Catasrophic paint failure on 94 LS400
07-16-06, 09:41 AM
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Catasrophic paint failure on 94 LS400
I'm watching in horror as the roof of my 94 LS400 is literally flaking down to the (white) primer! Not the kind of long term oxidation you see which is gradual but a derteriorization which has taken place over the last couple of days.
It is random in clusters it looks like spots and scratches. My first thought was that someone threw some kind of chemical on the roof but the damage is too localized. I would expect to see spatter on the sides of the car, etc. if it was vandalism. But the rest of the car paint is primo except for the trunk.
On the roof it appears that the clearcoat is turning brown, flaking off and exposing the paint which in turn is coming off the primer. I'm starting to get the same thing on the trunk. Yesterday it appeared to be pencil mark sized brown spots under the finish (on the trunk) today in the morning light they've turned white and the clearcoat has gone dull.
I used Meguiar's NXT a couple of months ago and followed the suggestions in the forum for proper application, etc., and the results were stunning. I was going to re-apply the wax when I noticed this phenomenon. Believe it or not this has happened in a matter of a couple of days time!
The paint on the roof looks original, the paint on the trunk may have been spot painted at some point and that area is where the damage is occuring... The car stays outside and I live in Montana...Never had this happen to a car before.
Anybody hear about or seen anything like this?
-Bob Baran
It is random in clusters it looks like spots and scratches. My first thought was that someone threw some kind of chemical on the roof but the damage is too localized. I would expect to see spatter on the sides of the car, etc. if it was vandalism. But the rest of the car paint is primo except for the trunk.
On the roof it appears that the clearcoat is turning brown, flaking off and exposing the paint which in turn is coming off the primer. I'm starting to get the same thing on the trunk. Yesterday it appeared to be pencil mark sized brown spots under the finish (on the trunk) today in the morning light they've turned white and the clearcoat has gone dull.
I used Meguiar's NXT a couple of months ago and followed the suggestions in the forum for proper application, etc., and the results were stunning. I was going to re-apply the wax when I noticed this phenomenon. Believe it or not this has happened in a matter of a couple of days time!
The paint on the roof looks original, the paint on the trunk may have been spot painted at some point and that area is where the damage is occuring... The car stays outside and I live in Montana...Never had this happen to a car before.
Anybody hear about or seen anything like this?
-Bob Baran
07-16-06, 10:23 AM
#2
I believe that this occurs with those Teflon type paint treatments which give up at about 8 years typically. (Judging by neighbors cars.) The Toyota paint is very good and taken care of will last a long time. At this stage, you will not have many options short of a paint job. 
07-16-06, 02:12 PM
#3
Lead Lap
I saw a similar problem on a friend's Chysler when it was only 2 - 3 years old -- it was parked every day in an industrical area where there were several chemical plants.
Do you know your car's history? Have you had it a long time? I wonder if the car's roof was (improperly) repainted by a previous owner.
The paint on my first LS400 was in great shape when I sold it 13 1/2 years after I bought it new -- something odd is going on with yours.
Do you know your car's history? Have you had it a long time? I wonder if the car's roof was (improperly) repainted by a previous owner.
The paint on my first LS400 was in great shape when I sold it 13 1/2 years after I bought it new -- something odd is going on with yours.
07-21-06, 12:02 PM
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Thanks Mike and Jim for your replies. It is a one owner from Vegas. I've had it 6 months it's the
goldish metalic over brown two tone paint job. The trunk has definitely been repainted whereas the roof looks factory. However, some kind of chemical reaction has taken place and the roof needs repaint and so will the trunk.
My "shock and dismay" being over I'll have to look around for a temporary repaint. The overall paint was in really good shape when I bought it, but I did notice it was really brittle...Seems hyper sensitive to rock damage that my other cars don't react to. So maybe it was "treated" with something that degraded the paint.
Oh, well...I was hoping to get a couple of years out of the existing paint before a full body repaint job...I still love the car. But you know, it's a little embarassing having the paint flake off the top of crown of your "Road King"...
-Bob
goldish metalic over brown two tone paint job. The trunk has definitely been repainted whereas the roof looks factory. However, some kind of chemical reaction has taken place and the roof needs repaint and so will the trunk.
My "shock and dismay" being over I'll have to look around for a temporary repaint. The overall paint was in really good shape when I bought it, but I did notice it was really brittle...Seems hyper sensitive to rock damage that my other cars don't react to. So maybe it was "treated" with something that degraded the paint.
Oh, well...I was hoping to get a couple of years out of the existing paint before a full body repaint job...I still love the car. But you know, it's a little embarassing having the paint flake off the top of crown of your "Road King"...
-Bob
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