Z4 M Coupe Art Car

[gcochard]

Is the paint distracting when you drive?

[Palantirion]

Originally Posted by cliffhopper

Is the paint distracting when you drive?

-It was weird the first time I sat in the car, because it felt like a totally different car. But no, the paint is not distracting at all. It has less gloss and therefore less glare than regular car paint.

[Palantirion]

A recent development for my Z4 has been treating the paint. After testing a 540 fender (that I painted with acrylic) at Meguiar's I decided to treat the paint on the Z4 using what I learned from that night. The acrylic clearcoat is much more resilient than I expected.

The process I used was red pad with Ultimate Compound, usually two (heavy) applications, followed by black pad with #7 glaze, followed by Tech Wax applied and removed by hand with a rough microfiber applicator (closer to terrycloth) and microfiber buffing cloth.

The interesting thing about this paint is that it requires a long tooth on any towel to really get into all the texture of the paint. Conversely, the paint is so elastic that it's very hard to scratch. So this is a rare circumstance in which a terrycloth rag is better than microfiber.

Here are a couple before/after pic sets that show the effect of this work. Note that the goal is not to eliminate the brush marks, but to bring a more even gloss to the paint.

Before:

After:


The trunk half the blue area has been treated, the roof's half has not:


Before:

After:


Before:

After:


Overall the paint colors are more vivid and the finish is more glass-like. To describe using Home Depot's interior finish chart I would say it's gone from a 3 (satin) to a solid 4 (semi gloss).

[Twisted Six]

Earl.....one thing I know for certain after over 23 years of Professional Paint corrective servicing is.....ANY texture with regards to paint gloss/shine is bad.

Until all texture is gone, you'll be chasing a cats tail to satisfy the eye. The eye will always be drawn to the texture as if a flaw exists.( even though your not seeing the brush strokes as such).

One thing to consider if your also seeking protection to the underlying art.....consider scuffing the whole exterior with grey Scotch-brite and then cleaning all with a pre-cleaner for auto paint. Then rattle canning the entirety with a eurothane clear.

Once that has cured in the sun for a week or so....you could re-visit the surface with these Meguire steps and possibly get the finish you are after .

I still need to swing by and check her out !!

[dubsesd]

can you remove the acrylic paint off the car to reveal the original finish again?

[Palantirion]

Originally Posted by Dark Schnitzer

Earl.....one thing I know for certain after over 23 years of Professional Paint corrective servicing is.....ANY texture with regards to paint gloss/shine is bad.

Until all texture is gone, you'll be chasing a cats tail to satisfy the eye. The eye will always be drawn to the texture as if a flaw exists.( even though your not seeing the brush strokes as such).

One thing to consider if your also seeking protection to the underlying art.....consider scuffing the whole exterior with grey Scotch-brite and then cleaning all with a pre-cleaner for auto paint. Then rattle canning the entirety with a eurothane clear.

Once that has cured in the sun for a week or so....you could re-visit the surface with these Meguire steps and possibly get the finish you are after .

I still need to swing by and check her out !!

-The goal is not to eliminate the texture, but to bring as much gloss to the surface while keeping the brushmarks. The process I used seems to have even-ed out the sheen of the paint without shaving down the brush marks. I'm averse to using any non-acrylic paints on the car, because it would compromise the long term durability of inevitable touch-ups.

Originally Posted by dubsesd

can you remove the acrylic paint off the car to reveal the original finish again?

-Yeah, should peel off with a bit of work leaving clean factory paint underneath.

[Palantirion]

In preparation for Bimmerfest this year I did a quick patch job on Scatha's lower front bumper. Instead of showing the Art Car this year I will be doing an Art Car painting demo through the whole day. This will be intended to show people how to repair damage to acrylic paint, and also show my process for painting the Art Car. Below is a chronological series of this first "patch" repair, sans final buffing.

1) Rock chips, from tracking on a dirty track close behind another car:


2) Wet sanded with 1000 grit:


3) Washed with dish soap to remove residual wax, rinsed, dried:


4) First coat of paint:


5) Second coat of paint (In this case the opacity of the colors allowed for just one coat):


6) Adding the lines:


7) First coat of gloss, to seal the paint:


8) After three coats of gloss, enough for most parts of the car. After fixing the chips on the rest of the bumper this area will receive 10+ coats of clear to make it more durable against future impacts.


This shows the before/after most clearly. So see me fix the rest, come to Bimmerfest 2012!

[Palantirion]

Just to bring you guys up to date...
On 2-08-13 I found out that the acrylic paint on Scatha can withstand hail. At least for the few minutes it took me to jump out of the shower, grab the nearest underwear, run outside and pull her into the garage.







And Scatha got her picture in Car&Driver Magazine this month:

[Finnegan]

Good to see an update! Hail!

Demos eh? Cool!

Saw this a few week back in Folsom, and snapped a shot at a stoplight. I wonder if he heard one of your demo talks?

[Twisted Six]

It was great catching up with you Friday Earl. Its been too long and I can't believe I just now got to see the car in person ! A sure sign I've been too pre-occupied.

Also congrats on the Car & Driver submission, very cool.

[itdnwiwbp]

Originally Posted by Palantirion

Just to bring you guys up to date...
On 2-08-13 I found out that the acrylic paint on Scatha can withstand hail. At least for the few minutes it took me to jump out of the shower, grab the nearest underwear, run outside and pull her into the garage.

Oh, man! My worst nightmare. Glad everything's ok. Love the car! Have for awhile.

[Palantirion]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Good to see an update! Hail!

Demos eh? Cool!

Saw this a few week back in Folsom, and snapped a shot at a stoplight. I wonder if he heard one of your demo talks?

-Very cool 5! Looks like automotive paint, or enamel, to me. If it was brushed-on acrylic we'd see at least some faint brush marks in the photo.