2002 Elise 111S paint deterioration
Discussion
Hello from Germany.
I know this might come a little late, but I just found numerous threads concerning the frequently discussed paint quality issues with our cars.
In my case it began during summer 2006, when large paint areas on the front clam lifted and eventually chipped during car wash. After respraying the entire front clam (due to a little tete-a-tete with a crash barrier on track
), this never occured again, except some small blisters around the rear lights and the sillboards.
Until yesterday.
After the relatively cold winter (down to -16 degrees Celsius), I saw extreme bubbling on the rear clam, expecially on the transition area between rear wing and roof. The bubbles there are enormous, about 10cm long and 5cm wide. Luckily, the paint did not come of yet. On the sillboard however, using the water blaster killed the blistered paint completely.
The repainted areas are not affected, so this seems to be either a problem with the original paint ore with the age of the paint itself. Even the crappy water-based paint of today should stick where it belongs - and it does, at least until now.
Sometimes you can read that this problem could be similar to the 'osmosis'-phenomnon often seen in GRP-made boat shells. Hovever, osmosis would substantially damage the structure of the clamshell, which obviously is not the case in most (as far as I read all) of the discussed cases.
Although my car had a severe moisture problem in the boot compartment due to a defective boot seal, and several centimeters of water stood in the boot during summer, I doubt this could be a moisture problem.
The blistering on the front clam was much more severe a few years ago, and obviously this area can hardly be affected by trapped moisture.
Would it make any sense to puncture the blisters, applying some heat and hoping they stick back to the place? Has anyone here better ideas than having the entire car repainted?
Kind regards,
Patrick
I know this might come a little late, but I just found numerous threads concerning the frequently discussed paint quality issues with our cars.
In my case it began during summer 2006, when large paint areas on the front clam lifted and eventually chipped during car wash. After respraying the entire front clam (due to a little tete-a-tete with a crash barrier on track
), this never occured again, except some small blisters around the rear lights and the sillboards. Until yesterday.
After the relatively cold winter (down to -16 degrees Celsius), I saw extreme bubbling on the rear clam, expecially on the transition area between rear wing and roof. The bubbles there are enormous, about 10cm long and 5cm wide. Luckily, the paint did not come of yet. On the sillboard however, using the water blaster killed the blistered paint completely.
The repainted areas are not affected, so this seems to be either a problem with the original paint ore with the age of the paint itself. Even the crappy water-based paint of today should stick where it belongs - and it does, at least until now.
Sometimes you can read that this problem could be similar to the 'osmosis'-phenomnon often seen in GRP-made boat shells. Hovever, osmosis would substantially damage the structure of the clamshell, which obviously is not the case in most (as far as I read all) of the discussed cases.
Although my car had a severe moisture problem in the boot compartment due to a defective boot seal, and several centimeters of water stood in the boot during summer, I doubt this could be a moisture problem.
The blistering on the front clam was much more severe a few years ago, and obviously this area can hardly be affected by trapped moisture.
Would it make any sense to puncture the blisters, applying some heat and hoping they stick back to the place? Has anyone here better ideas than having the entire car repainted?
Kind regards,
Patrick
My '98 S1 had no paint issues at all until this winter and now I find some blisters/bubbles for the first time, it's been out all winter for 12 winters and this winter it spent half the time in the garage and bang. Bubbles. I popped 1 and water came out and the paint (from the bubble) crumbled. It will touch up ok but really needs proper repainting. I wont be popping any more. I'm going to save up for a paint job but there is no real hurry.
It could well be osmosis!
I've had a Series 1 Elise and a VX220. Had absolutley no paint issues with my Elise, bodywork was perfect but the VX220 was horrendous, Bubbling up along the bottom of both doors.
A collegue bought one too and his was parked out the back at work for 3 months over the winter whilst he was abroad working. It was virtually scrap when he got back. Bubbles across the rear clam turned into blisters and later the blistered sections cracked and flaked.
To be honest I've never heard of it as being an Elise problem.
The word amongst the VX fraturnity, at least when I was amongst it was that Sotaria the French outfit that made the bodies for the Elise and VX220 treated the VX body's differently to the Elise storing them outside before painting. This lead to moisture being trapped under the paint ready to blister when it freezed.
This is a wide spread issue with the VX220 and was affecting them whilst they were sill under warranty.
If it is osmosis it requires some serious prep and not just a respray. Plenty of VX owners had their bubbling clamshells resprayed only for them to bubble up again the following winter!
I hope for your sake it's not Osmosis but it does sound like it could be.
I've had a Series 1 Elise and a VX220. Had absolutley no paint issues with my Elise, bodywork was perfect but the VX220 was horrendous, Bubbling up along the bottom of both doors.
A collegue bought one too and his was parked out the back at work for 3 months over the winter whilst he was abroad working. It was virtually scrap when he got back. Bubbles across the rear clam turned into blisters and later the blistered sections cracked and flaked.
To be honest I've never heard of it as being an Elise problem.
The word amongst the VX fraturnity, at least when I was amongst it was that Sotaria the French outfit that made the bodies for the Elise and VX220 treated the VX body's differently to the Elise storing them outside before painting. This lead to moisture being trapped under the paint ready to blister when it freezed.
This is a wide spread issue with the VX220 and was affecting them whilst they were sill under warranty.
If it is osmosis it requires some serious prep and not just a respray. Plenty of VX owners had their bubbling clamshells resprayed only for them to bubble up again the following winter!
I hope for your sake it's not Osmosis but it does sound like it could be.
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