Is it just me or does this truck have the thinnest coat of clear coat ever

[Mister Lamb]

Granite Metallic. I can sneeze and get swirl marks on this truck.. No offroading and it looks like I've driven through an African jungle. My Challenger was the same color and was still pristine after 3 years of ownership.

Am I the only one?

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[ShadowsPapa]

Clear will swirl - it's not bullet-proof.
I had to keep watch over the clear on my 70 (it was custom painted with BC/CC in a factory color) and if you wiped it wrong with any dust, you'd have to remove the marks.
Similar for my SX4 - it was painted by a respected shop and if you drag a cloth across it when it has dust on it, you have to remove the marks.
Clear only protects the color below from damage and UV and gives depth, it's still paint.
I suspect that's why so many here swear they need to do special treatments like ceramic treatments and so on. It's just paint.

 

[Iowafarm]

My Nissan frontier was worse

 

[ShadowsPapa]

People seem to believe clear coat is tougher than steel.
Fact is, it's prone to fine scratching and swirls. Take a look at my red car - it's BC/CC and swirls I have to deal with before every show. I use a California duster on it and nothing touches it until the car is de-dusted.
I've painted some of my own cars, and I've had pros paint some of them. Same thing, CC isn't bullet-proof or even swirl-proof.

I knew no one would believe me - so I looked up some proof -
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From the web:
Clear coat finishes are harder and more resistant to oxidation. However they are more sensitive to scratches and you should be careful not to use abrasive rubbing or polishing compounds on them.

From a 2nd site:

and from another site:

The primary problem most people experience with the clearcoat finish on their car is swirls. Swirls are actually scratches in the paint and besides being ugly and unsightly, they block your view of the color coat under the clear coat.

Swirls can be removed because they are topical, that is like oxidation the swirls are in the upper surface of the layer of clear paint and all you have to do is use a compound or a paint cleaner and remove a little paint from off the surface which will act to level or flatten out the surface again.
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It's paint and will swirl and you may need to deal with scratches and swirls and do some occasional "repair" as far as swirl and scratch removal.

It's not that Jeep paint sucks ........ well, it's Jeep, not perfect and who knows if they use high solids CC or not) it's that CC gets a reputation that it doesn't deserve - it's not scratch and swirl resistant.

 

[Almost]

You're worried about your clear coat, just wait until your paint starts bubbling on your hood and hinges. Thats when the real fun begins. Mine started showing bubbles at just 9 months.

 

[TheOpa]

“ I knew no one would believe me…”
Seriously @ShadowsPapa ? Pretty sure you are the only one on here that has been celebrated by the rest of us for your sage advice and research into topics throughout your 20,000+ posts. Just sayin…?

 

[TheOpa]

Back on topic though @Mister Lamb

I have a black Gladiator and I go crazy sometimes trying to wax and detail the paint. I am also a little disappointed in the quality of the paint given I have had other vehicles that seemed to be better finished. Doesn’t stop me from wheeling it in PA and NJ woods and adding to the misery though. I’m trying to view the pinstripes as badges of honor but haven’t convinced myself that’s a reasonable approach. I haven’t invested in a professional detail/ceramic coat but others on the forum have and reported good results. All things considered this was never intended as a show vehicle so I don’t lose a lot of sleep over the scratches.

 

[chorky]

Granite Metallic. I can sneeze and get swirl marks on this truck.. No offroading and it looks like I've driven through an African jungle. My Challenger was the same color and was still pristine after 3 years of ownership.

Am I the only one?

I took mine to a body shop just 3 weeks after ownership as I saw fingernail deep scratches just below the seat on the entry area simply from my pants touching it as I got in/out. The bodyshop guy said the modern era paint and clear is super easy to damage and not conducive to repetitive buffing to get it back to that new shine.

so I washed and did a nice heavy coat of wax, and even just doing that there are miniature scratches over the entire thing now. They can only be seen in the sun or if looking really close. But still super irritating nonetheless.

alas - as heartbreaking as it is I know worse will happen from the first brush of a trail I encounter….

 

[staying_tuned]

Not sure what our clear's composition is but it corrects easily. I'd say it has at least 2 or 3 mild corrections (spider webs, swirls, pin-stripping etc.) in it before you start hitting paint. Here is a key mark or something I posted/showed quick correction on the truck. If you correct right off the bat you can come back every few years and refresh the entire truck with a mild polish.

Ceramic has helped quite a bit on this truck because I can spray off what I'd normally have to use a microfiber mitt for (which causes the swirls in the first place). I've got nearly 50k on mine and after a quick wash it still looks better than stock (corrected the orange peel when I took delivery).

 

[jeepers29]

I took mine to a body shop just 3 weeks after ownership as I saw fingernail deep scratches just below the seat on the entry area simply from my pants touching it as I got in/out. The bodyshop guy said the modern era paint and clear is super easy to damage and not conducive to repetitive buffing to get it back to that new shine.

so I washed and did a nice heavy coat of wax, and even just doing that there are miniature scratches over the entire thing now. They can only be seen in the sun or if looking really close. But still super irritating nonetheless.

alas - as heartbreaking as it is I know worse will happen from the first brush of a trail I encounter….

Just wait til you get a bit older and your eyes start to go, then your paint will look new every day. LOL

 

[GEETCH]

I have a granite crystal one as well, once I took some time to take care of it looks great

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Back on topic though @Mister Lamb

I have a black Gladiator and I go crazy sometimes trying to wax and detail the paint. I am also a little disappointed in the quality of the paint given I have had other vehicles that seemed to be better finished. Doesn’t stop me from wheeling it in PA and NJ woods and adding to the misery though. I’m trying to view the pinstripes as badges of honor but haven’t convinced myself that’s a reasonable approach. I haven’t invested in a professional detail/ceramic coat but others on the forum have and reported good results. All things considered this was never intended as a show vehicle so I don’t lose a lot of sleep over the scratches.

I've had black on cars in the past, and while I liked it, it was really tough as far as keeping the finish nice. For some colors imperfections are just easier to notice.

 

[Mister Lamb]

I can't even tell you where or how these appeared.. Any product recommendations?

 

[GEETCH]

I can't even tell you where or how these appeared.. Any product recommendations?

the white scratches, do they disappear when wet? if so there are a few was to remove them since they are in the clear coat only, if still visible when wet, they can be reduced but not removed.

 

[GEETCH]

if the scratches disappear when wet i would use chemical guys C4 and P4 with appropriate cutting pads, those compounds have been the best for me so far, i have also started detailing cars as a side hustle for extra cash.

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