Missing top coat

mercedes13156

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Hi.

I just noticed last night that the guys who washed and valeted my wife's car have used a really powerful washer and have stripped off the top layer of glaze on part of one wing. Luckily the base layers have survived. Will it be possible to sand back the ragged edges of the glaze and reapply it across the whole wing?

Anything I need to know or be especially careful about?
 

LostKiwi

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No - if the lacquer lifts then the wing will need repainting.
 

umblecumbuz

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This rarely happens with original paint.
Has the wing been resprayed in the past?
Resprays sometimes have poor adhesion to the base layer (bare metal or primer), and can lift if high pressure is applied.

Umble
 
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mercedes13156

mercedes13156

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No. It's original paint. They used a power washer the size of a baby elephant. It's like they caught an edge and ripped it off in strips. I had it checked at the Merc repair shop and it's original paint. The guys at the car wash say they keep it turned down. There's also power washer tracks all over the fabric roof. Fkn ragin'!
 

Frosty149

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Have the car wash made any positive noise? I'm guessing serious cost here, insurance?
 

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No. It's original paint. They used a power washer the size of a baby elephant. It's like they caught an edge and ripped it off in strips. I had it checked at the Merc repair shop and it's original paint. The guys at the car wash say they keep it turned down. There's also power washer tracks all over the fabric roof. Fkn ragin'!
Never ever use a power washer on a fabric roof. It destroys the fibres and shortens the life of the roof.
 
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mercedes13156

mercedes13156

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Have the car wash made any positive noise? I'm guessing serious cost here, insurance?

The only noises they made were in broken Polish to the effect that they were pretty sure it came in like that.
 
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mercedes13156

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Never ever use a power washer on a fabric roof. It destroys the fibres and shortens the life of the roof.

I know. I'd never power wash a ragtop. Unfortunately, when you're in the shops the valeters can do whatever they like to your car.
 

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Doubtful that you would have lifted original paint or lacquer from the wing. It will have been repainted at some stage, and the bodyshop aren't gonna get into an argument with the selling garage..where you bought it from, if you should decide to get legal.
Lacquer is liable to lift if the proper procedures haven't been followed during the painting process.
 
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mercedes13156

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We've had the car for a couple of years now and we bought it privately. I had it along to the local MB bodyshop and they confirmed that the paint is original. It's 13 years old now and apart from this issue it is in fantastic condition. I'm wondering if I could rub it back to flatten out the edges and put a few coats of lacquer on myself. I've done it before on a Mazda MX5 with pretty good results.
 

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..... I'm wondering if I could rub it back to flatten out the edges and put a few coats of lacquer on myself. I've done it before on a Mazda MX5 with pretty good results.

Best taken to a bodyshop for them to sort ;)
 
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mercedes13156

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That's the old girl in question.
 

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Xtractorfan

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You can do it if you have an idea of the process needed, remember that if you rub the paint, basecost silver, then the rub marks will show up in the lacquered finish.
Use lint free rags and wipe the area over with clean water with a little washing up liquid added, check the lacquer edges, if any part looks loose or flakey then tape over with masking tape and pull off the loose bits... When you have a nice tight lacquer edge, get some grey scotchbrite and scuff around the lacquered area and a bit further out, Do not rub the painted area, where the lacquer has peeled, about 3-4 inches or similar in cm lol.. dry off the area, mask/tape off the area much further out. this is only to stop over spray from settling on other bits of the car.
Use an aerosol can of lacquer and spray gently around the peeled edge, let it dry for five mins and do this again about four or five times, then spray all over the peeled off area, again about 4 coats, leaving about 5 mins between coats, using a hairdryer will sped up the process and dont be tempted to hold it close as it will bubble or move the wet lacquer.
Check the peeled edge and spray a few more coats around the edges and one or 2 final coats over the whole area.
Leave to sit for a few days, then sand the area flat with 1200 sandpaper and then with 1500 grit.. now you can polish the area up.
 
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mercedes13156

mercedes13156

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You can do it if you have an idea of the process needed, remember that if you rub the paint, basecost silver, then the rub marks will show up in the lacquered finish.
Use lint free rags and wipe the area over with clean water with a little washing up liquid added, check the lacquer edges, if any part looks loose or flakey then tape over with masking tape and pull off the loose bits... When you have a nice tight lacquer edge, get some grey scotchbrite and scuff around the lacquered area and a bit further out, Do not rub the painted area, where the lacquer has peeled, about 3-4 inches or similar in cm lol.. dry off the area, mask/tape off the area much further out. this is only to stop over spray from settling on other bits of the car.
Use an aerosol can of lacquer and spray gently around the peeled edge, let it dry for five mins and do this again about four or five times, then spray all over the peeled off area, again about 4 coats, leaving about 5 mins between coats, using a hairdryer will sped up the process and dont be tempted to hold it close as it will bubble or move the wet lacquer.
Check the peeled edge and spray a few more coats around the edges and one or 2 final coats over the whole area.
Leave to sit for a few days, then sand the area flat with 1200 sandpaper and then with 1500 grit.. now you can polish the area up.

Great advice! Thanks! It's pretty much what I was thinking about, but not as many coats. The colour coat is completely undamaged and is a wee bit rough to the fingertip. It will give me a great key for the new lacquer. I'll let you know how I get on.
 

Xtractorfan

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Using an aerosol can of lacquer you will need extra coats as it is much thinner, and it does take quite a bit to build up the missing lacquer to the required level , then some more to seal over the raw edge and into the remaining lacquer coat.
 
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mercedes13156

mercedes13156

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Using an aerosol can of lacquer you will need extra coats as it is much thinner, and it does take quite a bit to build up the missing lacquer to the required level , then some more to seal over the raw edge and into the remaining lacquer coat.


Psyching myself up for it as I type!
 

Xtractorfan

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Go for it and take one step at a time, never be in a hurry or rush to get more coats on. and remember if its not a success you can then consider getting it done professionally.
Just one thing I forgot, your first coat of lacquer around the edges of the missing lacquer, try and spray into the old lacquer edge as this will help to seal and stick the broken lacquer edge down, and light coats are better than full flow coats as it will not run as easily.
 
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