Fade/Dull Color on F360 | FerrariChat

Fade/Dull Color on F360

Discussion in '360/430' started by Victor Li, Jun 17, 2009.

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  1. Victor Li

    Victor Li Karting

    Sep 1, 2008
    74
    Hong Kong
    Hi,
    I got a yellow 2001 F360 for close to 1 year. Recently I found that the paint of the car is "faded" out for no reason. It is difficult to describe and looks like the yellow color is not as bright and looking dull from time to time.
    I've tried to wax the car and the "dull/fade color" will gone. But after 1 or 2 weeks, it appears again.
    Could you share some of the experience on the quality of the paint on Ferrari? I keep the car in covered carpark and wash the car at least once a week.
    I am wondering if this is the usual for F car as I seen this happen in my friend's silver F360 before.
    If this is normal, do I need to repaint the car again in order to avoid this happens?

    Victor
     
  2. masar

    masar Formula 3

    Aug 19, 2007
    1,367
    Czech republic
    Full Name:
    Petr
    I let the car to be profesioanlly poslished by paintshop every 6 months. Basically one guy polish the car all day using special tools which is something you never be able to do at home. This helps to keep paint as new. Try to contact some detailing company in your area to do that.
     
  3. moorfan

    moorfan Formula Junior

    May 11, 2009
    809
    Central Virginia
    Full Name:
    Pete
    Very unlikely that the car needs a repaint. Most likely cause is dulling of the clear coat surface by repeated washings. A good, careful machine polishing by an experienced detailer with a gentle polish should take care of it. Waxing may shine it for a week or two, but if the surface is not properly corrected, it will not shine like it should!
    Regards,
    Pete
     
  4. jjsaustin

    jjsaustin Formula Junior

    May 11, 2008
    579
    Austin, TX
    Full Name:
    Jim
    Maybe you are getting hard water build up with all the washing.
     
  5. RaphaelP

    RaphaelP Rookie

    Mar 9, 2009
    16
    San Diego, CA
    Full Name:
    Raphael
    The paint on your car, wether it be a Ferrari, Kia, Bugatti, or Honda should not fade. What I'm guessing is you're using improper washing techniques, as most people do. Combine that with the fact that as you said, you wash your car weekly, & you have major swirling, hazing, etc. which can give the appearance of damaged/faded paint. What I recommend is to find a reputable detailer to do a meticiulous multi-step polish to bring the paint back to life, & then before you ever wash your car again, read up on proper techniques so that you won't cause damage again. Things like using towels of harsh materials or that aren't properly cleaned can damage your paint, so can many dusters, improper washing techniques, etc. etc. I recommend you go on a forum called Autopia.org, it's all about detailing & there's many pros on there that you can learn a lot from just by browsing around the forum.
     
  6. Victor Li

    Victor Li Karting

    Sep 1, 2008
    74
    Hong Kong
    Thanks for all your advice.
    I do wash the car very carefully. I only use clear water to wash the car. Regarding polishing, yes, I do take the car to my local professional to polish the car with machine. of course, after the polish, the car will look very shine again. But it will become dull/fade after several months.
    To sum up, it looks like this is usual and I need to polish the car by my professional car washer every several months in order to keep the car well.
     
  7. RaphaelP

    RaphaelP Rookie

    Mar 9, 2009
    16
    San Diego, CA
    Full Name:
    Raphael
    Now, I'm not calling you a liar or anything, but I really find it hard to believe that the paint would be fading on any car this new, let alone a Ferrari... Another possibility is that your local detailer may not be doing a full proper correction to the paint, but rather "polishing" with only a glaze & toping it off with sealant or wax. Most "detailers" use this technique, because it's quick, cheap, & it looks nice. The problem is they're not actually removing swirls, scratches, etc. but rather filling them & hiding them with the chemicals. It looks very nice at first, but the true condition always shows again after a couple weeks, or sometimes even days... This or my previous theory are the only things that really make sense. Pictures would help though, maybe the problem really is damage being caused by something else. So post some pics so we can come to a more accurate conclusion. Ferrari Chat CSI, lol.
     
  8. Derek Trotter

    Derek Trotter Formula 3
    BANNED

    Jul 28, 2007
    1,790
    Cambridge, UK
    My 360's paint is fab with no blemishes etc. Washed after every use and covered in storage. No probs whatsoever.
     
  9. Todd Helme

    Todd Helme Formula Junior

    Apr 2, 2007
    947
    Oviedo Florida
    Full Name:
    Todd Helme
    What is likely happening, as has been mentioned already, is that the clear coat on your car has been scratched. Think of a clear piece of plastic that has been lightly, but repeatedly scratched. It becomes hazy and you cannot see through it. If you place the scratched plastic over a colored object, the color will not shine through nicely.

    Washing is much more than using clean water. The grit and dirt on your car is sharp and abrasive and will grind into the clear coat if it is not removed carefully. Use high lubricity soap, a second bucket to rinse out your wash mitt, dry it with high quality microfiber or 100% cotton clothes, etc

    The person who is polishing your car is likely not correcting the paint (re-leveling the surface to eliminate the scratches) but rather using oil or kaolin clay based glaze. When you wash your car and there is water standing on the surface the paint probably looks great. The water is covering the scratches and swirls and reflecting the light more evenly. However when the water runs off of your Ferrari, it looks dull again. This is very similar to how most body shops and detailers work. They apply a glaze that will cover the scratches and make the paint appear better. Over time the oils and glazes run off of the paint and it returns to its previous state.

    It could possibly be faded paint from the sun, but this is unlikely. You would notice that the areas that see the most sun (hood, engine cover, roof, tops of the fenders) would be considerably worse than the lower parts of the car. Also, the clear coat does a very good job and preventing UV damage to the color coat underneath.
     

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