sucks. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.

[Reloaded]

Originally Posted by StangGTR07 That sucks. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.

It sucks that it took you doing it yourself though to get what you paid for!

Looks much better now though!

[Emay]

shoulda left it alone for 30 days of cure.. Your additional work so soon in the curing stages (even with just scratch x) has thinned the clear. Especially so if the guy was poor at final buff already, probably cut corners in the rest as well.

No question it looks better, just would have left it alone for 30 days or so before gettin into it like that.

[1rnkpny]

Originally Posted by Emay shoulda left it alone for 30 days of cure.. Your additional work so soon in the curing stages (even with just scratch x) has thinned the clear. Especially so if the guy was poor at final buff already, probably cut corners in the rest as well. No question it looks better, just would have left it alone for 30 days or so before gettin into it like that.

Yup

[Stephen4036]

I wish I knew how to do that to my paint

[Garrett]

I thought it looked fine the first time, your always going to see some flaws if its not factory. All it was was a little swirls and it was in direct light from the camera flash and direct sunlight, I'm sure all cars will show swirls like that.

I like the color though and you did a great job buffing it.

[Embalmer]

Originally Posted by Garrett I thought it looked fine the first time, your always going to see some flaws if its not factory. All it was was a little swirls and it was in direct light from the camera flash and direct sunlight, I'm sure all cars will show swirls like that. I like the color though and you did a great job buffing it.

Trust me - it looked worse in person, and just plain HORRIBLE in artificial light. There was no way I was gonna leave it like that.

Originally Posted by Emay shoulda left it alone for 30 days of cure.. Your additional work so soon in the curing stages (even with just scratch x) has thinned the clear. Especially so if the guy was poor at final buff already, probably cut corners in the rest as well. No question it looks better, just would have left it alone for 30 days or so before gettin into it like that.

It has been more than 3 weeks since the initial repaint, so I figured it was close enough for me to buff it out.

[96Snaker]

Nothing better than a medium-abrasive polish applied via buffer, then a mild-abrasive, followed by a deep carnuba (sp?) wax.... that's what I'd highly recommend in your hood's case. Meguiar's is great stuff.... Check out Griot's car care products as well ~ highly recommended

[Breakout]

Originally Posted by Emay shoulda left it alone for 30 days of cure.. Your additional work so soon in the curing stages (even with just scratch x) has thinned the clear. Especially so if the guy was poor at final buff already, probably cut corners in the rest as well. No question it looks better, just would have left it alone for 30 days or so before gettin into it like that.

good body shops now-a-days don't need for you to cure the paint to buff/wax it cause they take care of all that before you get the car back.

[Emay]

Talkin to the wrong guy about good body shops Breakout. Only way that's possible is to bake the car to full cure. We all know, they are not doing it for that length of time required due to costs and lack of time and space. Most cure ovens are a single car stall. At best they will cure for a few hours and move onto the next car as they are in business to make money like anyone else. Any body shop who says otherwise is lying, or has the biggest oven ever with the most rediculous over head costs know to man.

I purposely take my cars from the body shop to let them sit with zero buff work done, pull it out and set it in the sun as often as possible across a months duration. Especially with black cars. That's the best way to harden up the clear. Naturally this is extremely crucial for black and less important for lighter colors. Black pulling all the heat, the clear is softer across the life of the car. To a point where you cannot wipe it in direct sunlight on super hot days because it will surface scratch.

Embalmer, I didn't know from your post that you had waited a bit. Smartly done..

[Lefty]

Originally Posted by StangGTR07 That sucks. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.

+ fuggin' one.

[pyschopath76]

yes, you have to let your car cure (even if they didnt get it to your spec) for at least a month. i just had my hood repainted also and i tell you it didnt look nowhere like that. they actually took the time and let it dry in the cell overnight. come out looking great. im fixing to get new fenders (z3) and whole car repainted again so im hoping it comes out looking like the hood!

[rk_2000_Z/28]

Originally Posted by Garrett I thought it looked fine the first time, your always going to see some flaws if its not factory. All it was was a little swirls and it was in direct light from the camera flash and direct sunlight, I'm sure all cars will show swirls like that. I like the color though and you did a great job buffing it.

No way man. My roomate and best friend is a paint and body guy. I see fresh body work all the time. It should NEVER look like that. Those pics are horrible. I'd be pissed off like none other if I got my car back looking like that.