My Detailer Buffed Through My Paint! Has this ever happened to you? What next?

[DannDZ]

Photos-001 (1).zipPhotos-001 (1).zipPhotos-001 (1).zipPhotos-001 (1).zipPhotos-001 (1).zipI am working with a detailer who proposed a paint restoration job on my 1971 240-Z. It was last painting in the late 70s and they did demonstrate that they could improve the finish of the paint. However, after I got home I notice that they had also burned through the rear passenger side quarter panel where it meets that hatch. That compound curve is through the repaint and down at least t the original. That piece of metal includes the roof as well as the left and right quarter panels.

I don't know how to approach this. I am prepping for sale and this just put a MAJOR hit on value of the car. Any suggestions on next steps? What's reasonable to expect?

 

Thanks

[DatsunZGuy]

Get an estimate from a reputable shop that can respray the area and blend the paint with the rest of the panel and give it to the offending detailer.  At a minimum, they should at least pay half for the correction.  Get it fixed and put up for sale. 

Unfortunately, it's very likely the repair will not fade at the same rate as the rest of the car and will be more obvious as time goes by.

[mailnome]

Do you have any pictures from before?

The area in the center looks odd like it had been touched up before. I think something else is going on there and he tried to fix it but made it more noticeable.

I do see how it looks like he cut through a layer there. I guess it’s SS(single stage) paint on top of SS paint with no primer between?


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[Patcon]

I don't believe you will be able to touch it up if it's single stage paint. I agree you should go to a reputable body shop for advise. If it's BC / CC then a good painter can match it and melt in the clear coat but it's difficult to do it well. I am afraid the detailer may have really done you a major disservice!!

[DannDZ]

5 hours ago, DatsunZGuy said:

Get an estimate from a reputable shop that can respray the area and blend the paint with the rest of the panel and give it to the offending detailer.  At a minimum, they should at least pay half for the correction.  Get it fixed and put up for sale. 

Unfortunately, it's very likely the repair will not fade at the same rate as the rest of the car and will be more obvious as time goes by.

I'll see what I get for an estimate. The full panel includes both rear quarter panels as well as the roof. I do plan to put it up for sale, which makes this mistake's timing very bad. I'll go in and have a talk with them next week.

 

[DannDZ]

 @mailnome detailed before pictures. It is SS over SS with a very light dusting of primer in between. I don't know what's going at the bottom. A mess. Maybe a dealer or dock fix before it was first purchased? I'm the second owner, purchased in 1975 and painted around 1980.

1 hour ago, Patcon said:

I don't believe you will be able to touch it up if it's single stage paint. I agree you should go to a reputable body shop for advise. If it's BC / CC then a good painter can match it and melt in the clear coat but it's difficult to do it well. I am afraid the detailer may have really done you a major disservice!!

@Patcon  A major disservice indeed! It is single stage, so  clean repair is probably not possible. I'll get an estimate, if I can find someone to give me one, and then talk with the shop to see what we can work out.

[DannDZ]

Just wanted to close this thread. While exactly what happened is unclear, after talking with the detailer it is apparent that they DID NOT damage the vehicle. I'm checking other potential sources of the blemish.

I want to call out Hagerty Insurance. I did contact them and they were very helpful. They suggested that I first work through the detailer, much as many of you on the forum. But, had the detailer and I come to  an impasse, Hagerty may have been able to provide some services in the area of assessing the damage. I'm not suggesting a claim, just that they seem to have a good support structure for the enthusiast community.

[Patcon]

Have you ever towed or transported the car with a car cover on it?

[DannDZ]

11 hours ago, Patcon said:

Have you ever towed or transported the car with a car cover on it?

Good thought, it could produce a mark like this. But, I did not transport it with a cover. I do wish I could determine the cause, but I don't expect that I'll be able to figure it out. The detailer did offer to hand correct it to the extent possible for not cost. I have no doubts about their integrety.