Porsche Quality Control Paint Defects
10-13-2015, 09:59 PM
#31
Rennlist Member
How about the horrors of paint work during port processing :-) that they are not required to report.
Is what it is guys. Can't expect perfection on a mass produced item no matter the price.
Just take delivery and bring it to your detailer if you're that particular.
Personally I like peters approach, take delivery and drive the crap out of it on track.
Is what it is guys. Can't expect perfection on a mass produced item no matter the price.
Just take delivery and bring it to your detailer if you're that particular.
Personally I like peters approach, take delivery and drive the crap out of it on track.
10-13-2015, 10:32 PM
#32
Race Director
Having always bought used cars, and not being very ocd myself, I'm curious: what level of "damage" are we talking about? If I'm looking at a freshly washed car (I'll go as far as using the 2 bucket approach).. Am I seeing gouges in the paint, or from a foot away does it look nice and shiny? And, is the difference after "paint correction" (clear coat correction actually?) massive or just ocd levels of noticeable?
Thanks
Thanks
10-13-2015, 11:18 PM
#33
Three Wheelin'
It might be further than a foot away. But much of it is an ocd-ness. Some people care, some don't. YMMV
Not usually gouges in the clear coat, but scratches. Some could be deep some not. See OP's pics.
Not usually gouges in the clear coat, but scratches. Some could be deep some not. See OP's pics.
10-14-2015, 02:10 AM
#34
While the PDI may be to "detail" the car - they are not correcting the paint. And most PDI departments at a dealership add to the paint imperfections, and if they do anything just cover them up with a cheap filler. The cars do come from the factory with problems (as seen here under the wrap). The wrap will protect from further light damage and the damage seen here would not be from shipping. It is from the factory. I agree expecting it from the factory is unreasonable (except for a very top dollar super car IMO). However, the dealership for higher end cars should be doing a proper paint correction (mostly I am speaking about $300K Ferrari's, etc.) prior to delivery. I would be livid to spend that much money and have to correct my paint.
That said, all I let the dealership do was take off the film to make sure there were no paint issues that were too bad to have a good correction take care of it. There were none and because they didn't touch it at the dealership my paint was in pretty good shape. Partly probably because it is Rhodium and at the factory they didn't see things they needed to "fix".
Talk to any good service writer or salesman at a higher end dealership and they will tell you two things - 1) never buy a showroom car; and 2) don't let me detail department touch your car. I had a conversation with the Audi dealership head service writer the other day because I have a tag I hang off my mirror that says to please not wash my car. He agreed he wouldn't have his guys touch it because I take care of it. He had to yell at them the other day for something they did that they shouldn't be doing...so if you want to have good paint you get it corrected and don't let anyone else touch it except for your detailer or yourself. My detailer said that if you want a car with good paint to go buy a Kia - they don't touch it at the factory.
That said, all I let the dealership do was take off the film to make sure there were no paint issues that were too bad to have a good correction take care of it. There were none and because they didn't touch it at the dealership my paint was in pretty good shape. Partly probably because it is Rhodium and at the factory they didn't see things they needed to "fix".
Talk to any good service writer or salesman at a higher end dealership and they will tell you two things - 1) never buy a showroom car; and 2) don't let me detail department touch your car. I had a conversation with the Audi dealership head service writer the other day because I have a tag I hang off my mirror that says to please not wash my car. He agreed he wouldn't have his guys touch it because I take care of it. He had to yell at them the other day for something they did that they shouldn't be doing...so if you want to have good paint you get it corrected and don't let anyone else touch it except for your detailer or yourself. My detailer said that if you want a car with good paint to go buy a Kia - they don't touch it at the factory.
Not my words, I swear.
10-14-2015, 08:01 AM
#35
Rennlist Member
I think one of the major problems in final processing at most factories is that they are still using rotary buffers and wet sanding techniques that are archaic. It's much faster to have one guy with a bottle of water and a piece of sand paper and another guy blowing through the paint with a rotary and wool pad than someone doing it with a dual action polisher. It takes a lot of time to correct the paint that they probably don't have.
10-14-2015, 09:39 AM
#36
Rennlist Member
My car was in similar condition. Also black in color. The paint is some of the softest around. My detailer said it is one of the hardest cars he has ever worked on, and his car resume is mind blowing. My car also has a passenger door with about double the gap from the other panels and drivers side.
10-14-2015, 09:44 AM
#37
The paint on the wheels is another issue. At less than 1000 miles I literally have chips everywhere!!
10-14-2015, 10:07 AM
#38
Three Wheelin'
Originally Posted by Money2536
I think one of the major problems in final processing at most factories is that they are still using rotary buffers and wet sanding techniques that are archaic. It's much faster to have one guy with a bottle of water and a piece of sand paper and another guy blowing through the paint with a rotary and wool pad than someone doing it with a dual action polisher. It takes a lot of time to correct the paint that they probably don't have.
10-14-2015, 08:30 PM
#39
Race Director
For you guys interested. Written by the detailer I use:
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...rks-10-14-2015
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...rks-10-14-2015
10-14-2015, 09:20 PM
#41
Nordschleife Master
Paint correction by a good detailer will take care of it. Ferrari isn't immune from crappy paint jobs either. They all have orange peel from the factory amongst other little defects...paint correct, ceramic coat and put protectant film on the front bumper, inside wheel wells, rocker panels, ect. It will look better than the factory could ever do.
10-15-2015, 01:34 AM
#42
Three Wheelin'
One funny thing in that detailer article....he mentions Jet black paint as having soft paint. That made me laugh. I think the detail world needs to clear up some of their vocabulary. When they say "soft" I guess they mean that even light clear coat scratches are seen by the naked eye against the dark colored base paint background. It isn't like a car mfr would purposely use softer clear coat on dark colors (knowing it would display the scratches more). Light colored cars don't have harder clear coats.....it just takes deeper and bigger scratching to see it.
Paint correction= clear coat polishing to a degree in which the naked eye can not discern scratching, even when using special LED lighting.
Paint correction= clear coat polishing to a degree in which the naked eye can not discern scratching, even when using special LED lighting.
10-15-2015, 12:41 PM
#43
Three Wheelin'
). Now most people buying it could care less about the paint, they bought it because of the prancing horse and the status symbol. That said you are still paying a ridiculous amount of money for a car and IMHO if you are spending that much money the car should be just about perfect. I understand there will be orange peel in the paint, etc. But the man made imperfections should be corrected before delivery. This is probably why I don't own a Ferrari dealership I would be cutting into the profit of each car by a few thousand...oh no wait, that's not it 
10-15-2015, 01:09 PM
#44
Race Director
Originally Posted by MileHigh911
One funny thing in that detailer article....he mentions Jet black paint as having soft paint. That made me laugh. I think the detail world needs to clear up some of their vocabulary. When they say "soft" I guess they mean that even light clear coat scratches are seen by the naked eye against the dark colored base paint background. It isn't like a car mfr would purposely use softer clear coat on dark colors (knowing it would display the scratches more). Light colored cars don't have harder clear coats.....it just takes deeper and bigger scratching to see it.
Paint correction= clear coat polishing to a degree in which the naked eye can not discern scratching, even when using special LED lighting.
Paint correction= clear coat polishing to a degree in which the naked eye can not discern scratching, even when using special LED lighting.
Nobody is suggesting that different colors have different clear coats among the same brand. Obviously like you mentioned more noticeable on blacks and darker non metallics than GT Silver or white.
These detailers work on many brands of cars. Certain ones have harder or softer clear coats. Porsche being known as soft. Easier to correct, but hard to maintain too! Others you need to throw the kitchen sink at them just to get some good results.
08-01-2018, 03:13 PM
#45
My new car paint problem
Reigniting an old thread. Just took delivery of my 2018 GT3 in Rhodium. Had the dealer leave all the wraps on the car for transport. It arrived without a scratch. Unpeeled everything and it still looked good. Did a careful hand wash and decontamination with IronX and then well lubed ultrafine Sonax Clay bar with lots of lube. Found two small inclusions in the paint where there was small speck of foreign material embedded during the painting process. Was pretty surprised. Had the car covered in PPF and the installer flatten the little peaks over the embedded particles so it wouldn't show up under the PPF. Unfortunately there are now two tiny spots were the particles look darker than the rest of the paint. You have to be 1 foot away to see them but I know they are there. I reasoned with my self that I could spend time arguing with the dealer that is 2000 miles away about the issues-or make a warranty claim (I was told that this probably is within the accepted imperfection level for Porsche paint jobs) but what would I want them to do? Repaint the panels? It would never match, over such a small spot.... Chose serenity now over stressing, after all I bought the car for its performance and driving experience. Not to be a garage queen.