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About a year or so ago I noticed that there were pimples developing around the back end of the car. This was happening both on the glass fibre rear panel and the metal boot. It almost looks like a paint reaction but waiting five years to react seems a little slow.
I thought it might be some kind of environmental build up mixed in with the car wax or similar so used the excuse of lock down to really blast the boot lid with the power washer as clay bar didn’t touch the bubbles. Let’s say it didn’t quite go to plan.
This was the metal boot panel but the pimples are on the glass fibre rear wings too. The car lives outside and is used in all conditions. Any ideas what has caused them and how I can prevent them returning?
As a bonus I might post pictures of me trying to respray it with rattle cans out on the driveway if I can find some black paint.
Most annoying to say the least. I have seen this happen before when a car is kept outside under a dust cover usually with glass fibre panels. In hot sunlight it cooks the paint and up pop the bubbles. Some people have made a simple wooden “box” cover on wheels, to roll over their car. That allows air to circulate around whilst still keeping the elements at bay. Peter.
I had a good look around the car and the only places the micro-bubbles really show are across the boot lid which I have sanded back and on the top of the rear wings as shown in the red oval areas
I gave one patch a quick rub with some 1000 grit to see what would happen and it appears that I could sand it flat without cutting right through the paint which would save time and sanding.
If I did this:
A) Would the micro-blisters reappear as soon as the sunshine heats them up gain
B) Would I need to use primer or could I go straight to black paint?
Please remember that this is just an every day driver, not a show car, although I do like showing it off. Also, I will be painting this with Halfords rattle can paint on my driveway outside to set the expectations in case this affects your answers
Well the primer stayed mostly on the boot panel and seems okay
Until you spot the crack I should have noticed before and filled and the splodge where the can spat a blob of paint out. Also some fool has drawn big red ovals to highlight them :-)
For the crack, do I just mix up the worlds smallest amount of filler and smear it into the crack or is there a better method?
Hmm, the Halfords paint is ok but I wouldn't want to spray it on my car ! What sort of paint is on there at the moment, two pack ? Then there is black and there is black, getting it to all blend in now and match will be the challenge.
Maybe Geoff can book it in after the lockdown is eased ?
You'll have to dig out the crack and fill it to get best results.
I picked up an old, abused, Burago 1/18 Testarossa a couple of years ago. It was sat in the garage whilst I was putting the full size one together !
It was a bit bashed up so I spent a couple of hours on it today including a Halfords rattle can paint job. I put clear coat on it too and it worked out ok. I should have done it in an aluminium colour but I only had dark grey.
Okay we had a day of rain that delayed things but when I went down to the car, oh dear. See those big green trees in the background? The reason they look so bright green is because the leaves are just coming out and dropping the bud husks all over my car as you can see on the bonnet
The garage seems to be blocking anything coming in from behind and the sides are holding up well. As the wind is blowing from the garage towards the from of the car I might get away without needing to make any more plastic walls.
I have wiped the back of the car clean and will see what it looks like in 30 minutes. If it is still clean then we are good to paint.
Sad to say but mine is going the same way after about 18 months. Stored outside but seems to have come on suddenly with the recent warm weather. It's probably down to keeping it in gel coat for so long before having it painted. I can't see me getting anything done about it this year so when the time comes may try to provoke it with a bit of gentle localised heat. It will be interesting to see if anything happens to the doors. If not, then my "damp" grp theory is probably the most likely reason.
I had similar happen after flatting primer with wet & dry (used wet). Since that problem I've always used the W&D dry - it's not as effective and needs brushing or replacing frequently but I haven't had it happen again. Maybe a coincidence, but I suspect it takes several days of hot sun / dry conditions to dry before putting on top coat if wet flatting is used?
