I agree. It's either a bad prep or laquer paint on top
of enamel. Or both. I just went through this in my
car's case.
The previous owner of my car painted it with Laquer
over top of the original enamel. I believe that the PO
used a black primer. So the levels of paint go:
Gray (original primer)
Inca Yellow (original color)
Black (new primer)
School Bus Yellow (new color)
Anyhow. There were also some very poorly applied
layers of bondo and a gallon of it in each of the rear
quarter panels. Did you know that the rear quarter
panels are supposed to be hollow?? You wouldn't have
thought so, if you'd seen my car. Each had a solid
block of pink Bondo filling up a 2 litre bottle size
space. I gaurentee my car is about 5 pounds lighter
with removing all of the bondo.
Enough about my car. As far as advice I can give, if
you're told (or if there's a way to tell) that the car
is painted in laquer...RUN AWAY. As fast as you can.
Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
-Laquer requires buffing to stay shiney (when
neglected for a few months, it will become drearily
dull. Even immediately after a good cleaning, from any
distance you will swear that the car has been painted
with finger paint.
-Shops will not paint your car in laquer. I was told
by several shops that it is no longer in use by body
shops for a new EPA regulation (Might just be my
state).
-Do NOT paint enamel over laquer. It will flake chip
peal and spider-web. I have been told that using
Laquer over an acrylic enamel primer is okay. But
others say that an etching primer must be used. In any
case, I wouldn't paint laquer on anything but laquer.
The cracks you describe on the bonnet by the
headlights is exactly where the worst of the cracking
is on my car. laquer hates to be flexed.
And a final note, I spent 3 weeks stripping the layers
of laquer, enamel and primer and it took 2 gallons of
Aircraft stripper and 40-5" sanding discs. 3 packs of
steel wool (12 pads per pack). The laquer becomes soft
with the application of Aircraft stripper, but doesn't
bubble or pull-away from the surface like the enamel
and primer do. So there is LOTS of scraping with a
putty knife and repetative application of stripper
chemicals.
Rust in any car you buy is bad. But looking back, I'd
rather pay to replace some body panels and weld some
new metal into the frame rather than strip all of that
paint again.
-Terry
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