Factory Hood Paint

[etype65]

I have been looking at getting a Z06 and yesterday I was in a showroom which had good lighting and noticed the paint on all four Corvettes (3 were z06s one was a grandsport) was wavy on the hoods of all the cars. The rest of the body panels were clear and smooth. The salesman did not know what to say as I was ready to make a deal on the car until I saw this. Almost looks like the clearcoat was not sanded and buffed after final painting, honestly it looked really bad, especially for a brand new car. Maybe you wouldn't notice it so much if the whole car was like this, but comparing the fender's reflection to the hood is absolutely night and day. I noticed another z06 across the street and went over to look at it outside. It too had the same wavy paint on the hood and now that I knew what I was looking for I could see it even outside. I walked inside the dealership this car was sitting outside and compared the relection of the towncar's hood, which was perfect. Pretty sad! Has anyone else noticed this on the new Corvettes. Is this an issue at the factory? It has discouraged me from buying one now and damn it I even had my wife's blessing on getting one.

 

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
I would surmise that it was the dealership detail department that created the issue.

Factory paint is completely done prior to shipment. If it was that bad, it would have NEVER left the factory.

Allthebest, c4c5

 

[catbert]

Agee - something fishy at the dealership. The end of the production line at Bowling Green is lit up like the surface of the sun and the final inspectors go over the surface with white cotton gloves. A car with bad paint would be taken to the rework bays. BG does not want cars with bad paint to screw up their reputation. Check another dealership.

 

[NORTY]

There have been numerous complaints regarding the paint finish on Corvettes for years. It even has it's own term: ORANGEPEEL.
The cars that leave BG have a healthy dose of this. All models are similarly afflicted. There is only one cure that I know of: Have the car repainted elsewhere. You can get a mirrorlike finish with a Corvette. It does look "strange" because all the other Corvettes have orangepeel.
Dealerships have a tough time replicating the "factory orangepeel" when they repaint/blend a car.

Wanna see a good paint job? Try RollsRoyce or Bentley...THAT'S a good paint job!

 

[c4c5specialist]

.

Wanna see a good paint job? Try RollsRoyce or Bentley...THAT'S a good paint job!

Well, actually, having worked at RR and Bentley for a while, I would say that they have similar issues. Not as many, but they do as well.

Allthebest, c4c5

 

[89blackvette]

Is the hood carbon fiber on these cars? Perhaps the dealer does not know how to prep the new cars and screwed up the finish on them. I think I have read that there are waxes, etc that you DO NOT use on them.