Bad clearcoat?

[rlux4]

I've never painted a car, so I don't know what it was, but this picture shows a milky looking layer on the paint at the section of cowl that is under the hood:
(Click to enlarge pictures)
I tried various things to try to make it look better but nothing worked. I finally went back to rubbing compound but a 3" square took a hour to get through it. I figured "What the hay" and soaked a rag in laquer thinner, rubbed it on and it softened it up enough so that the rubbing compound had the stuff coming off in flakes.
End result:

I used clean water on rags to wash any laquer thinner residue off and then waxed it. Turned out the paint under whatever it was is still in excellent shape.
Ron

[pope]

I've only seen this once before. The reverse ionization of the clear coat causing a clouding effect on the coating. Usually caused by having a powerful magnet of sort near by. But I dont see how that would happen on a Spider... where would a magnet be that close to the paint on your car? Hummmm!


LOL! Are you in a sandy area? That could be sand being brought in by the fan causing a sand blasting effect on the clear coat under the hood. Was the surface perfectly smooth before, or just a little matt finished.

[rlux4]

Pope, you're too funny.
The milky layer was there when I got the car. I got it from a lady in Huntington Beach, Ca. However, she didn't live
on the beach, and her subdivision wasn't particularly sandy. The texture was slightly matte feeling, definately not smooth.
And OK, I admitted the magnets might be Mickey Mouse, but hey, the fluttering hood was sooo annoying.
Ron

[mdrburchette]

Has the car been repainted? I don't think manufacturers used basecoat/clear until later on and many people just paint the outer surfaces rather than the complete car. It looks like oxidation on single stage paint to me.....but I agree with Pope....it's gotta be the magnets.

[rlux4]

Yes Denise, the car was repainted at some point in the past. It is a deeper red than the original orange/red. The layer didn't act like oxidation, it was a layer that flaked off as it came up. My experience with oxidation has been that it is in the paint and as it is removed (if it's not too deep) a lot of color comes up with it. This wasn't like that. As it was flaking off I was thinking that it could be scraped off with a razor blade. Under that layer was nice shiny paint.
Go ahead and make fun of my magnets, I still think it is a good, easy solution. (I may just have to keep my hood down when I'm around other Fiats)
Ron

[GOPAPA]

I've never painted a car, so I don't know what it was, but this picture shows a milky looking layer on the paint at the section of cowl that is under the hood:
(Click to enlarge pictures)
I tried various things to try to make it look better but nothing worked. I finally went back to rubbing compound but a 3" square took a hour to get through it. I figured "What the hay" and soaked a rag in laquer thinner, rubbed it on and it softened it up enough so that the rubbing compound had the stuff coming off in flakes.
End result:

I used clean water on rags to wash any laquer thinner residue off and then waxed it. Turned out the paint under whatever it was is still in excellent shape.
Ron

Ron ,,My 2 cents is that Your cloudy problem sounds like blushing (or blooming).Caused by a rapid temp. drop, in the air temp while painting ..Anyway this is what a painter told me what happened to a car he painted..
Question : Is the paint cloudy also on the magnets also ? LOL Sorry ,,just had to ask that.. Papa