Hey Everybody,
I orginally posted this in the X300 forum, somebody mentioned I should post it here .

Well it's happened. My beloved Jaguar has shed some of her skin over the past few weeks. There are about three "minor spots", minor being an inch wide and 4 inches long - enough to drive me (OCD FREAK) crazy! One on the hood and two on the rear passenger fender.

The clear coat has come off, exposing the 'paint/base?' below. Is there absolutely anyway to repair this without having to get a repaint? Could the clear be feathered and reapplied in these areas?

If I were to get the entire car repainted, could anybody share what they've paid in the past. I really don't think an entire paint job would be wise, considering it would most likely cost more than the value of the car - but would be interesting to hear what any of you guys have paid!

Any input would be greatly appreciated, these wounds need to be mended!

****I'll post some photos of the damage soon****

Thanks a lot!
1995 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas

 

I feel your pain. It's happened to me a couple times. Each time it started as a little dot, then progressed to large areas peeling off on the highway.
One car was a Firebird (ugh) and the other my 78 280Z.
A repaint is the only fix I know of, sadly.

 

Many enthusiasts deal with the same problem you are describing when talking about "Paint Peeling".....

My questions would be the following,

1) Is this the original OEM paint or was it refinished?
2) Have you had the paint's thickness gauged with a paint meter for thickness readings?

Here is some helpful hints when trying to determine why it is that your clear coat is lifting or peeling.

There are two general reasons for as to why car paint peels or lifts. The first, and most commonly associated with large-scale paint delamination, is the improper preparation of the painted surfaces. All three major domestic auto manufacturers have had paint problems in the late-1980's through the mid-1990's due to changes in painting processes which resulted in the failure of either the primer, paint, or clear coat.

The second most common cause of paint delamination happens when the seal of the clear coat, paint, or primer get compromised by a chip or scratch. Once the top coat has been compromised, moisture and other contaminants can begin working their way under the coatings and create a starting point for delamination. There are reported instances where a small chip in the clear coat has caused catastrophic adhesion loss to the clear coat when the vehicle was pressure washed. The pressurized water gets under the coating and quite literally blows off hard, brittle shell of the clear coat. However, this scale of clear coat failure due to a chip is rare, and is indicative of other quality issues with the paint.

I remember when I used to own a 1991 Chevrolet Silverado P/U in which the manufacturer had a recall for the defective e-coat. The paint on the hood and panels was lifting, peeling and just flaking off....In 1995, General Motors offered a repaint under warranty for any vehicle 5 years or newer experiencing severe paint delamination, regardless of mileage. The problem was so wide spread that there was a Dateline special covering the problem in 1997. Today, delamination of factory applied finishes is rare. Those with vehicles from the late-1980's to mid-1990's that are now experiencing paint delamination due to the processes used at the factory are usually without recourse. In some instances, owners have resorted to small claims court in an attempt to get their vehicle repainted on a pro-rated basis. Given that some of these vehicles are now approaching 20 years of age, the pro-rated value of the paint reimbursement is negligible, at best.......

You could have the areas spot repaired and feathered as you have mentioned, I would just check with a body shop in your area that thinks outside the box. Otherwise a good quality prep and repaint could cost anywhere is the range of 4,000 - 10,000.....all depends on the quality of the shop..

 

Here's a shot of the damage on the rear passenger fender. It looks worse in the picture, but it's still not flattering lol.

I'm the third owner of the car, to my knowledge it's the original paint but I can't guarantee. Haven't had it gauged ever. I'm going to take it to the high end shop who I had repair my bumper when I was rear ended to see if they can do anything...mind you they charged $1,800 to repaint the bumper and refit it!

 

I had 3 cars repainted due to the pealing of the clear coat. The one car was a door and a fender and the other was the hood. The problem was matching the paint due to age and fading. The S-Type I now have I had to get the door repainted the clear coat pealed half way down the door. I then examined the rest of the car and found several spots dings that the clear coat was beginning to peal and was concerned that with road dirt and weather conditions that the pealing was going to get worst. I elected to get a small container of clear coat without the catalyst and used a small toothbrush and began cleaning and sealing. My theory was to remove the part of the clear coat that is pealing and then seal the edge that is not pealing with the clear coat in an effort to prevent it from getting worst. Not sure this is the right approach but it is one I can deal with financially at the moment. I hope this helps!

 

If you need a complete, as you probably do, I suggest you look at a chain paint production shop. And, you can do a lot of the prep work, trim removal, etc yourself to save money, but more importantly, to get a better quality finish.

I had two XJ6's done about 15 years ago. I paid $1K each for a nice finish, color sanding and polish. Double it today. Still affordable. That did not include jams or engine compartment. I also had them give me a half pint of extra paint. Anyhow, a regular body shop isn't set up to do complete paint jobs whereas a production shop specializes in it.

 

You could try a clear coat refinishing service like this Clear FX - Hand Applied Clear Coat Restoration and Paint Renewal | Home

As long as the base paint is not damaged they appear to be able to effect a repair. I've never used them but their product sounds interesting.

Cheers,

Allan