# Unhappy after respray



## thomsonpop (Oct 7, 2009)

Hi All,

Recently had my TVR S3 resprayed after it got scraped by someone in a car park. Their insurance paid for only half the car to be resprayed and not wishing to end up with half a job, I paid for the other half to be done - so a total respray. When I picked the car up it was pretty dirty, like it had been left out in the rain for a couple of nights. I was asked to inspect the job and sign for it by the paint shop. 

I then washed it when I got home and it looked okay - though I found some little white spots (like a tiny burst bubbles) on the paintwork. A week or so later the car was parked in bright sunlight and I was horrified to see that the paint was covered in holograms. At first I thought this might be some kind of wax which would wash/polish off, but as I have learnt from reading this forum, this is caused by a bad machine polishing job.

The question is when you pay £3000 for a respray, should you expect them to hand it back with a really first class finish, or is it expected that you would then detail it yourself?

I have written to the company concerned about these issues (and a few others, where things were not reattached properly), but I'm still waiting for a response.

What do you guys think?


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## robj20 (Jan 20, 2009)

For that money i would want it to be perfect everywhere.


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## Bratwurst (Jan 23, 2009)

It should come back perfect!

How many people out there can competently machine polish a whole car, not many at all, so how can they reasonably expect you to do it, let alone pay for someone to do it?

You have every right to go to town with them if you ask me. Get your insurance company involved. Get plenty of photos, and some from before too. You'll probably find that there are a lot of parts that were the original paint (that you got sprayed anyway) now look worse than they did before. So they've given you it back in worse condition...

Good luck. Nail the ***ts.


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## steveo3002 (Jan 30, 2006)

bodyshops wont always get detailier quality polishing ...should be very nice though with no bubbles /defects 

maybe expect a light polish to perfect ...not that you should have to but its often the case


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## JoeAVS1 (Jul 8, 2008)

Those 'little burst bubbles' sound like silicone unfortunately. Its just about the worst thing you can get in a bodyshop. 
Even so its not 'your' problem and they should rectify defects like that, especially a customer who's brought in that kind of business!

In terms of holograms, I would suggest that they rectify that out of good faith if they are seriously bad although in my experience of body-shops they may not know how to properly and may either make it worse, only marginally better, or worse, unnecessarily remove clear-coat. (or paint if non cc)

The bodyshop I use are very good at painting and flatting off afterwards but only whizz over with Fastcut + and to be honest I'm happy that they stop there as i know I can finish the rest myself to a better standard.

'light'! holograms and a few swirls I just expect when the car comes back, lets face it not everyones a detailer.

If you don't have experience with a rotary or DA it 'may' be a lot less hassle to get a pro in for the day to properly assess, refine and protect you car leaving it ready for you to simply maintain.

(although you probably need to leave it a month or so for paint to cure nicely)

Thats what I'd suggest mate, Hope all works out for you:thumb:


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## Janitor (Feb 14, 2006)

Had the bonnet resprayed on our old Alfa 147

It looked ok on collection, but the sun revealed:










Some time with the orbital polisher (Meguiars 220) rescued things though:










But you're right, for £3,000 you should expect much better


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## mike_306 (Aug 24, 2009)

Yeah, "fisheyes" caused from silicone can't be sorted AFAIK except a respray. How many white marks are there? The bodyshop may say they're unavoidable, but they can be minimised certainly by a proper wipedown etc.


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## Mathias Destiny (Apr 19, 2009)

It shouldn't be perfect but for that money it shold be pretty damn close. 

You probably shouldn't have singed for the car if you wern't happy with the state of it at that point.

I doubt you will hear anything back from them, at all. Go to town with them, take the car back and demand they rectify the problems or you will take things further. I'd go so far as to say don't pay them but sounds like you already have.

I'm a semi pro painter and currently trying to get m own paint come bodyshop off the ground so if I can help at all, give me a shout.


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## thomsonpop (Oct 7, 2009)

just had a response from them saying 'bring it in'. So thanks for all your comments. I feel on a much more solid footing now. I'll let you know what they say.
Cheers.


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## YTVXR (Sep 23, 2009)

they said bring it on??? - get a solicitor involved. !!!!


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## Bratwurst (Jan 23, 2009)

Good luck down there then squire - hope you get a good result.


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## thomsonpop (Oct 7, 2009)

well, took it back to show them. To be fair, they immediately said: "we'll sort it". But the excuse they gave for the hologramming was that the body is fibreglass and something about the heat generated by the machine polisher. Sound reasonable?

Anyway, they have offered to pick it up and return it within the day re polished and said they will sort the silicon spotting.

Here's some pics of how it looks now... Hard to photograph the holograms..!


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## bofh (Apr 14, 2009)

thomsonpop said:


> well, took it back to show them. To be fair, they immediately said: "we'll sort it". But the excuse they gave for the hologramming was that the body is fibreglass and something about the heat generated by the machine polisher. Sound reasonable?
> 
> Anyway, they have offered to pick it up and return it within the day re polished and said they will sort the silicon spotting.
> 
> Here's some pics of how it looks now... Hard to photograph the holograms..!


So did they charge you 3k on top of what the insurance paid for or was that the total? Those machine marks are caused by a lazy finisher I'd say, or an idiot that shouldn't be using a rotary. Did they ask you to bring the car back in a few weeks to be flatted off? They should have as far as I'm concerned, paint takes time to settle even after an oven bake.

If there is sillicone or "fish eye" in the paint then that is caused again by bad prep and painting, they should go over the car and get that off before they paint and preferably use a "stopper" mix in the paint as it's put on. They will I'm sure come up with a million reasons why sillicone is in the paint however NONE are acceptable, you've paid good money for a good job and if there is sillicone in it then it's not a good job.

I'm sure they will also tell you that you have to pay more cash to get a proper job done and that this was only a blow over....... Is there any orange peal in the paint or did they flat it back properly?

Your not the first to get caught out and certainly wont be the last. I spent a year painting one of my bikes, then handed it to a so called professional firm to finish the clear coat...... they buggered it right up and frankly I did a better job in my shed, I too was not happy. Just don't let it ruin you, mine drove me mental and I ended up selling my dream bike because of it.

I now have a Hayabusa to compensate  Oh and I swapped the painted bike plus a fat wad cash for an X type Jag :thumb: So in the end I'm a happy chappy.

Give em hell mate


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## bofh (Apr 14, 2009)

Just re-reading your last post, I'll be interested to see how they manage to sort the sillicone out. I thought you had to take the paint right back and start again but I could be wrong as it's been a while since I painted in anger 

Also have a very close look around the door handles and places that water normally holds when you wash the car as that's where you'll find runs in the paint if there are any.

Nice car by the way.

Oh and if they give you the hump just go into their paint shop holding a can of WD40 in each hand and threaten to let lose  That stuff can close a paint shop in seconds :thumb:


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## thomsonpop (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks Bofh,

They were very casual about the spots. They said it's easy to sort...? We'll see.

When I originally took the car in I tried to explain how to remove things like the hood, the trim, etc. But they dismissed me saying that it would all be covered in a "schedule of works". Apparently this is a doc with detailed technical info about every car. Do we really believe there is such a thing....for a 1992 TVR S3?

The insurance would only pay to spray the half of the car where the scrape was. I wanted a proper job, so I forked out for the other half. £1500.

Oh and they never suggested I took it back to be flatted. But there is no orange peel in the paint - generally it seems okay...

Tempted to suggest I get a professional detailer to do a really good job on it and get them to refund me the amount that it costs.


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## thomsonpop (Oct 7, 2009)

Just got the TVR back from the bodyshop. They have tried to rectify things but it is now much worse than before. Not only are there holograms, but all the paintwork is now covered in hideous swirls. They've managed to scuff the fabric hood with the polisher and there is also a load of what I assume is residual dried on polish. Basically they had the car for the afternoon and it looks like they spent 5 mins on it. 

See attached.

Not sure what to do now. I don't want them to do any more damage.


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

:doublesho I would be sending it to a professional on here and sending them the bill


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## Bratwurst (Jan 23, 2009)

They're a ham-fisted shower of muppets!

Get on to you insurance company pronto. Insist on an assessor to come out and see the NEW damage for himself. Show him as much before and after proof as you can.

I would say the insurance company are liable to repair the damage, and you have a water-tight case for getting it sent to someone else this time.

Get everything down in writing too and sent of to them.

Really feel for you man. I'd be super-pi55ed if someone did that to my car, and it's only an old Mini.

Hope you can get this mess sorted!

Good luck.


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## simba (May 19, 2009)

:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho

thats terrible mate. who did the respray....? 

the condition its in now it needs major TLC. a good detailer on here would sort it but they really need to know what there doing.

looks like Arnold Clark jobby work.

my insurance company paid for my detail work which is really decent of them.


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## Herby (Oct 2, 2009)

WTF! Shocking mate I feel for you. Make sure you name and shame these cowboys


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## Rickyboy (Oct 14, 2008)

wee_green_mini said:


> They're a ham-fisted shower of muppets!
> 
> *Get on to you insurance company pronto. Insist on an assessor to come out and see the NEW damage for himself. Show him as much before and after proof as you can.
> 
> ...


That's exactly what to do. Mention that it could be corrected by a pro detailer and then choose somebody off here to come out and do it. I'm assuming that each time that you have collected the car you have signed something to say you have accepted the work carried out? That could be the only thing which stands in your way of this getting fixed for free.


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## Mathias Destiny (Apr 19, 2009)

Bloody hell, and thats _after_ they're supposedly sorted it ???? WTF

Take it back, play holy hell, go mental, and then go see a solicitor.

get someone who knows what they're doing off here to fix it for you then send the bill.

Hope you get this sorted, that really is crap, and a lovely car. Can we get a shot of the whole car by any chance?


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## PootleFlump (Jan 1, 2006)

I wouldn't expect a bodyshop to return a car with a perfect finish, they repair and spray but I don't think they will get a perfect finish, afterall very rarely does a brand new car come with a perfect finish but it doesn't look great.

Personally I would cut my loses and either polish it myself or find someone to do it for me. If you buy a PC set you could get a very good standard within a day and then sell the gear on afterwards alternatively see if someone wants to come over and help you out off this site, I'm sure many people would like to get there hands on a TVR for little more than a pub lunch and a few cups of tea


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