I finally get the orange peel gripe
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From: Issaquah, WA
I finally get the orange peel gripe
I don't have a Z, so I couldn't understand why there was so much griping about the orange peel on the Z. Then the other half of the people say that, "all cars have orange peel" which they do a bit.
However, a Brickyard Touring starting showing up in the parking lot at work. I took a close look, and although the car looks great, the orange peel is extremely obvious.
I then walked around the parking lot looking at all the other cars. On everything else is was practically non-existant. You had to look VERY close to see any orange peel on anything else.
That sure sucks
However, a Brickyard Touring starting showing up in the parking lot at work. I took a close look, and although the car looks great, the orange peel is extremely obvious.
I then walked around the parking lot looking at all the other cars. On everything else is was practically non-existant. You had to look VERY close to see any orange peel on anything else.
That sure sucks
must have had worse than normal, mines no more noticable that n other cars.
however on the same topic, I wa watchin ghe news, and they said someone was going to ford over their excalade pickup due to orange peel. it was like on the consumer watchdog, they said it fell under lemon law for decreased value. interesting I thought. tho mine is not nearly bad enought to warrent a new paintnob/
however on the same topic, I wa watchin ghe news, and they said someone was going to ford over their excalade pickup due to orange peel. it was like on the consumer watchdog, they said it fell under lemon law for decreased value. interesting I thought. tho mine is not nearly bad enought to warrent a new paintnob/
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From: Long Island
I've made it a habit to closely look at every new Z I see for an over abundance of orange peel, and I must sadly report that *all* the Z's I've seen have had a bad orange peel paint problem. It's more dominant in the darker colors (especially Redline and Super Black), but it's definitely a problem across the spectrum and I believe that Nissan should look into this and remedy it asap.
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From: maryland
I don't understand that in this day and age with a multi billion dollar company like Nissan how orange peel can be accepted. Do they think that people will just say "well at least we put the money into the important things like engine etc...??"
That seems to be an excuse for cheap plastic door pannels and nav cover and now paint. Wake up Nissan, paint has been around for a long time it should be easy enough to get into the average range.
That seems to be an excuse for cheap plastic door pannels and nav cover and now paint. Wake up Nissan, paint has been around for a long time it should be easy enough to get into the average range.
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Here is the poop on paint and it may help with some of the questions. In 2001 all manufactures switched to a water based paint, they did this to make the factories come into EPA guidelines.
Ok, so here is the application process as told to me by a BMW executive, just enough water is aded to the paints to make them soluable, and to flow, the process actually has become more like a powder coating process. the paints are applied and then baked, not to a degree where it would melt anyhting, but enough to mkae it harden faster. Although baking paint has been used for years( thanks Earl Scheib) the new process isnt without its flaws. for example, paint flows to the edges, look at your flat hood and run your finger along the actual edge, you will fell a run/ridge where the paint coagulates, dont panic its happened for years. Thats why when I apply 3M film, I always do the door edges to prevent this buildup from chipping faster. Back to paint, this paint regardless of the water or chemical base will react differntly to different surfaces. Keep in mind as wonderful as computers are, and the advances in technology, cars are MASS produced, the attention to detail although great, has to fall within a certain guideline. So what may be acceptable for the factory, isnt for a discerning eye, the only way to eliminate any orange peel, woulf be a total wet-sanding of the car, and then buffing or maybe en clear on top of that. Needless to say that wont happen in a factory... I'm off the soapbox now, hope it helped to understand the process a little better...Rob
Ok, so here is the application process as told to me by a BMW executive, just enough water is aded to the paints to make them soluable, and to flow, the process actually has become more like a powder coating process. the paints are applied and then baked, not to a degree where it would melt anyhting, but enough to mkae it harden faster. Although baking paint has been used for years( thanks Earl Scheib) the new process isnt without its flaws. for example, paint flows to the edges, look at your flat hood and run your finger along the actual edge, you will fell a run/ridge where the paint coagulates, dont panic its happened for years. Thats why when I apply 3M film, I always do the door edges to prevent this buildup from chipping faster. Back to paint, this paint regardless of the water or chemical base will react differntly to different surfaces. Keep in mind as wonderful as computers are, and the advances in technology, cars are MASS produced, the attention to detail although great, has to fall within a certain guideline. So what may be acceptable for the factory, isnt for a discerning eye, the only way to eliminate any orange peel, woulf be a total wet-sanding of the car, and then buffing or maybe en clear on top of that. Needless to say that wont happen in a factory... I'm off the soapbox now, hope it helped to understand the process a little better...Rob
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ok, orange peel is when you look down the surface of the paint and it has small dimples or blemishes , that will resemble the peel of an orange, hence the name. N ow, as far as having a complete wet sand ans clear each shop will be different, I'm sure it will not be cheap though, and dont go with a shop that just low-***** it, that could be detrimental to your paint, if they are too aggresive, you may find yourself with primer showing through.
he said he'd take care of it for me, new clear and all 
Good timing on this thread. I'm in the mortgage business and just met a client that I have known for ~10 years this morning. He has been in the auto body business for 18 years and manager of one of the larger shops in the Boston area. He knows his stuff. I asked him to be honest and give me an honest evaluation of the paint job on the car. His response, after asking me if I really wanted him to be honest (which I obviously did), was that it was one of the worst cases of orange peel he has ever seen in his life. He did mention that all cars do have orange peel to a certain degree, and it is becoming more prevalent due to the aforementioned environmental regulations, but he had never seen a factory paint job that bad. He loved the car, but would not buy one if the paint was as bad as my car.
To answer the usual question of why I took delivery, I had been on the Nissan preorder list for ~2 years, placed my preorder the first day I could (Jan. 17) and was more interested in getting the car on the road rather than inspecting for flaws in the paint (it's a new car so I assumed everything must be perfect...). To be honest, I was completely naive to the orange peel problem and the first post that I read about the problem came out the day after I took delivery (and I didn't read that one for a couple of days as any "free" time was spent in the car). The good definitely outweighs the bad on the car and I am more than happy to accept it the way it is. By the way the car is Superblack.
To the naysayers out there, I'm sure you have many more years of experience than this guy and I'm sure you have somehow inspected my car. Then again, I'm starting to wonder if you might work for Nissan...
To answer the usual question of why I took delivery, I had been on the Nissan preorder list for ~2 years, placed my preorder the first day I could (Jan. 17) and was more interested in getting the car on the road rather than inspecting for flaws in the paint (it's a new car so I assumed everything must be perfect...). To be honest, I was completely naive to the orange peel problem and the first post that I read about the problem came out the day after I took delivery (and I didn't read that one for a couple of days as any "free" time was spent in the car). The good definitely outweighs the bad on the car and I am more than happy to accept it the way it is. By the way the car is Superblack.
To the naysayers out there, I'm sure you have many more years of experience than this guy and I'm sure you have somehow inspected my car. Then again, I'm starting to wonder if you might work for Nissan...
Last edited by Anyone2u; Nov 16, 2002 at 10:49 AM.
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From: Northern Virginia
Originally posted by DCABF
i was wondering what getting a car wet sanded and a new clear coat painted would cost at a good shop? Also does anyone know the best place to go to get this done in DC/MD/PA/DE area? thanks
i was wondering what getting a car wet sanded and a new clear coat painted would cost at a good shop? Also does anyone know the best place to go to get this done in DC/MD/PA/DE area? thanks
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Exactly, It can happen to any car at any time, one of the worst cases i had seen was a black 911 cab, I couldnt believe it. I install lots of 3M kits and see lots of good and bad paint. I'm not sure if I would have not taken delivery on a car either, In all of the Z's that I have donr from guy's and girls off of this site, it hasnt been real bad. their also may have been a glich in the factory on a certain run of cars. Guess we will never know unless Nissan decides to address it.
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From: Issaquah, WA
Originally posted by Proform
Here is the poop on paint and it may help with some of the questions. In 2001 all manufactures switched to a water based paint, they did this to make the factories come into EPA guidelines.
Here is the poop on paint and it may help with some of the questions. In 2001 all manufactures switched to a water based paint, they did this to make the factories come into EPA guidelines.
And not all manufactures switched to water based paint in 2001. Many of them have been doing it for years (Chrysler).
Also, as a side note, at the factory they do bake on paint at temps that would melt plastic. It's just that there is no plastic on the car when they do it. The literally put the car into an oven.
Anyways, what I've seen it enough to make we wait and see if Nissan gets an better for the 2004 models.
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Yes, lots of them were doing it before hand, BUT Jan 1, 2001 was the EPA mandated guidelines to have reduced the factory emissions, read the whole paragraph. NO ONE made the car companies switch to water based paints, it was sheer economics for them and meeting the clean air guidelines. I'm sure if there was a way for them to do it AND still be cost effective AND have perfect cars roll off of the assembly line they would. BMW for instance had been doing it for years as well.
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