Clear Coat Problem

[tomm9298]

My clear coat is crusty and rough in certain areas on the hood, roof, and trunk. There is paint under the clear coat still. I would like to remove the patches of flaking clear coat. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this? Thanx in advance for all of your help.

[phidauex]

My clearcoat is coming off too... What color is your paint? Mine is the 'astral silver'. It appears to be three layers, a whiteish base coat (or perhaps primer, but it feels like a base coat), a silver metallic layer, and the clear coat. I tryed polishing the exposed silver layer, and didn't get very far... It either polished through to the base coat, or stayed opaque. I suppose thats why the clear coat is there...

As to the clear coat removal, I've been taking off sections by using a 'delicate duty' scotchbrite pad. Its actually so flaky that my fingernails will take it off, but the pad is faster. Just find the least abrasive thing that will remove it, and use that.

I'd recommend waxing after that.. the metallic layer is probably not super durable, and it needs all the protection it can get. I hope you can live with a 'matte finish' as well..

peace,
sam

[mplafleur]

I've had two mid-80's diesels do the same thing. My other '86 diesel has near perfect paint. But then both the bad ones came from hot sunny southern states.

My '85 SD has it real bad in the hood. The roof and trunk have it too.

[MTUpower]

My 85 SD had this very bad on the roof- the trunk and the hood lost all the clear coat. I believe and have been told that a repaint is the only true fix.

[Bayside30]

At what years did MB start using clear coats. I have a 82" 240d and a 82" 300dt. and They don't appear to have clear coats on them. ( classic white on both of them). Or did they use it on the metallic colors?

[Hatterasguy]

Repainting it is the only real fix. Buff the heck out of it with a good polish, that might help a bit. However I have gotten a nice deep shine out of my old paint, do the following:
Wash twice with dish soap to strip as much old wax as possible off.
Clay the paint.
Then I used the Meguiars 3 step system, follow the directions it works. But instead of using the liquid Gold Class wax use the paste it seems to go on faster and provides a nice deep shine. The reflection on my paint is very deep I can see the road in perfect detail in my hood.

[Lycoming-8]

Have a 'cream' colored 1980 300D NA car that has clear coat on roof, hood, trunk, and upper half of front and rear fenders. Don't know if this is stock or not, but it is sure beginning to come off of the hood. Does not appear to have peen applied to the vertical surfaces such as the doors or lower fender halves.

[ytr1903]

Lycoming-8,

The clear coat is there on your vertical surfaces, but just has not been attacked by the sun as vigorously as the horizontal surfaces. The only true fix for the clear coat breakdown discussed in this thread, is stripping the old paint off the car and starting over from the metal. Anything else is just buying time. If one can truly and completely remove the clear coat without damaging the base coat, then the new paint can be applied on the old base coat with proper preparation. This is usually easier said than done, unless you can find the definitive breakoff of good clear and bad clear. If new paint is applied over the deteriorating clear, the new paint will eventually peel off.

Tom

[tomm9298]

I will give the 0000 steel wool a shot tomorrow, weather permiting. I will post my results. I am sure painting is in order, but I will not have her painted before May.

[tomm9298]

OK, the 0000 grade steel wool did an acceptable job on the minor clear coat problems. It smoothed out the worst areas with no visible scratching or marks. Now I will try a 3M rubbing compound on the areas that look like crap. It can't hurt, it already looks pathetic. Will post results Sunday.