Paint Quality? - Honda Prelude Forum

RudiraKaama · 04-04-2005, 08:52 PM

I backed into something a few weeks ago, gently, mind you. I get out of the car to go see how much debt I've just put myself in, and low and behold, the paint in the area of the bumper that hit FLAKED away in the breeze.

Apparently, the paint just crumbled where I had hit it. The more curious part is that where the paint is gone, there is pure bumper, no primer in sight. Is this normal to have no primer on the bumper?! I had nudged the bumper of my Integra once and the paint was thick, only dented/chipped, and there was very clearly several coats + I'm assuming primer.

Now that it has rained recently, I'm noticing that the paint around the exposed bumper is peeling back and cracking further, there are even spider cracks further down, nowhere near the spot of impact.

... I was wondering if anyone else has ever had an issue with this - is it just plain normal? Or is there yet another defect with my new car...

KB798 · 04-04-2005, 09:51 PM

Once there are separations in the paint, it becomes easier for the paint to peel more and more because of the decrease in surface tension. If you bought your car brand new, then the angle at which you hit whatever you hit could have been different from your accident in your Integra. Or if you bought your car used, then the bumper could have also been repainted before. It could also go both ways.

RudiraKaama · 04-04-2005, 10:12 PM

That is true about the angle... bit different area on the teg. I got the car used so I assumed that it could be from having been repainted, but I wasn't sure if it was normal for the paint to do that.
I had actually called Honda and they vaguely said that bumpers aren't supposed to be painted with primer, but how illogical would it be to sell a car only to have it hit gently and a good deal of paint come off?! They sounded bothered by my asking and basically said that its normal... but I've never seen something like this before.

KB798 · 04-04-2005, 10:29 PM

Bumpers or any other parts of the car can be painted without a primer, but it won't have the same quality as a car that has been primered and painted properly. However, don't be surprised if a good bit of paint does come off b/c it can flake and chip easily if it catches the right wind - (speaking from experience

).

Do you have any pictures of the area that has been hit?

RudiraKaama · 04-05-2005, 08:49 AM

I currently don't have any pictures but I can take some tomorrow. Yes, it caught the right wind, I couldn't believe it was crumbling in my hands...
I had been given a price of like $600 to redo the bumper properly... those damn letters that say "Prelude" are $70 apparently... sheesh.

RudiraKaama · 04-07-2005, 03:27 PM

Do you by chance know of a photo site that I could put the pictures on? The one that I have is not cooperating. Sorry for the delay.

KB798 · 04-08-2005, 12:38 AM

www.photobucket.com

RudiraKaama · 04-08-2005, 07:56 PM

Nifty, thank you, that's what my friend just suggested as well.

There's cracking occuring along the corners where the red arrow is since the incident. There's little cracks in other places as well, but those are the most prominent.

KB798 · 04-08-2005, 11:04 PM

That can be buffed right out

j/k.

That quote for $600 seems very steep for just the bumper. Do you know if they're going to blend the paint with other parts of the car or are they just keeping it with the bumper? Are they adding any flex adhesives as well?

RudiraKaama · 04-08-2005, 11:26 PM

Blend the paint with other parts of the car??? It sounded like they were just going to do the bumper... take it off and just redo the whole thing since apparently it didn't bond correctly; I heard them say nothing about blending. I've no clue about flex adhesives...are they what they sound like?

KB798 · 04-15-2005, 12:42 PM

Well blending is if they leave the bumper on the car and just paint the deck lid and a little of the rear quarter panels for your car. If they're going to just remove the bumper, that's another way to do it as well. I guess the primer wasn't laid down smoothly and cleanly enough for the basecoat to adhere to it properly? I don't know.

Flex adhesives are added into the basecoat mix or clearcoat mix (I can't remember), and they allow some pliability of your paint. It reduces the amount of cracks and spiderwebbing you see when the bumper is impacted. I'm sure there are many different brands of flex adhesive, so you're going to have to ask the body shop.

RudiraKaama · 04-20-2005, 06:32 PM

The body shop I took it to said that they would do it correctly and remove the whole bumper and redo it... the place I will probably get it done from may just blend it because i am penniless. The body shop also said that the primer probably wasn't put down correctly either and it didn't bond ... or something like that... grr.
I will make a point to ask them about the flex adhesives, thanks a bunch

KB798 · 04-20-2005, 07:16 PM

Hope everything goes well