Paintwork question.

[Roefisher]

Hi,

There's people here who have a good practical knowledge of Land Rover and I would like to ask a question. Hopefully somebody here would be kind enough to share their experiences.

Basically I am very disappointed with the paintwork resistance on our current car. It seems to be easily scratched and stone chipped and got me thinking. I've been trying to find out if the average 4x4 motor would be better coated.

I was wondering if a Land Rover, in particular a Defender, had a more robust paintwork?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[rapidboy]

I think there was a change in the law regarding auto paint and the new paint is water based or something and easily damaged so i don't think the manufacturer will matter as the new paints are not as tough.

 

[Mirius]

It does depend on the manufacturer even with the modern water based paints. If you want tough paint, buy an Audi - their paint is extremely hard normally. On the other hand it does make correctly paint faults much harder!

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

I've got a 1986 110 Landy and I can vouch for the paintwork, I have some very nice greenlane pinstriping from trees and tough thorns all down the side! I think that if you take a car down some greenlanes or even some country lanes you're going to get scratches, whatever sort of paintwork you have. If I took the Missusses car to some of the places I take the Landy she wouldn't speak to me for a while!
With the Landy the paintwork is in fairly poor condition anyway so I don't worry about scratching it, and Defenders are dented as they leave the factory anyway(they employ someone to do it especialy)
My solution is to keep the nice car for the towns and the Landy for the green stuff, and for towing the nice car our of the brown stuff occasionaly.

 

[lottie.lou]

My boyfriend is a professional Detailer who can correct scratches and swirls on car paintwork. Send me a PM if you would like more information.

 

[h2o]

my dads vw golf j reg has no scratches yet my 4 yr old merc is full of em.must be the rubbish paint

 

[bushwacker bob]

If its a Landrover there is more street cred when its scratched.The ones that have no scratches are 'chelsea tractors' and shouldn't be on the road as they aren't being used for what they're meant for!
My company car gets scratches from the wind.

 

[Mirius]

my dads vw golf j reg has no scratches yet my 4 yr old merc is full of em.must be the rubbish paint

Quite likely a lot of it is down to how you treat your paint, especially washing it. Unlike Lotties boyfriend I'm not a professional detailer, but I do wince sometimes at the things I see people do to their cars. And yes of course landrovers should be scratched.

 

[spamel]

A Land Rover with gapsbetween the bonnet and the wings that you can put a fist into are the norm in the forces! The newer ones not so much as the old 110's and Joe 90's. I had a beat up old 110 in the Falkland Islands that was great. It had so much character and I spent every Saturday morning at work tinkering and adding spotlights! The Jamies would have loved it it had that many Lumens!

 

[Buckshot]

There are not many paint maufacturers now anyway
Like the car industry, lots of brands but all owned by only a couple of master companies

I'm sure RB is right about the law as well.

Mark

 

[Landy_Dom]

One factor in this that nobody has mentioned yet is that Landies are skinned in aluminium - which is why you never see the scratches or dents rusting - like people have said - they're rough working vehicles, and once you're used to the idea of a few dings and scratches - you stop worrying about it - they do no harm and can only add character to a real classic working vehicle. My 90 is covered in dents and scrapes but I still love it and it is still soldiering on without rusting to bits. (Note of caution - the chassis do rust and need regular bladdering with waxoyl - then they'll be fine too).

Dom.

 

[Cairodel]

Only suggestions to this would be a coat or two of a clear laquer, and a GOOD
polish.... "Armourall" I think....