[LovinMyE93]

Hi all,

I've been skimming through the various posts in this section, but haven't found an issue like what I'm seeing in my finish...

'08 E93 Cabrio, new to me about two 1/2 years ago... When I got her, the finish was impeccable.
For the first year it was garaged, but then that house was sold and she began a life parked outside.

I've owned quite a few cars over the years, and hadn't had a garage for the vast majority, but I've never seen a finish go south as rapidly as this over the past 18 months.






I know it looks like someone took a sheet of 220 paper to the hood and roof panels, but it became this way over time.

Has ANYONE seen anything like this?
Aside from leaving the car outside, I didn't DO anything untoward on the finish.
Used a brushless tunnel car wash in my neighborhood. Used Mothers products on it every so often. Never used the scrub brush at a hand wash place.
So I'd love some input...

One person has suggested trying the clay bar route, but another at one body shop believes this isn't fixable in that manner. It's deep into the clear coat.

I've received a couple of quotes from the most well-reviewed body shops that do great Bimmer work in town, and they're both around $1,800 for a fix.


One service manager at the dealership garage (who also does their own body work) told me he thinks it might be that the car was repainted, but I've not found any evidence of prior damage, and there's even a couple of poorly filled chips in the affected areas.

Anyone have any ideas, tips, suggestions, etc?

Also, any forum members in Middle Tennessee have a body shop that I can try getting another quote from?

[jkrig]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but....the hood is def going to need a respray, looks like clearcoat failure there and the roof well its hard to tell if clear is still in tact....for the roof at least a light (2000g or 3000g)wetsand/compound/polish could help but not entirely sure based on pics. And I do not recommend doing so if you have no experience and or proper tools to correct the sanding marks.

You mentioned going thru a brushless wash, some of those brushless washes uses high pressure and concentrated chemicals that can strip any protection (waxes, sealants, etc) from your paint....I'd avoid those in the future if possible....

[08njSTEP]

2 possible scenarios.
1) The seller used some kind of wax/sealer to hide the damage and it worked until you put it outside. The elements stripped it off leaving the real finish.

2) The car has been painted and the clear was low quality or applied too thin.

Both cases looks like a repaint is probably needed. Its almost impossible to judge paint damage from pics, and some skilled detailers can do amazing things. BUT, if there isn't enough clear they can't do anything. Also, a low quality clear will go back to looking like crap several months after the detail.

[JM98]

My roof was in similar condition when I purchased my car (sat out in the SoCal sun for years). After a few heavy coats of glaze/wax its not noticeable, but I do plan on wrapping the roof in vinyl as it bothers the crap out of me.

I would take it to someone who does paint corrections and see what they say, they will usually be able to tell you if there is enough clear to repair it vs. having to repaint it.

[LovinMyE93]

Thanks for the feedback y'all, guess I'll have to start a paper route to save my pennies for the re-spray.

[SHEEDI]

OP, A Professional detailer Zach can help you here

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...1196641&page=8

[Detailed Image]

It's always difficult to diagnose stuff like this with just photos, but it does appear to be failing clear coat.

In order to help you diagnose the issue, I would attempt to compound and polish an area to see if there is any improvement. If not, the paint is toast. If yes, it may just be oxidation on the surface, though the likelihood of that happening on top of clear coat is pretty slim.

This is not typically something you see on OEM paint for a vehicle that is not too old, so I would agree that it is possibly the result of a poor repaint job. Again, I cannot say anything for sure without checking the car out in person. I would consult with a trusted body shop and ask to speak directly with a painter to get their feedback on what the issue may be and how it was caused, not just the guy who does the quotes.

-Zach

[LovinMyE93]

Thanks for the input Detailed Image much appreciated

[LovinMyE93]

Thanks SHEEDI