Originally Posted by imabenz
To clear up the confusion ( pun intended ), the engine bay and the underside of my hood are not clear coated. They are painted and finished between a satin and semi-gloss finish. While it isnt as glossy, the finish is smooth enough to easily apply a coat of wax to, which I recently have done.
In my previous post, I was just trying clarify the term "flat" for all of us non-bodyshop guys. In my experience, "flat" paint has a finish like primer or like the paint on a military vehicle. Then there is gloss or semi-gloss paint which has a shine to it even without any coats of clearcoat. But, by adding clearcoat, you get protection as well as additional shine.
Ok - I wasn't downing anyone...I was just curious if there was a time frame, model year, or model specific underhood painting change. I had only seen non-cleared finishes under the hood...so I assumed all of them were that way. When you all mentioned waxing, and gloss finishes, I assumed you had clear coat under there. Knowing that I did not made me wonder why and when/if it changed.
I would venture to guess that this is just base coat sprayed under our hoods, just like most cars. I'd be surprised to find that it had a semi-gloss enhancer added to it or anything of that sort from the factory. The factories often use machines/robots to spray these cars, not humans (not sure on our particular cars). This takes out a lot of human error, and therefore yields a more consistent product. With base coat, too much air will make the finish 'rough'. If you lay it down wet enough (less air, more liquid), you wont get the rough finish, and there will even be a tiny bit of 'shine'. Too wet, and you get a minor orange peel effect.
If you look at a lot of older cars, the underhood paint is actually faded to the OE self-etching primer that comes on the body panels after they bend them. That's because there is no clearcoat on it and the base coat isn't as durable when it comes to heat and solvents/oil/etc, and eventually fades away.
So, in closing, be careful what you spray on that paint underhood. If it is indeed just base coat, it wont hold up long to any type of harsh cleaners. Waxing it would be a good idea as the wax will repel some of the cleaners, and help repel some of the dirt (or at least make it easier to wash). Wax should also last quite a while under there as it is out of the sun.
Andrew, trimming the fenders with base only ('flat' version of your exterior color) is standard practice on almost ALL of the factory non-custom work I have done in the past. Your body shop did great work, BTW. The new owner will likely never know it was 'trailered'
SQ