Paint Correction Fail — Advice Appreciated

SSTJ

SSTJ

———
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
Messages
3,342
Location
South Carolina
Alright everyone, I'm clearly doing something wrong. Any advice would be appreciated.

Working on the hood of a '97 "Flame Red" TJ.

Pictures 1 and 2 show a spot that comes from when the TJ sat under a cover for about a year (I was living overseas), and a family member left something sitting on top of the cover. I can't clean it off, and it has some kind of diamond pattern to it (see second pic). I've used McGuire's Ultimate Compound twice and I see no difference.

Pictures 3 and 4 show some kind of 'frost' looking scratches in the paint. I'm pretty sure these weren't there before I started trying to correct the paint. Is there any way I did this while trying to use the compound? I'm using a foam attachment on my cordless drill, and McGuire's Ultimate Compound. If I had gotten some kind of grit in the pad, I would expect more curved/circular scratches. But what are these?

With thanks.

IMG_0398.JPG


IMG_0399.JPG


IMG_0400.JPG


IMG_0402.JPG
 
That’s called checking and you can’t really buff it out.

I’ve buffed our similar marks to your first two pictures, maybe your drill and foam pad just aren’t cutting enough to get through it?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SSTJ
I have a 2003 flame red Hood that has the same diamond checking. Its deeper than the clear coat. My plan is to sand the hood down and repaint. I know of no other way
 
I'm pretty sure these weren't there before I started trying to correct the paint.
Click to expand...
'

They were there before, you just didn't really notice it before until the compound dried within the cracks. As far as I know, nothing can be done to remove the dried product in the crows feet cracks. As mentioned above, a respray is the only fix.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SSTJ
Clean it with alcohol til it's gone....rub thinned flame red paint into the cracks....wipe away excess quickly and scuff it all gently , tack rag it , then spray 2 coats clear over it , once the clear dries , wet sand it to blend .

Practice on an old fender helps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JMT, Ephry73, SSTJ and 1 other person
AndyG said:
Clean it with alcohol til it's gone....rub thinned flame red paint into the cracks....wipe away excess quickly and scuff it all gently , tack rag it , then spray 2 coats clear over it , once the clear dries , wet sand it to blend .

Practice on an old fender helps.
Click to expand...
Where are you getting factory touch up paint.

This is an awesome write up by the way, thank you.
 
cpwolf said:
Where are you getting factory touch up paint.

This is an awesome write up by the way, thank you.
Click to expand...
National Coating Supply is good , any red is going to fix the cracks , but quality clear, like SEM is where the finish quality is. Blending clear takes practice, check out videos online.

Thanks, raised around paint and body work. My brother was extremely capable, had cars he sprayed in magazines.
 
I had the same issue until I got hail damage and new paint on a new hood.
I wonder why checking seems to be such a prevalent issue on our Jeeps though
 
Hi everyone,

Thanks very much. Good to know about crow's feet, and it sounds like it was there before, but now I have some dried compounding product in those cracks. I might try to get it out with some alcohol as suggested above, but that'll be for another day.

But about those first two pictures, with the diamond pattern. Is that something different? Sounds like @Capt'n has had the issue? Oh, and Fughuert says to just compound a bit more, so I may try that.
 
You need a real compound and a real buffer, probably. Drill and Auto store compound probably won't cut heavy enough to do any real work (and also no real damage).
 
I use griots polish you can get at any store and a harbor freight dual action buffer with chemical guys pads, just what was cheapest on amazon that had decent reviews.
 
I have alien marks on my hood and dried bug guts on the windshield frame. I got a quote to paint the hood, fenders, hood cowl and windshield frame from a professional shop that has done work for me in the past. $600. They color matched my 99' Sahara paint perfectly. I'll just live with it.
Rubi paint.jpg
Rubi paint spots.jpg
 
Thanks all. I'll try polishing the 'diamond' white spot a bit more, and will just live with the crows feet or else try the suggested cleaning above.

Grateful for the feedback!
 
That is actually really easy to fix with the following:

1. sandable primer
2. Flame red duplicolor for chrysler
3. Duplicolor clearcoat
4. 180 wet/dry samdpaper
5. 320 wet/dry sandpaper
6. 600/1000 wet/dry sandpaper
7. 2000 grit wet sandpaper
7. 3000 grit and 5000 grit polishing pad

a. Using 180 wet sand the spot to the base metal in circular motions
B. Repeat with 320
C. Clean with soapy water
D. Clean with isopropyl alcohol
E. Mask the area about 3x wider then the sanded area
D. Using rolled paper mask the area around 1.5 times the sanded area and light spray with 3 coats of sandable primer
E. Remove the masking and wet sand the primer plus a larger area and part of the red finish around it (2-3x the size) till smoothwith wet 600 and 1000 grit sandpaper
F. Clean with soapy water
G clean with isopropyl
F. Mask an area 4x the primed area
G. Mask with a rolled paper edge about 2x the painted area
H. Paint with 2-3 coats of flame red. It is important at this point that you spray TOWARDS the rolled edge at around 45 degree angle and not down or away from it as much as possible. The rolled paper helps to feather the paint to eliminate any mask oines
I. Expand your masked area again.
J. Clear coat. 3-4 coats. Again watched how you spray to not create a mask line
K. Wait about 5 hours and wet sand lightly with 2000 grit to remove most orange peel.
L. Wet sand with 3000 and then 5000 polishing sand pad till smooth.
M. After 24 hours polish with Mcguiers ultimate buffing compound
N. Polish with Mcgueirs ultimate polishing compound
O. Finish if you want with mcguier’s ultimate micro scratch remover

The above might look daunting but it is actually very easy once you have done it once and everything can be purchased a either autozone or advanced auto parts.

There are multiple types of paint you can use and the method abov is the same.
1. Using a spray gun with base/clear
2. Using rattle cans custom made for you with base/clear

both of the above use the exact same type of auto paints manufacturers use

3. off the shelf such as Sem/Duplicolor. These are designed to mimic base/clear but are normally acrylic lacquer base.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: JMT
Gavidoc said:
That is actually really easy to fix with the following:

1. sandable primer
2. Flame red duplicolor for chrysler
3. Duplicolor clearcoat
4. 180 wet/dry samdpaper
5. 320 wet/dry sandpaper
6. 600/1000 wet/dry sandpaper
7. 2000 grit wet sandpaper
7. 3000 grit and 5000 grit polishing pad

a. Using 180 wet sand the spot to the base metal in circular motions
B. Repeat with 320
C. Clean with soapy water
D. Clean with isopropyl alcohol
E. Mask the area about 3x wider then the sanded area
D. Using rolled paper mask the area around 1.5 times the sanded area and light spray with 3 coats of sandable primer
E. Remove the masking and wet sand the primer plus a larger area and part of the red finish around it (2-3x the size) till smoothwith wet 600 and 1000 grit sandpaper
F. Clean with soapy water
G clean with isopropyl
F. Mask an area 4x the primed area
G. Mask with a rolled paper edge about 2x the painted area
H. Paint with 2-3 coats of flame red. It is important at this point that you spray TOWARDS the rolled edge at around 45 degree angle and not down or away from it as much as possible. The rolled paper helps to feather the paint to eliminate any mask oines
I. Expand your masked area again.
J. Clear coat. 3-4 coats. Again watched how you spray to not create a mask line
K. Wait about 5 hours and wet sand lightly with 2000 grit to remove most orange peel.
L. Wet sand with 3000 and then 5000 polishing sand pad till smooth.
M. After 24 hours polish with Mcguiers ultimate buffing compound
N. Polish with Mcgueirs ultimate polishing compound
O. Finish if you want with mcguier’s ultimate micro scratch remover

The above might look daunting but it is actually very easy once you have done it once and everything can be purchased a either autozone or advanced auto parts.

There are multiple types of paint you can use and the method abov is the same.
1. Using a spray gun with base/clear
2. Using rattle cans custom made for you with base/clear

both of the above use the exact same type of auto paints manufacturers use

3. off the shelf such as Sem/Duplicolor. These are designed to mimic base/clear but are normally acrylic lacquer base.
Click to expand...
With TJs being 14 years old at the least, having a comfort level with some paint correction techniques is good to have in your arsenal.

It also comes in handy when the wife's car gets a ding in the parking lot.

We went through a drive-through Safari type zoo a while back..they had these weird cows with horns about as big around as your thigh at the base. They could just turn their head and rake the paint off your car.

As we left some guy came in in a nice mustang... I said , oh man he ain't going to be happy.
 
AndyG said:
With TJs being 14 years old at the least, having a comfort level with some paint correction techniques is good to have in your arsenal.

It also comes in handy when the wife's car gets a ding in the parking lot.

We went through a drive-through Safari type zoo a while back..they had these weird cows with horns about as big around as your thigh at the base. They could just turn their head and rake the paint off your car.

As we left some guy came in in a nice mustang... I said , oh man he ain't going to be happy.
Click to expand...

the wife’s car, your mother in law’s car or even your brand new gladiator that takes rock to the hood on the interstate......

quite irritating breaking out the paint fixing supplies on a vehicle you have owned for an entire 2 weeks.
 
Top Bottom
Back