02m2

How much orange peel is in the factory paint finish?
Having my repaint finished smooth.

ilko

27% less than this:

cobalt

It varies from car to car. It is usually more prevalent on the doors and lower panels. I can't find any pictures that will help but it is usually just enough that the eye will catch it at a 45 degree angle to the panel.

02m2

probably too late at this point..just told them to make it smooth. It is not a concourse restoration in the factory color that will be competing at Pebble so not too worried about it.
thanks
Marc

SuperUser

Mine has very little but its a black car that has been polished a lot by previous owners. I actually just picked up a paint meter to see if I have enough paint left to do any real paint correction. Its reading 4.4 to 3.1 and the door-jam is around 3.05

cobalt

I wouldn't go much thinner. You should be around 4.5 to 7 less than 3 on 2 stage and you're at the edge you might have a little more but that is it with single stage. You will burn through very quickly if you are too aggressive.

Norse_man

Are all 964 two stage?
If not what year did they switch from two stage to a single stage it was it vise versa?

Spyerx

my red 964 1991 c2 is single stage for sure...

as far as orange peel, pretty sure most of my paint is original but i've not metered it, i know front bumper has been sprayed.

It has a subtle amount of orange peel on all panels, as cobalt said viewable from angles only. my 89 carrera is the same way

18T_BT

Go look at any new BWM, orange peel from factory galore!

Norse_man

almost all new cars have orange peel. more so then older cars. has to do with them drying so fast before the paint material flows out. I had a dodge challenger in 2008 when it first came out. took it right in toe have it buffed out nicely.
orange peel is almost standard in new cars now.

SuperUser

I am single stage and most spots are around 4 with some low spots where its been polished more. I have not hit the car with anything that cuts in the 5 years I have had it. Poorboy's Black Hole does good job as a nice filling glaze but I would love to get some of the age based paint defects a little nicer and then Opti-Coat it.

SuperUser

My wife's 2014 Black BMW was very bad and her 2016 lr4 looks great and has very little peel.

justin-in-athens

I have been told that it is now more prevalent because manufactures recognized that these finishes are more resistant to rock strikes. I was also told that these finishes are more aerodynamic--in the the same way a golf ball is textured for greater stability in flight. I guess every little bit helps meet CAFE--and robots paint everything in a freaking hurry!

Norse_man

I believe car manufactures might have said those things. But from someone who has worked with many kinds of finish orange peel happens when the product dries faster then the material can float out. They are using waterborne finishes now that dry very quickly and also with the advent of uv light curing them almost instantly. The sprayers are spraying tiny dots of paint (atomize) then they hit the car and don't fully lay down before the finish has set up. They couldn't paint cars at the rate they need to and just let us buff it out.

Canneryrow

My wife's 2015 Subaru Forester's paint is more golf ball like. Small children could get lost in its dimples.