Is aftermarket paint worse than factory paint?

[ConstantChange]

My 94 Silverado got hit about 3.5 years ago and I had the hood and front fenders repainted. About 3 months ago the clear coat started to peel on the hood in one spot. Today it rained and when I went out this evening I noticed several spots all over the hood where the clear coat is lifting.

The 14 year old original paint on the hood was fine when it went to the body shop. It just had a lot of rock chips on the front. This current paint job is complete shit. Did I just get a crap paint job or is the aftermarket stuff not as good as the factory stuff?

I plan to get the hood repainted at a different shop. I guess time will tell.

[NEVRL8T]

You can say what you want about factory paint but how many of them actually fail? Not many. Sure some custom jobs look out of this world but put them through the every day rigors of the road and see how long they hold up. Same with simple sand and shoots. Nothing holds as well as the factory.

[Kerrmudgeon]

Hell no! Some factory paint downright sucks. Full of orange peel and overspray. I remember looking at a new Mercedes thinking for that kind of money I don't want orange peel. :yesnod:

My old Chevy 4X4 had to be stripped under warranty because the paint was flaking off in car washes right down to the primer. :slap:

Dealer did a great job, looked better than new.:D

[63C2splitter]

Over the years I have had some pretty bad factory paint. Looked good when new, but started flaking a couple years later. I have also had some good paint from the factory, which held up well for years.

[RedLS1GTO]

It can go either way. There is a HUGE range of quality in aftermarket paint (and more importantly the application of that paint).

I had my Z06 repainted after it got some hail damage a few years ago at a good shop by someone who really knows his stuff. Today, it looks better than any factory paint out there. Same goes for my '83 El Camino.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Paint/IMG_1200.jpg

On the other hand, my '98 Monte Carlo was fixed after a wreck and barely 2 years later it looked like pure crap, whereas the parts that were factory paint still looked great.

[Kerrmudgeon]

I guess you pay more, you get more in the car finishing world.:yesnod:

[Grey Ghost]

There is a huge difference in price for the liquids involved in a paint job. Your problem sounds more like contamination or poor application. The factory clear coat is super thin compared to an aftermarket job.

[vetteman9368]

I guess you pay more, you get more in the car finishing world.:yesnod:

:iagree: with the hoser

[Fasglas]

Paint longevity ALWAYS depends on prep work. Always.

Prep work is labor intensive. It's also easiest to fake. Once the color goes on, it's hard to verify, except it won't stand up to time.

Cheap paint work looks good the day after, but soon, the truth appears.

It isn't the paint. It's the painter.

[ConstantChange]

I guess you pay more, you get more in the car finishing world.:yesnod:

I agree. The trick is finding the right guy. Most people only visit body shops when they get in a wreck and end up where the insurance or tow truck driver takes them.

The guy I used has been in business for 20+ years and is the uncle of one of my best friends wife. My buddy recommended him, so I used him. He did do some extra work (painted the other fender, sanded and cleared the headlights to remove the fog, etc...) that wasn't covered by the insurance, but maybe he used cheaper material to cover the difference.

One thing I noticed was his shop wasn't clean and in order. A lady at work recommended another place that's been in business for a long time. She said she's had worked done and it's been good. She also said she liked the place because the shop was very clean and in order. You could tell they took pride in keeping a professional working environment.

I'd rather pay more to do it right the first time then have to spend the time getting it redone in the future.