So what is wrong with Ferrari paint jobs ?

Look for any of the 'detailing' threads on here. Some of the off the production line finishes are quite shocking.

 

Its just that the paint process they use results in the paint not adhering as smoothly as some would like. This results in orange peel look in the clear coat. You can fix that after the fact by cutting down the clear coat. Of course, now you've cut down some of the clear coat! The way I look at it: the paint job is OK and the car is magnificent. I take this over a wonderful paint job on a car I am not excited about.

 

Basically, yes. It turns the clear coat in to a sheet of glass with no swirls, holograms and other such defects that are installed at the factory, port, dealer and by owners that don't use a two bucket wash.

However, it's not just orange peel and swirls that come installed from the factory. I have a few dust particles and over spray from the custom stripe. Others have finger prints and other such things direct from the factory.

Lot's of stories about poor paint jobs from the factory or re-sprays at port. Most Ferrari owners are well aware of the infamous paint jobs from the factory and accept it as one of the unique qualities of a Ferrari.

 

If you do paint correction, you can also have a ceramic coat applied to the finish to provide a more durable layer to the paint. This is what I did, and am quite happy with the results.

 

My solution to any car I get is to immediately get paint correction and cover with C-Quartz finest protection inside, outside and wheels.
Just something I do and stays a lot nicer than if you didn't and makes washing easier etc, etc.

It would be nice if all factories did it for me but they don't. Just something I expect to have to do.

Shows the water beading here on someone's Ferrari.

Also go to YouTube and look up C-Quartz leather and you can see what it does with interior.

You can also look up C-Quartz wheels.
Don't leave home without it.




Cars - 2013 Ferrari 458 Spider
2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet


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Oops....here was water bead link. http://youtu.be/yom1FqqWPWo


Cars - 2013 Ferrari 458 Spider
2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

It's not "Ferrari". It's poor dealer prep. People forget it's the dealer that is responsible for the final paint appearance.

You can't ship a car for 8 weeks on boats, sitting in impound lots waiting for docs, and being man handled on trucks and expect the finish to be "mirror finish".

It's the dealers who are supposed to correct the paint before the customer gets it. Some dealers just don't care.

 

Exactly, I use C-Quartz as well.

 

You are mostly correct.. everything you say above is true and a lot of dealers like to install swirls and holograms while trying to correct all the damage that happens during shipping. However, Ferrari isn't known for great paint to begin with and the over spray that is under my clear coat came directly from the factory. It's just a fact.

 

No, just, no!

The way many Ferrari paint jobs look, are so terrible it beggars belief. We are not talking about minor things because of handling etc. No dealer have the resources to fix these atrocities, pure and simple. Dealer prep is not a 25-50 hour paint re-do. It's a wash, polish and a shine. Ferrari should have done the basic work i.e, finished the sanding, left a minimum of buffer trails, and a uniform coat of paint without overspray, orange peel and other under layer imperfections, it is nothing but negligence and poor quality control. A brand like Mazda uses the same PPG paints, but they don't have cars that look this bad, and where the varying thickness is as poor. Same with Merc, Porsche, Citroën and many others. Why does it have to be different for Ferrari? The skill it takes to do these corrections are not something many people have. Every dealer can't be expected to have 2-4 employees able to do this. It would be a lot less time consuming if Ferrari took the proper steps in the first place, and then left actual dealer prep to the dealers.

These are usd.300k+ cars, Ferrari should be ashamed.

 

Couldn't agree more with you.. it's funny to watch the documentaries on Ferrari production where they show the painstaking meticulous work that goes in to each car to ensure perfection.. you see the factory workers marking the slightest imperfection to be sent back and redone.. then you get your $400K car with a bunch of over spray under the clear coat, swirls, trails and even clear over spray on the headlights..

That's why I have a close relationship with the best paint corrector in Florida

 

Wait a couple of years, with Ferrari going public at a rather expensive valuation, the whole eat pasta and be happy attitude will soon be a thing of the past.

 

As long as people still buy them Ferrari is not going to care.

 

I'm really sorry but you're wrong.

The proof is that the paint can be corrected by the work of a talented and knowledgeable detailer, which happens every day. Like -- every day.

It's up to the dealer to deliver the car to the customer. You're complaining to the farmer that the chicken dinner your ordered in a restaurant was under cooked.

Who touched the car last? The dealer. Who is responsible for the dealer prep (which on average they spend 3 days on)? The dealer.

 

I can't speak for the Ferrari brand. I know individuals that have ordered new cars who request that the dealership NOT TOUCH their car when it arrives off the truck. The perception is that the paint is perfect from the factory and that the dealership may screw it up.

 

Funny.. anyone that knows me, knows that this is a standing order I have with the dealer. not because I think the paint is perfect from the factory but because only my detailer (or me) is allow to touch the paint on my Ferraris.

 

Every time I think of ferrari's paint job I remember this pic. tells you all you need to know
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Exactly.

Never heard of anyone telling their dealers not to touch it, because they thought the factory finish was great. Only heard of people telling dealers to stay the hell away as to not make it worse, before the shop doing the paint correction could get their hands on it.

 

How can you expect the dealer to do a full paint correction? That's not prep. I'm talking about blaming the farmer for delivering inferior chickens, not how it is prepared. The dealer is not responsible for underlying overspray, orange peel, marring, un-even thickness, colour mismatch etc. I'm not talking about treating the paint to 8 hours of wash, claying, buffing and polish which I'd say a dealer of exotic cars should be able to provide, I'm talking about the many cars that needs a full correction, which is a lot of them. I've attended a few courses over the years to learn how to take care of my cars and I can do things pretty well, and I know what's what. Do you think every Ferrari dealer can employ guys like Todd Cooperider? They can't. If your dealer tells you he spends between 40-50 manhours prepping your new car, he's either very unique, or something's off. In those three days, you don't think they put two guys on it for 8 hours a day, do you? It's a factory problem first and foremost. Ferrari paint jobs are notoriously bad - fact.

 

What do you guys expect for a 300k - 1M dollar car. A great paint job ? Jeez.

 

I would expect all of the above for the price range of these cars.

best

 

Of course not Kirk, just a great cigar!