Guys,

Let me start off by saying that I am no amateur in the paint and detailing scene and have been detailing cars as a hobby for many years. Some of you may recall my last thread in this section when I cleaned up my newly purchased vehicle:

https://www.myg37.com/forums/b4-n-af...and-after.html

I have yet to come across a worst clear coat/paint than the one I have on my OB 2008 G37s coupe. In sunlight, the car NEVER looks pure black. Even after I do a full detail with multi-step buffing, the paint still looks a bit off. The best way I can describe is that it is flakey, it is not pure black.

Without sunlight the car looks flawless:



Recently, there has been a crazy amount of weird issues regarding the paint.

After I wash the car and it rains, the rain drops get stuck under the clear coat and will not come out unless I buff the spot:



This is my favorite, a greasy finger print stuck under the clear coat(will not come off with a hand wash) :



And of course, don't leave bird poop on your car long, like the previous owner, it will turn into acid etching:



Guys, do I have a case to present to Infiniti in regards to the paint with the rain drops and greasy finger print?

Any help or input will be appreciated!

 

Sorry if this sounds rude, but your paint doesn't look like it's in great shape based on the pictures I seen here....

 

I completely agree with you, especially Under sunlight. The vehicle has been fully detailed three times since november, quality products are always used. I only hand wash her with chemical guys products. I think the clear coat is defective

 

what products do you currently use?

do you have a porter cable?

if not who used a wheel on your car?

 

Just picked up my 2011 G37 OB 10 days ago. Did my zaino detail this past weekend and I concur on Infiniti OB paint. I see many of the same issues as you in the clear coat. Small defects all over. I came from a 2005 lexus black vehicle. I would likely argue that the condition of the paint on that 2005 today is superior to my 2011 G37. I love the car and everything else about it so I don't need any fanbois thinking I am bashing Infiniti. I am just highly disappointed in the paint......either that or Lexus QC on paint is far better.

Severum

 

Your car is a 08.

The scratch shield clear coat only lasts for about 3 years; it's now just a "regular" clear coat.

Also, you CANNOT CANNOT CANNOT buff self-healing clear coat. The heat destroys the self-healing properties.

It's ultra rare on production cars, but fairly common for dedicated show cars, since it will heal swirls and minor scratches.

 

@ detailers domain

Yes, I use a PC 7424
Here are the products I usually use:

-Chemical Guys Citrus Wash
-Chemical Guys Citrus Sticky Gel
-Menzerna Intensive Polish
-Menzerna Final Polish
-Collinite 476s
-Eurow sheepskin wash mitt
-Chemical Guys heavy duty clay bar
-303 Aerospace protectant
-Chemical Guys fade2black
-Meguiars quick detailer
-Meguiars Mag Polish

@Mike

What is this self-healing clear coat?

 

Scratch shield paint = self healing clear coat

 

I've had an 07 G35, 08 G37, now 09 G37, i'll agree, Infiniti's paint is trash. My BMW, Benz, all look a lot better. And I drive the G the least, go figure. But really it's not "Infiniti" paint, it's Nissan paint, I highly doubt they use two different quality paints between the two.

 

Actually, the 08 did not come with the self healing paint, only the 09' and new 11'. Either way, Nissan paint sucks compared to other cars.

 

Typically the OEMs whether Honda, Nissan, Ford or GM offer a 1 yr/12k mi paint warranty because they know they use close to the bottom of the barrel paint coatings. So with your car being an 08 you are screwed.

If there's a fingerprint under the clear there's a 99% chance its been repainted. Unless these are sprayed by "hand" at the plant, there's no way to get a fingerprint on the car between the time its based and the time its cleared.

While factory paint jobs have come a long way in the last 15 years, you have to remember most OEMs use the lowest bidder when it comes to base colors and clears. That's why they offer chitty paint warranties.

 

What kind of buffing do you do? A black car for instance sitting in the sun will get so hot you cannot touch it for more than a second. I've never buffed and gotten the surface anywhere near that hot.

If heat destroys the self-healing ability then the first time many of these cars sit in the sun it would be gone.

hmmmm...

 

My 2003 Acura RSX was Black....Shame on me for choosing that color without having the ability to keep it garage kept all the time. I will never own another black car unless its garage kept & away from rain, pollen, or anything mother nature like to torture black car owners with....

It just drove me insane when trying to clean it. Never looked the same after rolling it out of the lot from day 1...unfortunate....

 

I have a 2009 G37 OB with the same problems. I have what appear to look like paw prints in the clear coat. The car not in sunlight looks like a glass finish, but in the sunlight it appears that there are buff marks, swirls through out the paint. I have had the dealer, at no cost detail it twice and it looks good for about 3 weeks then back to the same. I use meguiar's car wash, use lambswool mitts, one for top of car, one for bottom and hand wax using meguiar's Carnauba wax. I am very disappointed with the quality of the paint, Scratch Shield, is definitely not a shield against anything. Maybe a group letter to the VP of Nissan Total Customer Care will help.

 

my life story