Hard Top Help

[TeenaG]

Hi guys and gals... need some advice about my newly sprayed, new hardtop, which may be about to leave me a little red-faced!

I've noticed about an inch of bubbling on the paint job where it curls in towards the doorwell, on both the passenger and driver sides.

The guy who did the paint job's been very obliging, says it shouldn't have happened and he'll put it right in the New Year. Fair enough.

Question is, should alarms bells be ringing. If he suggests 'touching it up' will that be enough, or should I be expecting a full respray?

Does this kind of peeling/bubbling happen often? and could it have been caused by the sub-zero temps on a newly cured paint job? The car lives outside.

[leamyj]

Hmm,, I'd say don't panic . The fact that he's prepared to rectify it straight away is good, but do ask him what was the likely cause of the paint not taking.

John

[Stig]

:? Hi guys and gals... need some advice about my newly sprayed, new hardtop, which may be about to leave me a little red-faced!

I've noticed about an inch of bubbling on the paint job where it curls in towards the doorwell, on both the passenger and driver sides.

The guy who did the paint job's been very obliging, says it shouldn't have happened and he'll put it right in the New Year. Fair enough.

Question is, should alarms bells be ringing. If he suggests 'touching it up' will that be enough, or should I be expecting a full respray?

Does this kind of peeling/bubbling happen often? and could it have been caused by the sub-zero temps on a newly cured paint job? The car lives outside.

Teena,

They guy who did it for you sounds relaible if he's already said he'll "right it" - question is - is it corrosion, bubbling laquer or what is it that causing the newly applied paint to come away? Can you post some detailed pics maybe?
Re; the car living outside, nothing to do with it, it's designed to do so and so should the new paintwork
90% of spray painting is preperation, and if he did'nt prep the HT properly like totally taking it back to metal & priming/prepping it where required, he's ain't done it right. Or in his defence, maybe he had and there could have been a paint reaction etc or a myriad of other factors.
I'd get a second opinion so here's an idea. Go into another panel beaters and ask for a quote for it to be resprayed, and as what the co would do to address the "bubbling" ...ask exactly what they'll do in the process, and use this info to make a more informed opinion, and then you can be more authoritive when talking to your guy when getting it redone.

Hth's

[ger]

teena post a pic.

Did he use a new rear window seal?
The paint will flake around the window if the sprayer just lifted the seal.

How much did you pay?

Mine was 240 inc seal (60 for the seal).
The final result was great, way better than the factory spay job on the rest of the car, and still good after 4 yrs.

[TeenaG]

Thanks guys. This was exactly the sort of feedback I was looking for.

The flake isn't near the window seal, it's closer to the door. The roof job was only €150, but I got other work done too and totalled over a grand.

The bubble's aready started to flake, revealing a white coloured surface beneath. Will post pics tomorrow.

Like the idea of checking out another body shop. Will certainly do that, have one in mind. Knowledge is power as they say.

[Stig]

Knowledge is power as they say.

Totally!

[TeenaG]

Here's those photos I meant to paste earlier.....

[Stig]

With the overspray on those seals, it looks like he took the easy option and sprayed the HT with seals attached which means he did'nt prep the edge area correctly so it was always going to peel.

When he goes to re-do it for you, insist he removes the seal, preps the edges and all the HT properly and sprays it right.
I'd also respectfully ask for those rubber seals to be all cleaned off/overspray removed.

[TeenaG]

DaStig, when you say that it seems blindingly clear.

Yep, I didn't know what I was looking for, but that now makes perfect sense.

Hah... armed and politely ready for action!

Cheers....

[johnv]

have a quick look at the other work just in case

[TeenaG]

Thanks John, had a look today. It seems fine, but I'm narked off to be honest.

Ger, turns out you were on the right track about the seals, it wasn't until I looked at those blown up photos, and DaStig pointed out the obvious, that I saw how clearly what a lousy job it was.

Plonker.

[TeenaG]

Update....

Interesting phone call today, which I admit I hadn't actually been looking forward too. I rang my 'paint' man to set up a date for my bubbling and flaking hard-top to be re-done. I calmly brought up the issue of removing the seals and re-prepping the job - and he blew a gasket.

He shouted down the phone at me for at least 10 minutes, which I won't attempt to summarise, apart from a few select highlights.

He'd never heard of such a ridiculous suggestion
Removing the seals would be completely ludicrous
Removing the seals would break them, and I'd be paying for replacements (fine)
I'm ignorant and aggressive
I got the job done cheap in the first place
The 'body shop' that advised me was just making mischief.
The MX5 fans that had also given me advice were naval gazing morons
However, he is going to do it.

[franksm]

I like navels, it's true. Especially when adorned with a piercing.

Anyway, removing seals is a standard part of painting anything - in fact, it's usual to remove windows, glass, badges, stripes, lights, mirrors, etc when doing a paint job.

The hardtop seals are available as replacement items (mx5parts, I think) so are definitely removeable.

[leamyj]

Update....
:
However, he is going to do it.

At an additional cost?

Just wondering............

John

[Ivan]

[quote="TeenaG"]Update....


I'm ignorant and aggressive
/quote]

Are you?

Care to name the paint shop?