I own a dark arrival green LS 2dr and the clear coat/base coat is starting to go away and in a hurry.
I noticed the first signs a few years ago on the rear quarter panels next to the deck lid. Then the roof, and now the hood. The roof and hood have happened all with in the last three months.
I've used either Zaino polish or Tropicare polish on it since it was brand new.
I have a feeling the acid rain in Boston(where I work and where I lived for 2 years) hasn't helped. I don't have any trees to park under nor do I have a garage to park in.
Anyone else's paint starting to go away?
Fix the paint with a multi step program to rejuvenate the paint.
I use Meguiars #4 for deep cleaning the paint, cutting the oxidation, and leaving it clean. Lots of elbow grease to do this but it's worth it in the end.
Then I use Meguiars #7 to polish out the swirls that may have been encountered with the #4 and to put back into the paint what has been removed from the sun, rain, etc.
Then I use whatever wax you trust but if I were you, I'd use some kind of polymer wax that goes beyond the standard carnauba wax.
I'd also recommend that you do one panel at a time and do this over several weeks to complete the car. This way, you can see what the process does to the car along with getting motivated to do the rest of the car.
For about 5 years, I'd not done a thing with my Cavy because it was used for daily driving to work and on the weekends I used it to transport me, my gear, and a team member or two for going to paintball practice or tournaments.
For that amount of time, I too started to have extreme paint fade but with the above, got it back to where it's mirror smooth, and glass like.
It's still the original paint and people are always asking if that's the original color and paint.
So be patient with it and you'll see the results. Just waxing the car does nothing for it or even if it's considered a polish, it's not enough to keep the oxidation from taking over.
Good luck with it.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO! 
yess! m y dads back 05 the clear coat is just like peeling off at the exact same spots as yours.. so disappointing
If the clear is coming off, the only proper solution is to repaint. If the clear is gone, the protection is gone.
My clear is peeling on my Z and my vert and also the paint on my dads 05 looks like its dissolving. I think GM paint just sucks!
Yea, the clear is coming off and taking the paint away with it. The gray primer is starting to show through as well. Oh well. Car still runs and drives like new.
mine has same problem, in same areas as well. Hood, roof, and truck tail area. Rest of the car is flashy, shiny and semi-new looking minus a few scratches. I believe there is a defect in GM paint. Good luck getting them to admit that... they get cheaper with every new car. I refuse to buy another GM for that same reason. Sad that the american product is so cheaply made.
Brian Doering wrote:mine has same problem, in same areas as well. Hood, roof, and truck tail area. Rest of the car is flashy, shiny and semi-new looking minus a few scratches. I believe there is a defect in GM paint. Good luck getting them to admit that... they get cheaper with every new car. I refuse to buy another GM for that same reason. Sad that the american product is so cheaply made.
have you waxed it regularly it's entire life?
taking care of your paint is like changing your oil. it's part of routine maintenence. you can't blame it on GM, i see tons of older cars (cuz remember these are technically older car's now), of all brands with destroyed clear coat. it doesn't matter the company, if it's not taken care of guess what's going to happen?
btw this topic was just covered. even on the first page of this very forum as a matter of fact. amazing what ya find when ya just scroll down.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=7&i=384434&t=384434
Edited 2 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, August 17, 2010 10:46 AM
I'd go with what James said..it's good stuff. Just be ready to work though.
I want to clean up the paint on my cobalt, and I have a plan close to his....
I let my paint on the car go for about 5 years without washing and waxing it but I brought it back to like new condition with the stated products.
Everyone asks if it's the original paint on the car and I proudly tell them yes it is but alot of work went into it to make it so.
If all you're doing it waxing the car, that's not enough.
You've got to clean the paint at least once or twice a year so that you can take off those small layers of oxidized paint that acts as cancer to ones paint job.
Dave, let's see some before and after results if that's good for you.
Good luck and have Zach put a little elbow into it too.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO!
I bought my 98 fire when she was 4 years old and i have gbeen since that day waxing the hell out of it several time's a year and useing quick spray wax in bewteen and my paint looks new and i am also asked if its the orginal color and paint....
i will post a pic if i can...
just do the 3 steps; i use meguairs but lately i have been using turtle wax for step 3 as its so much cheaper and its green as my car is greensih blue...
1 cleaner wax
2 polish
3 wax
good luck buddy..
98 j-body sedan
Not the best pic above. but that was taken a few months ago; not bad for 12 year old paint.........
98 j-body sedan
blucavvy wrote:Brian Doering wrote:mine has same problem, in same areas as well. Hood, roof, and truck tail area. Rest of the car is flashy, shiny and semi-new looking minus a few scratches. I believe there is a defect in GM paint. Good luck getting them to admit that... they get cheaper with every new car. I refuse to buy another GM for that same reason. Sad that the american product is so cheaply made.
have you waxed it regularly it's entire life?
taking care of your paint is like changing your oil. it's part of routine maintenence. you can't blame it on GM, i see tons of older cars (cuz remember these are technically older car's now), of all brands with destroyed clear coat. it doesn't matter the company, if it's not taken care of guess what's going to happen?
btw this topic was just covered. even on the first page of this very forum as a matter of fact. amazing what ya find when ya just scroll down.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=7&i=384434&t=384434
Right. But it is a fact that the black paint on the j-bodies is defective. I know of 3 cavaliers (including mine) that have the peeling clear and base, and they all happen to be black. Proper paint care may help to prolong the effects, but it will not prevent defects from occurring.
Anyone who knows anything about Zaino know's it's great polish. It didn't help my clear coat from staying.......my parents 01 Suburban still looks new and he uses Zaino too so it's safe to assume the paint where the car was built is lousy.
never had any problems with my clear peeling except the hood when i got the car i first stripped all the wax n stuff by washing with dish soap i ran a megs scratch remover then i buffed the whole car then i glazzed it with mothers and waxed over it with megs cleaner wax i do this every 3-4 months now i wash my car with tide it doesnt strip anything off
Brent Willyard wrote:blucavvy wrote:Brian Doering wrote:mine has same problem, in same areas as well. Hood, roof, and truck tail area. Rest of the car is flashy, shiny and semi-new looking minus a few scratches. I believe there is a defect in GM paint. Good luck getting them to admit that... they get cheaper with every new car. I refuse to buy another GM for that same reason. Sad that the american product is so cheaply made.
have you waxed it regularly it's entire life?
taking care of your paint is like changing your oil. it's part of routine maintenence. you can't blame it on GM, i see tons of older cars (cuz remember these are technically older car's now), of all brands with destroyed clear coat. it doesn't matter the company, if it's not taken care of guess what's going to happen?
btw this topic was just covered. even on the first page of this very forum as a matter of fact. amazing what ya find when ya just scroll down.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=7&i=384434&t=384434
Right. But it is a fact that the black paint on the j-bodies is defective. I know of 3 cavaliers (including mine) that have the peeling clear and base, and they all happen to be black. Proper paint care may help to prolong the effects, but it will not prevent defects from occurring.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
I have a '03 black cav w/ 200k miles on it. I've been waxing and washing the car twice a month since I bought it in '03. I am in Texas so there is a high heat issue in the summer, but still that should survive. The rest of the car is in great shape with exception to the hood, roof, and part of the back. waiting on my body kit and replacing the headlights and tail lights before I re-paint
