Color Fading On Roof

My parents had a car that the very same thing happened to (a dark gray Nissan Sentra) - the dealership tried to tell them that it was acid rain - even though there is no acid rain in that area, and the car was always parked in a garage.

I don't really see how you could get around repainting. Once the paint's gone, it's gone.

The only thing you can do is keep the car clean and keep it out of the sun and out from under trees and where the birds go.

Once the clear coat finish has worn off, it's pretty much on it's way to total paint destruction.

I once had a van that had it happen on the hood and oxidation set in. I ended up taking off the hood and had it professionally repainted.

With cars that have paint faded away, a new paint job is the only cure.

It may be expensive, but get the best paint available, if you are keeping the car.

Best thing is to keep wax on the car. The darker the color, the more often it needs wax. You may be beyond fixing without painting, but you might try a three-step process of paint cleaner, then polish, then wax to see if you can get some color back.

I have a black corolla, a used one 2001. the color of roof is fading slowly which looks bad. is there a way to rectify this? I asked my mechanic, he told me that when we park car, birds poo on it and it dries and spoils th paint of color. CAn somebody help me out? i guess body painting would be expensive.

My dad used a product called ColorBack to restore _some_ of the original color of his fading Civic's roof. It worked but not completely.

Look carefully at the fading color on your Corolla's roof: Does it look like the clear-coat is peeling/scuffing/wearing off? Or is it just the paint beneath it? If the clear-coat is wearing away, then a new coat is needed. In that case, if the area is small, consider using DupliColor clear coat -- available at Kragens/Schucks, PepBoys, Autozone, etc.

Late model Corollas have paint with a layer of clear coat on top.

You might not like what Im going to say but dark colors are difficult to maintain, they require regular washing, polishing and waxing, that being said I do own a black car, yes most car nuts do, and its a passion of mine to keep it looking its best. Dont get a black car if you dont enjoy detailing your car.

What I would do is hand polish it to regain as much shine as possible, you could use a rotary or orbital buffer to save time and effort but theres the risk of damaging the paint if used incorrectly. Take your time and do it by hand.

1st wash the car, then clay the surface to remove all contaminants, apply polish ( I use Meguiars products ), then a layer of wax.

It should come up looking near new, even if the clear is worn down, there should be enough paint thickness to polish up, just make sure you wax often after the initial polish to protect from bird poo and anything else.

Best thing to do if your car gets pooed on, get it off ASAP!!!!

Best thing is to keep wax on the car. The darker the color, the more often it needs wax. You may be beyond fixing without painting, but you might try a three-step process of paint cleaner, then polish, then wax to see if you can get some color back.

thnxs for all those responses. can u explain me this 3 step process of paint cleaner, polish, waxing. can i do it. i do waxing but have not done paint cleaning n polishing.

Easy! Wash your car, dry it well. Apply paint cleaner (I like Meguiar's products, so for me that's Scratch-X, but they have others), buff out. Apply polish (Meguiar's again- I like their Deep Crystal System polish, but there are many others). Buff that. Now apply your wax, and, you guessed it, buff. Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax gives good results, but again, there are others. Applying and removing paint cleaner and polish is just the same as waxing. Have enough applicator pads to do the job, and clean towels - 100% cotton terry or microfiber. Clay bar was mentioned, and while that's good for getting contaminants like bird crap and sap off your paint, I think the paint cleaner is the better way to go for your faded paint. I've never used Turtle Wax's Color Back (never had to), but I have also heard good things about it.

Sounds like it will get it very clean and also protect it from further damage, but it is unlikely it will restore the faded or destroyed clear coat.

It'll do more than that, Bikeman. Cleaner and polish can restore and cover a lot of problems.

It'll do more than that, Bikeman. Cleaner and polish can restore and cover a lot of problems.

You can carefully wet sand clear coat to get rid on imperfections. Wet sand, paint scrub, polish, wax. You gotta realize tho, you are making the clear coat thinner tho. Not that it won't make it look better, but you are getting closer to the paint when you do it.

You can carefully wet sand clear coat to get rid on imperfections. Wet sand, paint scrub, polish, wax. You gotta realize tho, you are making the clear coat thinner tho. Not that it won't make it look better, but you are getting closer to the paint when you do it.

I think the only way to get it to look right is to smooth out the whole surface, then recoat it.

After that a good wax would look good.

When you wet sand, what grit sandpaper do you use?

I am thinking of doing the entire hood, roof and trunk lid. I want them all to be a good match.

You can carefully wet sand clear coat to get rid on imperfections. Wet sand, paint scrub, polish, wax. You gotta realize tho, you are making the clear coat thinner tho. Not that it won't make it look better, but you are getting closer to the paint when you do it.

On my project car it looks like some of the clear coat is chipped off.

 

I think the only way to get it to look right is to smooth out the whole surface, then recoat it.

After that a good wax would look good.

When you wet sand, what grit sandpaper do you use?

I am thinking of doing the entire hood, roof and trunk lid. I want them all to be a good match.

Here is a good read. http://www.mobileworks.com/auto_paint_wet_sanding.html

I don't know how to fix chipped clear coat. Fading (depending on how bad) can be fixed, because it is still smooth, sorta. Your best bet is to test on a area, and practice a little. Take your time, and don't use a lot of pressure. Use a criss cross motion with a little soapy water. Always keep your area wet.

I'd use the highest grit you can use. At least 2000. It should feel like felt almost.

You can carefully wet sand clear coat to get rid on imperfections. Wet sand, paint scrub, polish, wax. You gotta realize tho, you are making the clear coat thinner tho. Not that it won't make it look better, but you are getting closer to the paint when you do it.

On my project car it looks like some of the clear coat is chipped off.

 

I think the only way to get it to look right is to smooth out the whole surface, then recoat it.

After that a good wax would look good.

When you wet sand, what grit sandpaper do you use?

I am thinking of doing the entire hood, roof and trunk lid. I want them all to be a good match.

 

Here is a good read. http://www.mobileworks.com/auto_paint_wet_sanding.html

I don't know how to fix chipped clear coat. Fading (depending on how bad) can be fixed, because it is still smooth, sorta. Your best bet is to test on a area, and practice a little. Take your time, and don't use a lot of pressure. Use a criss cross motion with a little soapy water. Always keep your area wet.

I'd use the highest grit you can use. At least 2000. It should feel like felt almost.

I will look around for some 2000 grit - I have never seen any that high - to start out with and test. It may look better.

My son sanded his hood for his car because it had the same problem. He ended up sanding all the paint off down to the bare metal.

I ended up getting the hood and just spray painting it. It looks better than bare metal and rust, but not professional.

It may take some time, but I think it is possible to get it looking good.

Thanks for the information.

My friend was at a local Pick-N-Pull and noticed a new Corolla there.

He called me to let me know and I rushed right down there.

It turned out to be a 7th generation (1994) that had the exact color (3K9) as my project car (a 1993).

I took the trunk, hood, and left front fender, as well as the tail lights, headlights, and some other misc. parts.

Now I don't have to worry about painting my project car. The only faded part now is the roof.

Should I go back for the bumpers?