Expert: William Forster - 7/25/2007

Question
Hi Bill I was just wondering how to fix my 88 honda accord. There are spots on the car where the clear coat has become cloudy, faded and almost worn off completely.can I wet just wet sand the clear coat and put new clear coat on top?

Answer
No, Chris, you can't. The paint is suffering from UV deterioration, and it's reached a condition known as chalking. basically, the paint has lost the qualities that bind it together, and now it's just turning to dust. Clearing over the paint will produce a hideous result.
The chalking paint will contaminate the clear, and cause the old paint to swell. This will make the new clear haze over within a few days, and it will look nearly as bad as it did before you cleared it. The old color needs completely sanded off, the panels primered and wet sanded, then the vehicle base coated and cleared. Bill