I used to work at a body shop and manage a paint supply store and have had training from Sikkens, DuPont, and PPG.

i just wanted to share some info that i think would be useful...

first and foremost, the paint quality issues that many of you are experiencing are due to a combination of cost pressure and environmental pressures.

not sure what the scene is in Japan, but I have personally peeled clear coat off of entire panels (with my bare hands) when our shop was testing new products for DuPont... new products that were trying to adhere to government pollution standards.

the paint companies (stateside) are faced with local beurocracies clamping down on V.O.C.'s (volatile organic compounds) for the sake of the environment. i personally think this is complete BS, but that's beside the point.

in order for these companies to sell their paint in certain "pollution-challenged" markets, they have to formulate special blends of paint and solvents that meet these standards, which costs them tons of money and raises the price of the paint. you can thank this for your ridiculous insurance premiums, as the majority of these extra costs get passed onto the "materials" portion of your body shop bill, to the insurance company, and then on to you the consumer via higher premiums.

Most of this started in LA, and then moved to SF/Bay area.

Other cities across the country are adopting the same standards and controls, and the scam (which is what it really is) just goes on and on (and gets stricter).

These paint products succeed at meeting the pollution targets, but they lose quality and durability to do so. Also, there is a large emphasis on production, which means that non-resinated basecoats (which are literally sticky after being sprayed, waiting for the clear to anchor itself on so the two can meld together and form a very strong, bonded coating) are all but gone and have been replaced by basecoats that dry up better after being sprayed so the painter can sand down flaws before clearing. the clears sort of lay on top of this type of basecoat, and while they do stick, they can be separated with a razorblade. you can literally (ive done it many times while testing different products for durability) shave the clear right off the basecoat. its no wonder paints aren't very chip resistant these days.

I can't imagine that Japan is immune from this in one way or another, and given the obvious splurging that the Mitsu has done to make this car perform so well (for the money), it makes sense that they cut corners in certain areas.

I think the Mitsu paint problem is more related to their specific supplier, methods, and cost controls, but the majority of what i wrote above, although focused stateside, could be playing out in a similar scenario overseas.

to be sure, if you decide to have your car repainted or repaired, it's worth a look into which brand of paint they use, and how durable that paint brand is.

The best quality I have seen is with Glasurit (German). DuPont looks great but is generally soft, and Sikkens/PPG rank about equal. These are all subjective and somewhat dated opinions (3 yrs or so), so things may be different now.


As far as detailing and bird poop stains, use a good quality, carnuba based wax. other products may be easier to work with, but nothing is as durable or good looking as real wax. plain and simple. ive done my own testing with dozens of products to see which has the best water beading, durability, and gloss. Meguiars high tech yellow wax is my favorite (not out of the bottle, the tin can kind).

RED is the most undurable color out there. it fades the worst in sunlight and stains easily. wax your car often if you have red paint.

black is usually the thinnest because it covers well.

silver is generally the hardest and most durable, and hides the flaws it has well (which is why i have a silver evo).

other colors are usually somewhat soft because of their pigments.

be sure not to wax areas with rock chips or the wax dries in the crevices and turns white, highlighting your rock chips.

always always ALWAYS use a soft cotton cloth, sponge, or water sprite (synthetic chamois type thing) to wipe your paint with, never paper products or when the paint is dry.

hope this helps...

 

Good info thanks

 

FYI….. The paint on my EVO (weightless white) is 100000% better then my 03 Maxima that I sold for the EVO. 3k on EVO no chips, my Maxima at 3k had more chips on the hood and bumper then you could count, literally 100’s. By 12k on the Max it was time for a new paint job, so I sold the POS (same roads and driving conditions)!

 

turbocake,

would you be able to obtain the colour code for E46 M3 shadowchrome, titanium grey and also the latest Evo MR from your former colleagues?

 

i wouldn't have access to any more info than if you were to call and ask your local paint supply store. you should also visit the store and look at the variance decks (decks of painted chips with the variations of the "same" paint color). always look at paint chips in sunlight if you're making some sort of judgement call. artificial light sucks for color accuracy.

 

thanks for the info...the sad news is that my country is kinda layed back....we cant obtain these colour codes/charts/sample etc. unless we know the colour code and they would be able to obtain it...