Original White Paintwork - Quality?

[GLPoomobile 958]

I'm wondering what the finish should be like on a white 205 with original paintwork. When polished, should the surface be truly smooth and even (glass like), and should the reflections be crisp (i.e. should the reflection of a straight edge also be 100% straight)?

 

I've done a bit of polishing on my tailgate, and whilst it's not 100% there yet (I'm going gently at the moment) I've found that the paint surface is slightly "mottled". It's not as bad as the orange peel you get with a s*ite paint job, but the entire surface has a subtle dimpled effect, so when you view reflections the edges change slightly as you move around and you won't see a straight edge as being truly straight (more like the wonky brake pipes you so often see in 205 engine bays ). I just wondered if this was normal, in so much as the quality of a 205's paintjob from the factory was never that great (I know this is still true of many new cars even today, and even with more expensive brands). Or perhaps my car has been resprayed at some point, possibly with a quick blow over (I guess I'll probably find out eventually when I strip it down).

Edited July 14, 2014 by GLPoomobile

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

GLP, depending on how much it's been polished/t-cuted over the years would determine how "flat" it was.

 

I think it did originally have a very slight dimple about it, prior to my paint job it was more noticeable on the sides rather than the tailgate or bonnet or roof for some reason..... perhaps something to do with the angles it was painted at, or perhaps it is easier for people to put more weight against bonnet/tailgate when t-cutting over the years.

 

BTW, someone told me T-cut shouldn't be used on laquer, a chemical reaction happens and makes the lacquer go yellowish (compared to what it should be).

[GLPoomobile 958]

I tried a bit of wet sanding on a patch of the tailgate. Started at 400, then 600, then 1000, no pressure, plenty of water and fairly minimal time spent.

 

First observation - water was immediately cloudy, so it looks like it's unlacquered (I know lacquer can come off milky, but this was much more like water from white paint). Not sure if the white ones on a 89 reg were lacquered from the factory or not.

 

Second observation - the patch I've done is definitely less mottled than the surrounding area.

 

Third observation - there's a lot of scratches and marks, and general imperfections in the paint that look like they are under the paint. As if somebody has painted over sanding marks in some places.

 

Forth observation - the paint's not very thick! I've gone through it slightly. Not enough to fully expose the primer, but enough to make the white slightly opaque so you can just about see the primer (a cloudy effect).

 

So I think that certainly the tailgate at least has probably been resprayed before. Whist the finish might not be too good, they've done well to hide any obvious masking/overspray. I can't find any other evidence yet that it's been resprayed.

[jackherer 543]

If there is no obvious masking line then it was probably sprayed off the car so the hinges might give the game away?

[eddie bullit 37]

If you know someone with a PTG (paint thickness gauge) you can check the paint thickness around the car. If original they should be relatively even overall. Normally resprayed areas are a lot thicker getting on for double. Unless its been stripped back or its a replacement panel.