Paint

[cappy]

Anyone have a problem with their paint bubling and flaking off?


My '01 has a couple spots on the hood right at the nose where it's comin off. Anyone else seen this?

Cappy

 

[smo0othride]

Are you the orignal owner? If so, how much has it been out in the sun, and how often do you wax it? If you parked out in the sun for those 5 years and didn't wax much... then I would say that flaking is expected.

 

[Silver Ex]

Not to disagree, but is the Connecticut sun really capable of that kind of damage? Even with no wax, sun alone in that part of the country won't bubble today's high-tech finishes...4 years of no garage or not. So many day-to-day things can start the deterioration of a paint job. Regardless of the cause, let's address the fix.

Cappy, I wasn't clear if the bubbles just started or if they were in the finish and just recently began to crack and flake. You also didn't say if the flaking was in the basecoat or the clearcoat.

If the clearcoat is all that's flaking and the area isn't too large, a Duplicolor clearcoat kit can do a great job repairing the finish. Just follow the instructions that you can find on the Duplicolor website, take your time, and the results will really surprise you. If its down to the basecoat, the job may be a little more involved, but not impossible. Duplicolor really does have a great website for the do-it-yourselfer. Even if the repair is not perfect, it sounds like the damage is in a spot that could be hidden and even protected by a bug shield. And if you want to spend the bucks, a good body shop is always an option...

Good Luck!

 

[cappy]

I am the origional owner, Its the basecoat thats doin it but its in only 2 spots the very leading edge of the hood on the drivers and passengers side of the vehicle. Now it has been out in the elements for 5 years but it gets its weekly bath and it has the factory poly prep super chemichal sealer so you dont gotta wax it ever stuff on. And the dealer re-touches it yearly for me. It looks like a bad prep job from the factory theres oxidation on the metal It almostlooks like there wasnt enuough primer on the metal. Planning on having the dealership look at it to see if it might be waranty work. . .Problably not but it wont hurt to ask.

 

[Silver Ex]

Cappy --

That's kind of what I thought. It would almost have to be a factory defect like you say. I know what you're talking about when you mention thin paint. My wife's '01 Mustang convertible has some thin spots on some of the body panel edges, too.

I live in northern Indiana, much the same climate-wise as you. We don't have a garage, and the Mustang is out in it all! We bought it new, and the first time I did anything to the finish other than washing it was this summer. I bought Final Detail spray wax off of QVC. It really does a nice job on the clearcoat. It made the yellow on the 'Stang look even brighter, and I use it on every surface of the car (except for the convertible top). And it really makes the silver finish on my Ex shine!

Good luck with the warranty thing!

 

[eatmorechikin]

I just traded in my 96 Ford Explorer for a 2002 Expedition XLT. It took me a while to find something with the right miles I was looking for and everytime I did I found things I didn't like about it. On many of the Expeditions I looked at, I'd say around 75% if not more, had this problem you're talknig about. It happens right at the edge of the hood where the grille, headlights and hood meet each other. I've seen it mostly on the 2001 models and usually the Eddie Bauer Editions.

 

[scans]

I do.... 3 spots on the front of the hood edge. Has Ford owned up to this?

 

[cappy]

No not really they stand on a 3 yeat paint warrenty. . . Kinda sucks, Still need to get mine redone, however I've noticed that it hasnt gotten worse since I posted . . .The Praying is working keep it up guys!