Cracked single stage paint

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JHZR2

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Happened upon an old Mercedes in great shape except some minor cracking of the original single stage white paint.

The paint shines and beads nicely. Only some horizontal surfaces show it.

It's not my car but I may consider buying it in the future.

The car is garage kept currently so moisture is not an issue. But does this sort of cracking lead to failure of primer and rust?

Ive heard tales of heating the paint under a buffing machine to "melt it" as a repair, but have never seen proof of that. Seems that a repair would need to be a strip and repaint.

Opinions?

6F5274A9-1A7F-4A67-807F-4AACF33B7E84.jpeg
 
It can lead to rust eventually and yes strip and repaint is the only real fix. You cannot melt it with a buffer, its lost its adhesion. You usually only find this on horizontal surfaces, its much less common on vertical.
 
What do you think caused that Trav? Looks like a cracked egg shell.

I wonder if this is the same car below that had the rust bubble issue?





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Originally Posted by SatinSilver
What do you think caused that Trav? Looks like a cracked egg shell.

I wonder if this is the same car below that had the rust bubble issue?

Not the same car. A different car that I happened upon in my travels which I may buy at some point. Why speculate at all?
 
Originally Posted by Silverado12
Looks like lacquer paint, which will eventually crack like that.


Interesting... so "they all" do that (based upon certain parameters, of course, I'm sure...)??

What are the right things to do to keep the paint from doing this? I've heard anecdotal comments like "feeding" and "nourishing" the paint, but not sure if there's something that is best practice for this type of paint to prevent.
 
There is nothing you can really do to prevent it, although an under the hood pad may prevent a lot of the heat from getting to the underside of the paint if it already doesn't have one. Keeping it out of direct sunlight will also help.
The paint pigments deteriorate over time and become brittle and crack, the expansion and contraction of the metal from solar heating as well as the engine are the main culprits.
It is very common with lacquer and also some enamels. Quality base/clear is more flexible.
 
I blame the sun.

Single stage has it's limitations IMO. Not worth passing up though depending on the vehicle. It certainly won't rust!

*Disregard the rust part. I read the post as Chris142 being the OP. No idea how that happened.
 
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Originally Posted by JHZR2
Not the same car. A different car that I happened upon in my travels which I may buy at some point. Why speculate at all?
That's what I thought at first! I was going to say a little rust and cracked paint should help you get a good deal. You really love those old Benzes, eh?
 
Originally Posted by SatinSilver
Fyi, a few days ago I noticed an older Merc by me. It seems to be in good condition with a newer paint job. Miles are a bit high. 1985 Merc 300D for $3250.

https://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/d/1985-mercedes-300d/6697295768.html



Not a bad looking car, though Id be concerned about rust if it lived in Cleveland all its life...

I have a tan one just like that.
 
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