Orange Peel

[ard]

BMW paint sucks. Consumers are to blame. It disgusts me.

[smuggymba]

Originally Posted by ard

BMW paint sucks. Consumers are to blame. It disgusts me.

BMWUSA won't do anything for such an expensive car? My delivery is this week, let's see how much orange peel is in store for me.

If I can't do anything about the orange peel, why waste time in complaining to the dealer.

[ard]

Originally Posted by smuggymba

BMWUSA won't do anything for such an expensive car? My delivery is this week, let's see how much orange peel is in store for me.

If I can't do anything about the orange peel, why waste time in complaining to the dealer.

They CAN sand the color coat and re-clear coat it.

They WILL NOT.

They will say "it meets our specs" which, when you use the BMW decoder ring means "there are plenty of customers who will not complain".

It is worth complaining, it will do nothing for your car...maybe let BMW know that we know....and that some customers demand mroe

[smuggymba]

Originally Posted by ard

They CAN sand the color coat and re-clear coat it.

They WILL NOT.

They will say "it meets our specs" which, when you use the BMW decoder ring means "there are plenty of customers who will not complain".

It is worth complaining, it will do nothing for your car...maybe let BMW know that we know....and that some customers demand mroe

I will definitely complain but will BMW do anything other than a Customer Service Rep telling me - thanks for calling.

[StumpyPete]

Interestingly I was painting a trim piece Space Gray today, and it looked perfect until I applied the BMW clearcoat. All of a sudden, god-awful orange peel, so I would surmise it is down to the clearcoat hence why it can polish out so well. Claying, polishing and waxing are the solution I suspect.

[Naz24]

It doesn't really bother me honestly. What bothers me more is if a paint shop repaints your car after an accident without orange peel. It's what makes a BMW a BMW!

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Naz24

It doesn't really bother me honestly. What bothers me more is if a paint shop repaints your car after an accident without orange peel. It's what makes a BMW a BMW!

Yeah, when I had some work done on the Z4, the paint guy said the trick was not to provide a smooth paint job, as that was easy for him. The trick was to get the same amount of orange peel in the paint, so that the newly-painted areas did not look different.

[motordavid]

I wonder if the paint jobs have gotten 'worse'/less good than they were on the older E53s? My '01 does not have any orange peel anywhere on the body panels...maybe it's all worn smooth from 9 1/2 years of rubbing Zaino on & off it.

Maybe the newer paint(s) and process(es) are more prone. No biggie, jes'wondering.
GL, mD

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by motordavid

Maybe the newer paint(s) and process(es) are more prone. No biggie, jes'wondering.
GL, mD

I think the orange peel got a lot worse when BMW decided to be "green" and switched to Aqueous from Solvent-based... solvent-based has much better flowability and self-leveling, from what I have heard.

BMW is probably using a high-solids aqueous clear-coat process to minimize waste products.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by Penguin

I think the orange peel got a lot worse when BMW decided to be "green" and switched to Aqueous from Solvent-based... solvent-based has much better flowability and self-leveling, from what I have heard.

BMW is probably using a high-solids aqueous clear-coat process to minimize waste products.

That was sort of rattling around in the back of my ol'gourd too, Penguin; I recall reading of BMW's and other car mfg'ers, going 'green' in the paint booth.
Thanks...
BR, mD