Any Paint Experts

[chesney 0]

Had our mk4 golf repaired after a crash. Not wanting to name where we got it done as yet but I chose them as they are meant to be good. Did a good job on my rallye but in saying that I sold it less than a year later.

 

Was done 2 1/2 years ago and in the last 6 months there has been blisters appearing all over the front of the bonnet. Some may have been stone chips but others including under the bonnet can't surely have been stone chips!

 

Car has done about 20k since the repair and no other panel that was painted has signs of this. I do feel the front end is easily chipped by stones as there are more chips on the front plastic bumper than we had in 80k previous miles! Have stones got harder???? Don't think so.

 

I'm suspecting they used a cheap pattern bonnet and not a proper galvanised one from VW

 

I contacted the painter and was told that its a 1 year warranty on repairs.......what happened to the 12 year warranty I got from VW. I said my 205 had faired better and he said that that is a good point about pugs is that they don't rust. That seems crazy that he's basically admiting they are unable to match rust proofing from over 20 years ago. Poor show!

 

I remember picking it up and noticing the panel gap (see pic 3) wasn't great and the grill was squint but as I kind of know the owners I felt a bit embarrased to mention it as it might be a bit fussy. There was a tiny bit of paint that looked like black bird poo and I let that go but guess I shouldn't have as that is one area that's rusted too!

 

Here's the pics I took over a month ago. I accepted they wouldn't do anything but it is bugging me and wanted a 2nd opinion. They offered to repaint the bonnet for £180 but if its only going to last 2 years and start this again then I'd rather go elsewhere.

 

[jimistdt 1]

That looks to me like poor preparation work. It's rusted under the paint, so maybe they haven't treated it properly prior to painting.

 

I looks a bit like mine did, but mine was much worse, then once I'd done it the paint reacted and it's like the side of a matchbox.

 

I wouldn't take it back to the same place unless they were going to do properly and for next to nothing.

[chesney 0]

Thanks for your reply.

 

I'm hoping to get a few opinions and then maybe try contacting them and letting them see the post.

 

Happy to get supportive comments but if anyone thinks its just the way paint goes then please post up with a reason.

 

I'm no expert at paint but have you seen a car that's less than 3 years old with paint like this? To me its a bad panel or bad prep either way it's down to the bodyshop.

 

Also know that even good places have bad day's and can get it wrong which is why I don't think its fair to mention the actual bodyshop as 1 bad day shouldn't ruin a good rep.

Edited September 5, 2009 by chesney

[omega 82]

that panel gap is like a 1970s marina!!!!!!

[philfingers 5]

Look around for a s/h original bonnet. I was based in Aberdeen for 5 years and I know what a pain in the A*se it is to get anything up there. I once need rear axle bushes and there wasn;t a single one in a pug dealers anywhere in Scotland. Same with bottom arms, couldn't get any anywhere in Scotland, be it gen or pattern.

Anyway that's shoddy full stop. It's shouldn't rust like that in 3 year, even with the amount of salt and shi**y weather you get. I had a door fitted in my old nova and it went back to the Vauxhall garae in Edinburgh 11 times before they got it right. It went rusty in two year. . . . .

[chesney 0]

Local bodyshop think this is poor prep and not an OEM panel. Def not a galvanised OEM part.

 

Wanted somebody to look at it as well as posting up pics. Feel a bit dissapointed.

 

I'll contact the bodyshop and copy a link to this thread. Not expecting any joy out of it but I feel justified to ask as its clearly not a well painted/protected bonnet.

[chesney 0]

Look around for a s/h original bonnet. I was based in Aberdeen for 5 years and I know what a pain in the A*se it is to get anything up there. I once need rear axle bushes and there wasn;t a single one in a pug dealers anywhere in Scotland.

 

I'm looking but am prepared to travel. Got an Audi S3 subframe/rack/suspension/ARB for it the other week and that was a 700mile round trip. All fitted now and thankfully it doesn't drive like a mk4 golf anymore! Ok an S3 isn't much better but its an improvement.

 

Could get one posted but I'd want to see the bonnet 1st as some peoples idea of VGC is way below mine!

[chesney 0]

Sent a link to this post with a moan about how shoddy a job they did and I guess I didn't ask for or expect a reply but it would have been nice. Guessing that after 10 days they are just rubbering it. Poor show number 2.

 

I suspect it didn't reach the owners who I addressed it to and was just discarded and to me that's ostrich, head in sand, metality and hiding away from hassle instead of admitting making a complete c*ck up. Although I've not spoken to them in years I would have thought they would have at least replied saying it was just tough luck as they always were very nice helpful and friendly, which is why I'm not convinced they got the message.

 

I have no doubts at all now that they didn't prep this and/or its a cheap dodgy pattern bonnet which is certainly never been galvanised as per OEM VW. Made a point of looking at every mk4 golf's bonnet that I see now and even the really old ones with stone chips have no sign of corrosion. Should have sent the car to a VW dealer and got it fixed properly.

 

List of things I should have complained about at the time:

 

A - Poor panel gap, prob result of patterm parts

B - The front grill was uneven and I don't mean the fit it was the actual plastic that is a bit squint

C - The air con hose wasn't connected to the pump.

D - Slight imperfection in a small area on the bonnet that has now started rusting

E - Picked the car up and it obviously hadn't been road tested as there was no boost and I had to drive it back with no engine or power in the brakes and return to get it the next day after the connected a pipe up.

 

As I said earlier at the time I felt I would be being fussy and was a bit embarrased to complain.....if only I could turn back time!

 

When I get a new bonnet I'll maybe drop this one off and see if they want to practise proper corrosion techniques on it instead of the 1970's Alfa Romeo paint prep they did on it.