This paint is SO soft!

JonnyRotten

JonnyRotten

Well-Known Member
1,673
771
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
coupe
Is it me or has anyone else noticed how soft the Honda paint seems to be!?!?
I guess one of the biggest downsides of owning a black car is the fact that you can see every little mark/scratch on the paint especially when the car is clean.
I need to give my car a good polish :mad:
 
think it is awfully thin as well. 12k on my cbp hfp and it looks like it lost a war with the bugs. Wish i could have gotten the HFP kit on a sunburst orange one
 
JonnyRotten said:
I'm also not a big fan of the fleck that's in the Black paint. I would have preferred just plain old Black paint without the glitter effect.
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I sorta like the glitter effect, just wish the thing didn't have to be absolutely spotless to see it. wish the paint was more durable, seemed paint used to be alot more durable when it wasn't so good for the environment
 
Definitely SOFT, that's an under statement, main reason I sold my NBP TL-S. Hate seeing people go through those "swirl a tron" automated car washes. Swear the clear is SO soft if you sneeze wrong you get swirl marks. And people wonder why I wash my own car and wonder why I have 2 buckets and it takes me 2-4 hours to properly wash it. 1 year later and my PMM Si has NO swirls :)
 
It's been a problem for quite a while. It's not just Honda that has this issue.

NitrousG35 said:
We have all heard and read about the issues of Honda paint and the ease to which it scratches, chips as well as its thinness.

This issue however, is not unique to Honda. People with many different makes and models are complaining about the same problems.

What many people don't know is that Honda along with much of the automotive industry, uses water based paint technology. Corporate Honda has had a dictum of being environmentally "green" and has instituted a green factory plan.
Honda Worldwide | Promotion of Green Factories
Honda Worldwide | Environment

Part of this plan is to reduce VOC emissions at Honda factory plants. VOC's or Volatile Organic Compounds, are being addressed through water based paint technology. VOCs mainly consist of organic solvents contained in paints and adhesives. VOCs remain toxic for a long time, and cause the depletion of the ozone layer in the stratosphere and photochemical smog in the troposphere. Therefore, VOCs are regulated in many countries around the world. The major source of VOC emissions is paint solvents used on automobiles.

OK, so we now know that most automotive companies around the world are using water based paint to reduce VOC emissions. Besides reducing VOC emissions, waterborne coatings also reduce risk of fire, are easier to clean up (creating less hazardous residues) and result in reduced worker exposure to organic vapors.

I found a great article on the internet and am pasting in some of the points relevant to paint issues many have had with their Hondas:
How to care for water-based automotive paint.

However, water based coatings do have their drawbacks:

First: Water borne paints are softer than acrylic oil based paints. The quick forced dry process using higher curing temperatures causes the paint to dry fast, but not as hard. As a result, these paints scratch more easily.

Second: Water borne paints also have difficulties with increased orange peel and production line runs and sags. The increased orange peel causes a reduction in overall smoothness and gloss.

Third: Water borne paints are also more porous than conventional acrylic finishes. This accelerates a process known as drift. Drift is the process of waxes and sealants soaking into the pores of the finish. Because the finish of a painted surface looks similar to the surface of the moon, peaks and valleys etc., as sealants heat and cool, they soak into the finish. Drift occurs in every known finish, however the water borne paint allows this process to occur much more rapidly, in some cases, even as short as a two week period of time. As drift occurs, the paint is left susceptible to the outdoor elements. This leads the paint to loose gloss and be susceptible to water spots, acid rain, industrial fallout and many other forms of foreign particles.

What is interesting in the article is the proper care of water based paint technology:

1. The article recommends not using automated car washes or sponges when washing as both create scratches, a common problem on many here with Civics. Acrylic or microfiber mitts are recommended when hand washing.

2. When hand or machine polishing, it is recommended using a "diminishing abrasive" such as Meguiar's Body Shop Professional line to remove defects without damaging the delicate finish.

3. Because water based paint is more porous than oil based paint, it is essential to keep the paint "sealed" as well as waxed to prevent damage from environmental pollution. The article recommends that only microfiber towels be used to remove sealant or wax as this will diminish any damage to the paint.

So now we know why so many are having issues with scratching, chipping and etching. Proper washing techniques, drying techniques, sealing the paint, waxing and use of microfiber towels is vital in maintaining the finish on your Civic. Rasky, myself, Ubetit and Kenchan have all been preaching these things for a long time. Proper care will help lessen the attendant issues of water based paint.
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in fact, they released this video a month ago -


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKLPXvZytIs
 
another benefit to having a clearbra - to protect vital areas against stone chips
 
Chemical Guys Blacklight is a great polish and sealant for Honda paint.
 
I find following at a 2 sec. interval works very well I drove my Jeep for 150,000m 18 years and had very few chips on it. Where as looking at other Jeeps the same as mine not only had chips on the lower front parts, but had heavily dotted chips on the windshield frame as well... Really, the WS.......
I have a non Si coupe and have no problem passing(my Jeep had less power) from a 2 sec. following zone, surely the ones with "THE" power could plan their passes better.

Planning means thinking further down the road while driving, and using running momentum which will keep you from being close any longer than it takes to get up there and go around, instead of sitting on someones bumper for a mile waitting for a shot to go 'round......... Just saying, you drive a semi it's momentum thet gets you around.....Plan it.

Love the how-too's on taking care of the paint..... thx
 
:banghead::banghead::banghead: it drives me insane too ive been saying it in my head since i got my first nick on my hood which was like a week after i bought it :banghead:
i might do a real bra just for the winter but i have the lip kit so there saying it wont fit with lip kit on but ill make it fit lol
 
Would the fact that it's a water-based paint cause it to orange peel easier when applied to the car? It seems that every car I see looks like someone took an orange and rolled it all over every inch of the body while the paint was still wet. I'm seeing this even on friggin supercars too. It drives me insane.
 
I think any paint will orange peel. Even a custom painter can't stop it, unless they are sanding between coats, including the final clear coats, then with a machine polish at the end.

I've seen a guy who actually corrected it on a stock C5 corvette. It looked like glass, but must have taken him many, many hours of very tedious, careful work.
 
KennyGS said:
I think any paint will orange peel. Even a custom painter can't stop it, unless they are sanding between coats, including the final clear coats, then with a machine polish at the end.

I've seen a guy who actually corrected it on a stock C5 corvette. It looked like glass, but must have taken him many, many hours of very tedious, careful work.
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I bet he was the happiest ma ever once it was done though. I may have been lucky and am picky but prior to my 8th gen, every car I owned/looked at to buy was like glass. After I had the 8th repainted, it looked gorgeous and smoother than a baby's ***. It drives me mad that every car nowadays has a crappy stock paint job. I kind of can't wait till it's time to repaint the 9th gen so I can say goodbye to the shitty OEM "green" paint and use durable paint that won't chip or scratch if I look at it the wrong way.
 
I think im just going to saran wrap the entire car LMAO !
would be awsome if painters tape came in different colors like duct tape lol
 
I had my car for less than 24 hours and noticed a vertical nick about 3mm x 2mm down to the primer on the driver side under the rear window. Was NOT happy, but it was kind of nice to get the first one out of the way...I guess.

I am thinking of getting some touchup. Anybody have any tricks or suggestions?
 
squiggy said:
I had my car for less than 24 hours and noticed a vertical nick about 3mm x 2mm down to the primer on the driver side under the rear window. Was NOT happy, but it was kind of nice to get the first one out of the way...I guess.

I am thinking of getting some touchup. Anybody have any tricks or suggestions?
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Honda sells a touchup pen with paint colours specifically for your vehicle. One side is paint, the other side is clear coat. I have one.
 
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