How to tell if the cars been repainted?
11-08-2006, 08:16 PM
#1
How to tell if the cars been repainted? Ok guys, I think I know the answer to this question but I would like some input anyway.
When I bought my car it had a not actual mileage title that I knew about, for the price I was ok with it. Other than that it had no incidents. Ever since I've bought it I have been finding little things here and there that lead me to believe its been wrecked, now I'm thinking its been repainted on the drivers side.
Heres why , tell me if it makes sense.
-The paint on the rear wheel well lip on the drivers side is starting to chip/peel
-There are small bubbles in the paint where the molding used to be near the back of the car
-Some of the panels on the drivers side have what I believe to be larger than normal gaps.
-The paint around the rear wheel well (where I suspected it has been repainted) seems to chip / scratch pretty easily.
So what do you think? Has it been repainted?
When I bought my car it had a not actual mileage title that I knew about, for the price I was ok with it. Other than that it had no incidents. Ever since I've bought it I have been finding little things here and there that lead me to believe its been wrecked, now I'm thinking its been repainted on the drivers side.
Heres why , tell me if it makes sense.
-The paint on the rear wheel well lip on the drivers side is starting to chip/peel
-There are small bubbles in the paint where the molding used to be near the back of the car
-Some of the panels on the drivers side have what I believe to be larger than normal gaps.
-The paint around the rear wheel well (where I suspected it has been repainted) seems to chip / scratch pretty easily.
So what do you think? Has it been repainted?
11-08-2006, 08:51 PM
#4
Originally Posted by StrobinSS
weren't you mentioning something about the paint spidering on your front bumper also before? I think you were telling me about it when we first met.
I gotta get that front bumper repainted though, it looks HORRIBLE
11-08-2006, 08:51 PM
#5
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Yeah...look for overspray, runs, tape lines, orangepeel, sand marks, discoloration vs other areas of paint. I can generally spot a repaint from 20 feet or more away.
11-08-2006, 08:54 PM
#6
Originally Posted by GETGONE
Yeah...look for overspray, runs, tape lines, orangepeel, sand marks, discoloration vs other areas of paint. I can generally spot a repaint from 20 feet or more away.
Also if its just one area do they typically repaint that area and blend it with the rest of the car? Is there a way to tell the extent of the repaint without a paint checker tool
11-08-2006, 09:11 PM
#7
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That's why it's ususally easy to spot a repaint...most shops do it quickly and don't do a very good job. You see all the things I mentioned above. Most shops will blend the paint if one panel has been repainted but you should be able to spot a blend as well. I guess since I've done paint and body on a few of my and my dad's vehicles in the past 15 years or so I've just learned what to look for.
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11-11-2006, 07:31 PM
#10
Nothing on your list specifically means the car has had a paint job. The rear wheel well (flat that sits parrallel to the tire) ends in a flat edge that is usually one of the first places to start to rust, as well as taking a lot of abuse so chipping is common.
However if the small bubbles you mention are dust or air stuck in the paint, that is not common on a factory paint job at all. However it is somewhat common to get clearcoat flaking/bubbling on a car that hasn't had good paint care.
Drop by a local paint shop, and ask for a quote on your bumper or something. Have him take a look at the rest of the car and walk you through what to look for. Any painter worth a **** will spot repaint problems very quickly. The things to look for, are not easy to explain in text. You are much better off talking to someone who can point things out.
However if the small bubbles you mention are dust or air stuck in the paint, that is not common on a factory paint job at all. However it is somewhat common to get clearcoat flaking/bubbling on a car that hasn't had good paint care.
Drop by a local paint shop, and ask for a quote on your bumper or something. Have him take a look at the rest of the car and walk you through what to look for. Any painter worth a **** will spot repaint problems very quickly. The things to look for, are not easy to explain in text. You are much better off talking to someone who can point things out.
11-12-2006, 01:52 AM
#11
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One way you could find out if you cant see any signs using the other techniques is remove a little bit of the side moldings using fishing line. They can always be stuck back on using 3M double stick tape. The average body shop will not take the moldings off and just spay over them. So if you take them off you would be able to either see of feel a lip of paint from the respray. I found that out when I went to remove my moldings my door had been resprayed.
