The difference between a car with bad paint and one with good is primarily in the number of coats applied. More expensive brands use upwards of 12, while cheaper brands use as few as 4. The earth-friendly processes now required really took a toll on durability. It's not the number of coats that makes it look cheap, it's the talent of the person applying it. Expensive paint jobs often use a greater than average number of coats of clear as it adds depth to the resulting color.

In any case, you're correct in that it is not likely to be as durable as the original baked paint. Of course, since he's only interested in the hood, he could seek out a painter with the capability of baking parts. They do exist. The bumper, being plastic, was never baked so it shouldn't be less durable than the factory spray.

Of course, the cheapest route will be to have it painted normally and throw some plastic on it.

 

The more I look at it you're right. There isn't much. Guess I'll get some quotes.

 

I've yet to see any shop around my area use 12 layers of clear, in most cases anything after 4 starts to become difficult. I've seen RM, Duponte, BASF and PPG used and all the paint chips the same once it's re-sprayed. Water based paints are terrible and that's what the X has on it, not to mention very few coats. Rock the 3m and have a normal re-spray applied. Your probably looking at 800 to 1200 just to have it re-sprayed, esp. if they have to spray the hood and fenders to fade into the factory paint.

 

12 LAYERS of clear, what hack job is doing this. You might as well take that pail of clear and throw it on the car, forget the spray gun.. haha. Oh, Skip the duraguard and go with ventureshield or 3m. I recently wrapped a friends vehicle with duraguard and its starting to yellow.. why did we change what was good.. im not sure.

 

I was working on an '07 audi RS4 today at work and noticed even IT had numerous rock chips on the front end. It just comes from having the bumper so damn low to the ground. First smart thing to do when you buy a new car like this is get a clear bra, it'll be worth it in the long run

 

I probably could have been more clear, but they use 12 total coats of paint (color/clear). I was just relaying the facts, and bringing up methods that are used for getting a durable respray without covering it up with 3M. If you want to argue that the paint on more expensive brands looks like crap because they use so many layers, you guys can be my guests... On one hand you complain about Mitsubishi paint being crap, and on the other you call the method luxury brands use to make their paint more durable a hack job.

You're obviously in full-on "defend my investment in a clear bra" mode, so I don't even know why I bothered.

 

How well does vinyl wrapping stand up to the elements.

 

Try this. I had great results.

http://www.drcolorchip.com/


Then I had VENTURESHIELD put over the touch up. Cannot even tell there was any issues.

 

This looks promising. Thanks for the link.

 

Did you order a full 1 oz of paint?

 

It think so.

 

I ordered it. Will update with results then.

 

paint it +1... and clear bra too.

 

anyone know roughly how much it would be to clear bra to whole front end?

 

600 was the cost for me using the new avery nano fusion.
included fenders, fogs, headlights, front bumper and 24" of hood