Dodgy Paint

Busdriver · Post by **Busdriver** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:07 am

So I took my L wagon to the car wash yesterday to give it its 3rd wash in as many years and get the locusts off it and the paint fell off the tailgate! Now its always been a bit funny looking around the lower half of the tailgate as in it never was a good match for the rest, now I know why as the tailgate is green underneath and it wasnt even rubbed back and primed first. Never going to wash it again.The paint just started blowing off as soon as the hose was pointed at it and I thought I might as well keep going.The powder on the bumper bar is a result of me starting the rubbing back process.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:02 pm

Now that is interesting, My dad's L has exactly the same problem! Except he backed into a pile of wire which scratched it, then the paint just kept flaking off around the scratch. Recently he used the power washer to clean the car, now there is a huge blank spot exactly like your photo where the paint just came off.

The metal where the paint has come off hasn't rusted yet either, it seems to be coated in some sort of clear brown stuff?

edit: Oops I meant the clear green stuff you were talking about, what do you reckon that is?

Busdriver · Post by **Busdriver** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:06 pm

Ok, I'm no expert and I thought that mine might have been just a bodgy paint job over a second hand tailgate, but what are the odds of two secondhand tailgates with the same green colour? Maybe this was the standard suby primer colour instead?It does look glossy to me though. And maybe the white paint has been touched up in the past? Im open to any input here.Its the only suspect part on my car, the paint on the rest is in really good nick and there is no rust anywhere.

littlewhiteute · Post by **littlewhiteute** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:16 pm

I'd say it's had a tailgate replaced with a new genuine skin.

Factory primer, pretty standard for Japanese cars.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:45 pm

Well I know for a fact our subi's tailgate has never been replaced or touched up, we've had it since new. As for the rest of the paint job, there are a few deep scratches here and there that are going the same way (paint flaking off around them) with the same green primer underneath, glossy as well. I was just going to fix dad's for him by sanding and touching up that spot, but now I've seen the whole thing might be bad I'm not so sure

Oh and another interesting thing, ours has the "Enduro" decals on it as well, same as yours

littlewhiteute · Post by **littlewhiteute** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 6:08 pm

So they came that way from the factory with glossy primer?

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:44 pm

Yep, the paint on my car is flaking away just like that, exposing grey-green primer underneath. It was particularly bad on the B, C and D pillars.

Dane.

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:30 pm

G'day all concerned.

Thought I would contribute. I have a 92' Enduro wagon with blue metallic paint bought 9mths ago (always lived inland 30+km from coast). It was in ok nick body/paint wise. Only real rust prob was around the Fr windscreen apperture (usual story with these). had a nasty ding in tail gate. As with all cars of mine took it the HP water wash as I got it. Havent had any probs with stripping paint. Recently took it get Rusting apperture/pilars and tailgate properly tended to and have no probs with those since. Suspect Subarus white and other non metallic shades of that era are cheapo, maybe not enough hardener or coats or something.

Point · Post by **Point** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:27 pm

same thing happened to my 98 Forrie, and was told by the panel beater that fixed it that the green is the factory primer.

Busdriver · Post by **Busdriver** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:06 am

Ok, I bow to the wisdom of others and accept that it is the factory primer under the white, dont know the history as I have had the car for 4 years and it had over 300,000 kms on it back then. As I said, the lower half of the tailgate always looked a bit chalky and wasnt a match for the rest, just didnt think the car wash was going to strip it off for me!Guess I will take it too a panel beater and see how much to fix it to match the rest as overall the car is in pretty good condition except for a few minor dents.