It's been said a lot on here but... orange paint peel is a problem
07-30-2014, 10:50 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
It's been said a lot on here but... orange paint peel is a problem
I went to a car show last weekend and saw two identical Torch Red Z51 C7's. One was a convertible and one was a coupe. The convertible was near perfect with very little paint peel if any, but the coupe seemed to have a decent amount more paint peel. I don't know if it's certain colors that are more susceptible like the lighter colors or just bad quality control. I hope they can become better over time. I'm not expecting the world, but just a little more attention to detail. Feel free to chime in on your experience of the dreaded orange paint peel.
07-30-2014, 10:55 PM
#3
Team Owner
Member Since: Oct 2013
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Posts: 25,347
Received 7,752 Likes
on
4,181 Posts
CORVETTE TODAY Host
St. Jude Donor'15
Don't we have enough threads on this subject?
07-30-2014, 10:57 PM
#4
Team Owner
Member Since: Mar 2012
Location: Anger Island
Posts: 45,940
Received 3,288 Likes
on
1,399 Posts
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
My AW vert doesn't have bad OP, and what it had I fixed before its first detailing. These cars are painted by robots; I don't think you can program robots to have more attention to detail. I was waiting in mine outside a local store this evening while the wife ran inside and I made it a point to look at cars around me for OP; they all had it to some degree, with one particularly bad black Toyota that was less than a year old.
The solution is wet sanding and polishing, which could be done at the factory or after delivery. I would offer that having it done post-delivery will deliver better quality at a lower price than doing it at the factory and increasing the price of the car. If you don't want to do it yourself any decent body shop can wet sand and polish a car.
And yes Steven, there are more than enough threads on this subject.
The solution is wet sanding and polishing, which could be done at the factory or after delivery. I would offer that having it done post-delivery will deliver better quality at a lower price than doing it at the factory and increasing the price of the car. If you don't want to do it yourself any decent body shop can wet sand and polish a car.
And yes Steven, there are more than enough threads on this subject.
07-30-2014, 11:55 PM
#6
Team Owner
You are 100% correct..........orange peel has been said a lot in here.
07-31-2014, 12:41 AM
#8
Race Director
Member Since: Sep 2013
Location: Ft Lauderdale
Posts: 10,410
Received 910 Likes
on
474 Posts
Tech Contributor
The orange peel is bad on some vettes, pure and simple. I have wet sanded and polished, much better. The,problem is on the vertical surfaces primarily.Yes, all cars have it these days but some Vette sides are absolutely horrendous.
Last edited by Glen e; 07-31-2014 at 08:38 AM.
07-31-2014, 07:24 AM
#9
Four 2014 vehicles in the family. All black. My C7 and Tahoe are the worst for orange peel. Toyota Rav4 is better. Sister in law's Mini Cooper is the best but they ALL have it to some degree.
Probably the only thing about my C7 that I found disappointing.
Probably the only thing about my C7 that I found disappointing.
07-31-2014, 07:35 AM
#11
Le Mans Master
I own a Detailing Company here in St.Louis. The only car I've personally seen that had close to Zero OP from the factory is Rolls Royce.
Ferrari, Maserati, you name it. They have it to some degree.
Ferrari, Maserati, you name it. They have it to some degree.
07-31-2014, 08:06 AM
#12
Le Mans Master
I agree. You are not going to get a $20,000 paint job on a $50,000 car. It is still a mass produced car.
07-31-2014, 09:44 AM
#13
The Consigliere
Member Since: May 2006
Location: 2023 Z06 & 2010 ZR1
Posts: 22,243
Received 5,432 Likes
on
2,268 Posts
The fact that other cars have orange peel is not the point.
What is frustrating is that GM makes cars with far better paint quality. In fact some of the Stingrays come out of Bowling Green with pretty good paint. Other Stingrays come out with awful orange peel.
It's this inconsistency that is frustrating. End result is if you order a C7, it's pretty much a crap shoot whether your car will arrive with decent paint or not. It might be fine. It might show up looking like some the C7s with bad peel. BG needs to tighten up the consistency of the paint jobs.
What is frustrating is that GM makes cars with far better paint quality. In fact some of the Stingrays come out of Bowling Green with pretty good paint. Other Stingrays come out with awful orange peel.
It's this inconsistency that is frustrating. End result is if you order a C7, it's pretty much a crap shoot whether your car will arrive with decent paint or not. It might be fine. It might show up looking like some the C7s with bad peel. BG needs to tighten up the consistency of the paint jobs.
07-31-2014, 09:49 AM
#14
Race Director
Member Since: Sep 2013
Location: Ft Lauderdale
Posts: 10,410
Received 910 Likes
on
474 Posts
Tech Contributor
The fact that other cars have orange peel is not the point.
What is frustrating is that GM makes cars with far better paint quality. In fact some of the Stingrays come out of Bowling Green with pretty good paint. Other Stingrays come out with awful orange peel.
It's this inconsistency that is frustrating. End result is if you order a C7, it's pretty much a crap shoot whether your car will arrive with decent paint or not. It might be fine. It might show up looking like some the C7s with bad peel. BG needs to tighten up the consistency of the paint jobs.
What is frustrating is that GM makes cars with far better paint quality. In fact some of the Stingrays come out of Bowling Green with pretty good paint. Other Stingrays come out with awful orange peel.
It's this inconsistency that is frustrating. End result is if you order a C7, it's pretty much a crap shoot whether your car will arrive with decent paint or not. It might be fine. It might show up looking like some the C7s with bad peel. BG needs to tighten up the consistency of the paint jobs.
07-31-2014, 10:01 AM
#15
Race Director
what orange peel? 
07-31-2014, 10:12 AM
#16
Melting Slicks
This type of rationalization is exactly why the problem is not being addressed by GM. When cars are rejected and sales are impacted, it will be improved. I still maintain we are entitled to the same paint quality as a Toyota or Kia....
07-31-2014, 10:32 AM
#17
Le Mans Master
The fact that other cars have orange peel is not the point.
What is frustrating is that GM makes cars with far better paint quality. In fact some of the Stingrays come out of Bowling Green with pretty good paint. Other Stingrays come out with awful orange peel.
It's this inconsistency that is frustrating. End result is if you order a C7, it's pretty much a crap shoot whether your car will arrive with decent paint or not. It might be fine. It might show up looking like some the C7s with bad peel. BG needs to tighten up the consistency of the paint jobs.
What is frustrating is that GM makes cars with far better paint quality. In fact some of the Stingrays come out of Bowling Green with pretty good paint. Other Stingrays come out with awful orange peel.
It's this inconsistency that is frustrating. End result is if you order a C7, it's pretty much a crap shoot whether your car will arrive with decent paint or not. It might be fine. It might show up looking like some the C7s with bad peel. BG needs to tighten up the consistency of the paint jobs.
Is there exceptions? Sure, but not in my experience.
OP on factory paint is very easy to remove without aggressive methods such as Wet sanding.
As for as quality, I agree 100%, trust me, I go round and round with Manufacturers. Service Managers hide when they see me.
07-31-2014, 10:42 AM
#18
Melting Slicks
The Stingrays I've worked on including my own is as good as any other vehicle. That's my point.
Is there exceptions? Sure, but not in my experience.
OP on factory paint is very easy to remove without aggressive methods such as Wet sanding.
As for as quality, I agree 100%, trust me, I go round and round with Manufacturers. Service Managers hide when they see me.
Is there exceptions? Sure, but not in my experience.
OP on factory paint is very easy to remove without aggressive methods such as Wet sanding.
As for as quality, I agree 100%, trust me, I go round and round with Manufacturers. Service Managers hide when they see me.
07-31-2014, 10:46 AM
#19
Team Owner
Member Since: Aug 2007
Location: I live my life by 2 rules. 1) Never share everything you know. 2)
Posts: 136,148
Received 2,401 Likes
on
1,366 Posts
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
07-31-2014, 10:50 AM
#20
The Consigliere
Member Since: May 2006
Location: 2023 Z06 & 2010 ZR1
Posts: 22,243
Received 5,432 Likes
on
2,268 Posts
The Stingrays I've worked on including my own is as good as any other vehicle. That's my point.
Is there exceptions? Sure, but not in my experience.
OP on factory paint is very easy to remove without aggressive methods such as Wet sanding.
As for as quality, I agree 100%, trust me, I go round and round with Manufacturers. Service Managers hide when they see me.
Is there exceptions? Sure, but not in my experience.
OP on factory paint is very easy to remove without aggressive methods such as Wet sanding.
As for as quality, I agree 100%, trust me, I go round and round with Manufacturers. Service Managers hide when they see me.
And I've seen Stingrays myself with decent paint. So there certainly are some out there with decent paint jobs. I've also seen plenty of them with horrid orange peel as well.
Whether the peel can be corrected and to what extent is not the issue. A new owner shouldn't have to even do that, particularly when BG has demonstrated the capability to produce Stingrays with decent paint jobs. They just need to get to a point where they can make all C7s with decent paint jobs, and apparently they're not yet there on a consistent basis.