This is a little more infuriating than “mildly infuriating” but I can’t think of a better place to post it
Edit: I’d like to clarify that I live in East Tennessee, not an area like Florida! I do appreciate the hints that it might be clearcoat goblins though, and I’ve left a saucer of milk and cheese out to ward them away
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Maybe a person but I’ve had that happen too and didn’t suspect anyone. My friend who does auto body work said it was because I never wax my truck and park in the sun. Hopefully it’s the same for you. Here’s to a better day!
Just curious, did it also have those streaks? Obviously my first thought was fingernails (could be because I have the urge to peel cracking clear coat and I’m projecting lol). It’s just bizarre happening when it did, and where I live since it’s essentially been cloudy and overcast just about every day this month! I needed to get it fixed regardless, so no harm no foul I guess?
Thanks for the tips, and here’s to perfect clear coat and smooth paint to you!
I don’t know if mine had those streaks but I do see what your saying.
My current car is shedding its clear coat. It looks like it has streaks like that all over it. I think it’s just where the clear first lifts. I doubt it’s a random attack.
The streaks kinda look like someone poured a liquid there which migrated outwards under the paint. Maybe paint thinner or break fluid? Any neighborhood beef?
Luckily no neighborhood beef, my closest neighbors live over a half mile away!
UV light destroys clear coats
Get a cover!
Oh yeah, for sure! I was hoping I could hold off a little bit to save up for a fancy cover but this might have tipped the scales a little faster than I wanted
Is this an older vehicle that sits with that side facing the sun?
The car is barely 3 years old! But yes this side does face the sun
Looks like it might’ve just worn away or was impacted by some road debris maybe, I don’t know that I’d jump straight to a person intentionally doing this.
The couple of reasons I jumped straight to it being a person are the streaks that really look like nail marks and the area I live in. People around here (without giving away EXACTLY where I live, of course) are either young and reckless or on some sort of drug (be it meth, opiates, etc). I can absolutely see someone walking up to it in a parking lot, seeing the already cracking clearcoat, and chipping away at it!
I was hoping to get some comments asking for more information so I could give more relevant answers, but everyone seems to be assuming I live in suntown USA!
Doesn’t need to be super sunny, but either way some clear coat repair will fix it up!
Unless you saw a person do this, I would assume that the stranger is the sun.
Sun damages the clear coat, causing it to bubble. The bubbles continue to expand and then crack. When you drive, the turbulence from wind force pulls the flaky clear off.
This happens to cars a lot in Florida
Floridian here, can confirm. It’s happening to the top of my mirrors.
Uhh, I think you mean clearcoat goblins did this. Obviously. Don’t be ridiculous.
The sun started it (combined with tree branch scratches), for sure! But those streaks scream nail marks to me, since the spot wasn’t getting any bigger until one day it was massive
Streaks look more like water pooling. Looks like water got behind the bubble and then the sun boiled the water into steam which then caused further peeling.
It’s possible, but it’s been extremely cold and overcast where I live for the past month. If anything, the rain froze and popped it off?
Also possible, with that big white easy to remove piece on the left side, I highly doubt anyone could resist removing it if it was done by a person
“OK, which one of you just shit my pants?!”
I’ll catch you someday. I know it!
This is a common sight everywhere in Florida.
damn that florida man!
There’s always [email protected]
But yeah, I’d be livid. Did you catch them in the act?
No, I’m just assuming based on the streaks left by what I assumed to be nails
I didn’t know that sub existed, thanks! I’ll wait on posting there until I’ve confirmed it was actually fingernails, since the other comments said it may be something else 😉
That’s a stonechip, the impact mark is the little white dot slightly off centre of the patch of missing clearcoat. Then you can see the almost water mark streaks as moisture has crept under it from that mark, as the adhesion to the layer below is slowly destroyed with heat and cold cycles. Then either wind or washing the car has lifted it and it peeled off. Jetwashing the car is the biggest risk for these little defects.
Not necessarily a stone chip, but likely a tree branch chip that started it! This is the rear wing on my car so I feel like a stone hitting it is a little unlikely, but ultimately not impossible I suppose. The spot wasn’t growing at all when I originally noticed it, then one day it was massive. I always took care around it because I obviously didn’t want to make it worse by washing it.
I suppose it’s possible that the horrendous rain around here did it though!
I’d just touch it up with some repair clear coat if I were you
For real, they make like a $30 can of 2K clear coat that has a little button in the bottom. Watch some YouTube videos on how to apply it, tape off or mask off everything around it, respray and you’re done.
