OK guys I just got my car back today and it looks pretty good. I noticed what I thought was a defect in the paint. The Ford Dealership Body Shop Manager told me that the effect is called “Orange Peal” and it is common in new paint. She said that new cars coming off the line will have the same effect. She said they will give it a good buffing and that will bring it out.

I never noticed this in the paint before and I consider myself to have a good attention to detail. My question to all of you is she correct with this term “Orange Peal” and is it as common as she states. The effect looks like an orange peal with little divots all over. you can't tell anything by touch just by sight. I’m not happy with it at all and I know I can make them do it all over again. I just want to know if she is shooting me a line or is this an actual paint effect.

Thanks

 

Orange peel is very common in paint jobs, and for cars that come off the assembly line like just about every major mfg car....it is a common trait that is within warranty tolerances....meaning you can't do anything about it.

Some will go through the trouble to lightly wet sand the entire car and then buff it out but the way I understand it this only helps if the o.p. is in the actual clear and not underneath in the paint [&:] I would never do it though. About the only way you can avoid it is to have a quality paint job done after the fact. Go to any car show and you will find a certain level of orange peel in all factory original paint jobs, whereas cars that were restored or repaintedand coated with a $5k paint job you will most likely find none

 

Thanks sowaxeman,

I feel a lot better knowing that I'm not being shot just some line from the dealership. I have never heard of this term so I knew I could come here and get the real scoop. Your post has been real helpful.

Thanks again.

 

No problem man, you are not alone....in fact if there is any Mustang (or most cars)owner out there WITHOUT a small level of orange peel from the factory, they arein the minority[8D] I even have it on my S-281, although I feel like with a good polish and a nice coat of wax it seems to be less prevelant.

 

you just got it back from the body shop you said? so im assuming you got something repainted and thats the spot with the more noticeable OP?

if this is the case then theres a very good chance that it cannot be buffed out, unless it's the top layer of clear: OP can be caused many different ways, paint/clear drying too fast/paint clear layered on too fast/paint guns not "set up" properly/paint/clear mixed wrong, etc etc.

now, if you got a piece repainted and the OP is more noticeable where the repaint was, dont let them feed you the BS that it will buff out...have them wet sand and reclear OR repaint the whole thing


if you just have factory OP (which should be next to nothing) then it everything the axeman said is true...well everything he said is true, anyway

 

Thanks SVT Bill

I did in fact just get it back for the Ford Dealer body shop. I was T-boned when a driver ran the red light. The whole left side had to be replaced and that is where the OP is most noticeable. I had the car Simonized when it was delivered to the dealership and the entire car had that glossy finish. The OP on the repair work was the first thing I noticed. The manager tried to find other examples of OP on the car finally pointing out a small section on the B pillar on the drivers side. That is when she told me that most cars coming off the line have OP.

My concern is that the car did not have any OP at all that I noticed. The parts that were untouched do not have OP but the entire work that was done has OP. The dealership guarantees their work for life of the car so I plan on them doing it until I am satisfied. I told them from the beginning that I am very picky about my car and I have a good attention to detail. So if they can not get the car back to its original condition then they just need to total it out and get me a new one. The manager said not only will they get it back to its original condition they will make it better for whatever that means.

Already I have noticed a scratch on the spoiler that was not there, a punch in the back of the passenger seat, my key fob will not pop the trunk, and when they were reinstalling the trunk liner they ripped out my wiring to my sequential turn signals.

Like I said before; there is no such thing as craftsmanship anymore.

Thanks guys and looking forward to seeing if I’m on the right track, or is it a loosing battle.

 

Sounds like you are in it deep with this dealer...

99.9% of the cars that leave the factory that AREN'T high priced exotics will have Orange Peel to a certain degree.

However, the repaired areas should look like they did when it was brand new. If there is unreasonably more orange peel than before, you should continue to fight it out with the dealer. As for the hole in your seat, that's typical of a mechanic or repair worker with screw drivers, screws or other sharp objects in their pockets.

From my experiences, it's best to just stay as civil as possible. Unfortunately, it sounds like you didn't do a walk-around when you brought the car originally. This should always be done so there is an understanding to the current condition of the car. The last time my Cobra went in for service, I asked to speak with the tech, that's when I asked him to look around the car and see if he could find any scratches, nicks, dings...whatever you want to call them.

Just try to stay civil. Let them know you expect them to stand behind their work and what your expectations are and should be for the work that needs to be done. Also understand that the dealership unfortunately has the upper hand on you..They already have your money (or insurance money)...

These are the exact reasons why I would never allow a Ford dealer to perform body work. Majority of your dealers are just scam artists in disguise, tacking on interest to your financing rate, poor trade in values, selling for msrp and market adjustments...