Ford Paint Quality
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Ellensburg, Washington
Ford Paint Quality
I have been doing some reading about crappy ford paint from the 80s and early 90s, what i don't get is that my truck is 17 years old and still has factory paint... why hasn't it peeled?
I had a dark blue metallic 91 explorer that began to peel when it was 4 or 5...
in the materials i have read, the colors stated in peeling cases were all dark, dark blue, black, dark red... and so forth... my 17 year old truck is white....
it was also determined that what caused the problem was a missing layer of protection between the metal and the primer that blocked uv rays...
being that white naturally reflects most or all light wave lengths and dark colors absorb... i ask, are the lighter colored vehicles more likely to be problem free?
just some thoughts, any input is greatly welcome
I had a dark blue metallic 91 explorer that began to peel when it was 4 or 5...
in the materials i have read, the colors stated in peeling cases were all dark, dark blue, black, dark red... and so forth... my 17 year old truck is white....
it was also determined that what caused the problem was a missing layer of protection between the metal and the primer that blocked uv rays...
being that white naturally reflects most or all light wave lengths and dark colors absorb... i ask, are the lighter colored vehicles more likely to be problem free?
just some thoughts, any input is greatly welcome
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Ellensburg, Washington
the paint problems for the 2000 model year and up vehicles were from iron particulate contamination on aluminum body panels. the iron particles reacted with the aluminum causing the aluminum to pit and the paint to bubble... just an fyi- 
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,473
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From: Lafayette, IN
My '93 is the tan/mocha stripe combo, and both are in pretty good shape overall, as far as the paint itself goes. Can't say much for some of the body (wheel wells, nicks, dings, dents and scratches--it's a work truck). The '90 I used to have had definite paint issues even when I got it at 7 years old. It was the dark green with tan stripe--the tan was fine, the hood looked like it had been (badly) repainted, and the top of the cab was so-so when I got it but went downhill in pretty short order.
I don't wash and wax my trucks, either, which I'm sure doesn't help.
Jason
I don't wash and wax my trucks, either, which I'm sure doesn't help.
Jason
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: The Iron Range of Minneso
It,s in the paint.
The 88 Lariat I owned was a recall repaint, paint was peeling off.The dark blue paint had been peeling before it was recalled, paint was still fine when I got rid of her in 2007. The 91 Lariat I have now is red/silver. The silver is fine but the red has faded. I have nick named it Marykay Pink for the color. I joke about it being the only truck that had been awarded for someone hitting a sales mark selling Marykay Cosmetics.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: SE Wyoming
The main reason is the white paint, the lighter color doesn't get as hot and won't peel as quickly. If you look dark colors almost all have peeled from the early 90's. Interestingly if you look at Dodge and Chevy they also peel, from what I remember all the manufacturers switched to a new primer in the late 80's or early 90's and the bond with the paint did not hold up as well as the older primer. We have 2-92's and a '93 2 of them are darker blue and one is tan. One of the blue's has peeled bad, the other two aren't peeling at all BUT are garaged quite often so they are out of the sun.
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Post Fiend
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From: McKenzie River
Light colors do fare much better over the years, the metallic red on my 93 f350 is like new.......Funny we should be talking about paint "quality" from the manufacturer, my friends with GM products have remarked that they wish their GMs had as good a paint jobs as my Fords. ....Doesnt say much for GMs paint dept.
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2001
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I have seen a bunch of the 87-99 Chevy trucks with paint peeling off the hood and roof. Many of them were white work trucks though.
Speaking of bad paint, my friend has an 01 Dodge that the paint is all peeled and blistered etc. It started doing this back in 05-06. Now it looks like crap.
Speaking of bad paint, my friend has an 01 Dodge that the paint is all peeled and blistered etc. It started doing this back in 05-06. Now it looks like crap.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2008
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GM,FORD,MOPAR all had major issues with color and adhesion issues beginning late 80s into early 90s when we would install new glass in them even today when you cut the old glass out many time all one has to do is start to scrape the old adhesive and the color coat actually peels off with it leaving just the original grey primer on the vehicle
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Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Longwood, Fl
93 EB bronco, dark green---
Hood is almost all grey (primer) the paint has peeled. When asked, I tell them that it didnt start peeling off until about 140 MPH. I kinda get that BS look
. Other parts of the Bronco have not peeled, but you can tell its barely hanging on, its "shrink" cracking. Primer is sticking good. One story I got was that they painted the primer, then allowed the vehicle to sit and cure too long before applying the top/clearcoat so the bond was no good. UV protection is in the very top MIL's of the clear coat. Lose clearcoat and everything under it goes quickly. The hood seems to get the worst of the UV and heat. All this is only my opinion and unverified info----FYI only 
Hood is almost all grey (primer) the paint has peeled. When asked, I tell them that it didnt start peeling off until about 140 MPH. I kinda get that BS look
. Other parts of the Bronco have not peeled, but you can tell its barely hanging on, its "shrink" cracking. Primer is sticking good. One story I got was that they painted the primer, then allowed the vehicle to sit and cure too long before applying the top/clearcoat so the bond was no good. UV protection is in the very top MIL's of the clear coat. Lose clearcoat and everything under it goes quickly. The hood seems to get the worst of the UV and heat. All this is only my opinion and unverified info----FYI only
