Clear coat is coming off my Thai RS Spoiler

[marlondog]

I went through one of those drive thru car washes, and noticed later that it took some of the clear coat off. Now it's spreading, and makes the spoiler look like it has skin cancer. What should I do? Should I use some kind of clear-coat remover and clear-coat it again? Or should I leave it up to a professional?

[sbergman27]

I went through one of those drive thru car washes, and noticed later that it took some of the clear coat off. Now it's spreading, and makes the spoiler look like it has skin cancer.
Is that metallic blue? Or grey? Hard to tell. Since the 60s I've been watching the metallic blues and silvers oxidizing and powdering away down to the primer. Every few years some new generation of finish technology comes along which is supposed to be the the be all and end all. And a few years later I see the blues and silvers of that technology powdering away. Of course, these days it starts with the clear flaking off like the beginnings of a nasty sunburn. I presume mica has the same issues.

If the clear is coming off, the color layer beneath is likely compromised.

FWIW, I'm dealing with this on my 1968 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, which my father and I painted just a few years ago with a quality acrylic urethane. You just can't win with blue and silver.

-Steve

[marlondog]

It was black Sand Pearl, now it's Kaposi Sarcoma:frown:.

[MUSKOKA800]

Clear-coat remover????? You must mean sandpaper.

Clear-coat is paint. Leave it to the professionals.
Did the spoiler come painted from the vendor? If not, and you had it painted domestically then I'd visit that shop with a grievance. Maybe they'll get it right on round two, for free.

[sbergman27]

It was black Sand Pearl
What is the history of the spoiler? Did it come on the car? Aftermarket? Who did the painting.

Although regular black has always been a safe enough color over the years, I've been a bit worried about metallic and mica black. How's the paint on the rest of the car? Especially the upward (sun) facing surfaces?

I'd advise keeping a coat of wax on it. It doesn't block a significant amount of UV in itself. (Despite any vendor claims.) But it does protect the clear, which is supposed to block UV to protect the color layer. A cover may be worth considering.

My Sedan is Black Sand Pearl. So this incident has got my attention.

-Steve

[Sidicas]

If the clear coat is coming off, it's usually not a problem with the clear coat so much as it is a problem with the layer of paint the clear coat is on top of.. If it wasn't cleaned properly or wasn't painted properly, then no matter how many times you apply a new layer of clear coat, it will just peel off like it is now...

You need to take it off all the way down to the primer and repaint both the base and the clear coat.. Basically an entire paint job..

[Morgan]

If you want it to look great, you need to take it to a reputable paint shop. It shouldn't be more than $150 tops

[YarisSedan]

You can try to get a very fine grit sandpaper specifically designed for clear coat sanding. Then try your best to get it all smooth and even. Then using duplicolor clear coat you can spray on a new layer. Otherwise whenever it rains or you go through a carwash the water will get under and lift it up and peel again. It will get worse quickly. Only other option is to have it professionally repainted.