Serious Problem

[H.A.W.G.]

I recently took my car into the body shop to get a bumper fixed after someone backed into me. Dropped it off all was well for a few hours then they called and said that they needed to order a few more parts. No biggie, Im not paying. Well a week and a half after the orginal delivery date, thursday, i get my girl back. I went to wash her today, and saw on my bonnet all these little pits that weren't there before I took her in. Any ideas what it could be. its not like a rock hit her, it looks like it is rusted? in the middle and has discolored the paint around it. and it is all over my bonnet, most concentrated in the middle. I am gonna go to the place tomorrow and have a talk with them. if that dosent workout what can I do. my baby is ruined in my eyes. I look at her and I only see her glaring problem.

I tried to take a pic, but all that showed was the sky, thanks to all yalls tips

[davavd]

A few pits on the bonnet isn't "ruined", but see what the shop has to say tomorrow. They weren't visible until you washed it? What did you wash it with? I can imagine you are upset, but try to be calm, not confrontational when you go see the shop. It sounds like at worst, the bonnet will need repainting, which will of course, mean new stripes. If this is the case, look at all the possibilities before you order the new ones. There are some pretty cool options out there. Good luck and remember, smile when you walk in, don't force it to be an unpleasant experience.

[lhoboy]

I've got a whole bonnet full of high speed paint chips and I've never seen anything like what you've described. Certaainly nothing that looks like rust. Sounds like they might have been doing some welding in front of your car and showered some molten welding rod on her.

[Jeremy1026]

Originally Posted by lhoboy

I've got a whole bonnet full of high speed paint chips and I've never seen anything like what you've described. Certaainly nothing that looks like rust. Sounds like they might have been doing some welding in front of your car and showered some molten welding rod on her.

While my car was in the shop, I got it back with welding splatter all over my mirrors, they replaced them for me when I called them out on it. Best of luck.

[kenchan]

sounds like rail dust. try clay.

[H.A.W.G.]

Thanks, I know its not ruined. but it just drives me nuts that stuff like this happens. I am very annoyed by the body shop even without this. The bumper is uneven, many peices arent even fully attached, and the wiring for the turning signals is all screwed up

[kenchan]

the front bumper can easily be adjusted by a few screws. i had my
a/c condenser replaced by the dealer and it was not quite where it was
before, so i just adjusted it myself.

not sure about the situation with the turn signals.

[OctaneGuy]

If you're certain this problem happened at the body shop, it probably did. Body shops are far from the cleanest environments. Depending on where the MINI was stored and where the work was being performed, it could be welding sparks from another job, it could be wetsanding residue, it could be a bad wash job, it could be a lot of things.

Have any pictures?

Regardless, as Ken suggested, claybar is probably your first and best course of action. You may find it fruitless to ask the body shop to repair something that they probably thought was already good enough when they delivered it to you.

[H.A.W.G.]

The guy at the body shop also said it was rail dust. He said it would appear as rust spots on the white roof, which I have had a few of but am too much of a newbie to realize that they were a problem since the would come off with a little elbow grease

No pics octaneguy, all you can see is the lovely South Carolina Sky thanks to yall turning me OCD.

So I guess I will be doing my first ever clay job today or tomorrow, and tips. Is the Mothers stuff alright, what about ICE.

[Loony2N]

what is rail dust??

[MLPearson79]

Mother's clay is fine. Clay Magic and Meguiar's (all sold at auto supply stores) are also fine. The ICE "clay" stuff is not really clay, so I'd stay away from that.

[MLPearson79]

Originally Posted by LynnEl

what is rail dust??

It's stuff that's kicked up when something travels by rail car. Often cars travel by rail between the plant and the dock, or between the dock here in the US and their final destination. Little bits of metal and other debris and contaminants are kicked up as the train goes over the tracks and they can get embedded into the paint surface just like other stuff you get while driving around that clay picks up.

[H.A.W.G.]

Originally Posted by LynnEl

what is rail dust??

Dust from rails, duh. I think it is train brake dust, dont qoute me

[OctaneGuy]

And that is my source of confusion. Does he live or work near a rail road? How old is this MINI? If he's taking it to a body shop to get the bumper fixed, are we talking about a MINI that's a few weeks old, few months, or few years??

The OP didn't notice this before he took it into the shop, so if this "raildust" explanation happened while at the shop, is the shop near a railroad?? It just sounds like a copout explanation to me to deflect the real source of the problem.

Richard

Originally Posted by MLWagner79

It's stuff that's kicked up when something travels by rail car. Often cars travel by rail between the plant and the dock, or between the dock here in the US and their final destination. Little bits of metal and other debris and contaminants are kicked up as the train goes over the tracks and they can get embedded into the paint surface just like other stuff you get while driving around that clay picks up.

[MLPearson79]

Yeah I don't really get it either. If it wasn't there before I don't know why it would be there now.

[H.A.W.G.]

My MINI is 9 months old, so I would have thought I would have had this problem before. The Body shop isnt near any train tracks, and I drive over a set 2 times a day.

[kenchan]

Originally Posted by H.A.W.G.

My MINI is 9 months old, so I would have thought I would have had this problem before. The Body shop isnt near any train tracks, and I drive over a set 2 times a day.

if your shop or home is not near rails then it's some other contamination.

more importantly, did clay work?

[agranger]

I was thinking of welding sparks as well... not so much rust but burned clearcoat. If it wasn't there before he took it in and it showed up one week later, that could be the cause. Maybe overspray from some caustic chemical?

I HATE bodyshops... most of the collision repair places always seem to catch the people who weren't bright enough or didn't care enough to become mechanics. There are exceptions (so please don't flame me) and there are a few good shops out there, but there are so many bad ones out there that they drag 'em all down by reputation.

I love Stuart's Paint and Body in Dallas... those guys are artists (but I still wouldn't let 'em have my car to paint the arches... I did the removal and install myself because I didn't want Jango in their shop for 2 weeks).

[moodylewdd]

I worked maintenance for the railroad for several years. If the car didnt have that nasty stuff on it when it went to the shop-I would suspect the body shop of welding, grindling or even spraying (chemical) around the car. (Rail dust is a combination of brake material wearing against wheel material, and the track being worn away by the wheels riding on it-very much more prevalent on curves, or where the gauge is tight...or if the rail grinder has traveled through an area. Usually, unless the tracks are used a lot - mainline, or there is a lot of yard/switching activity, rail dust is not something you normally have to worry about. I parked my car next to the tracks for years, and with semi-regular washes-not a MINI-I never had a problem.) I think I would suspect the bodyshop. Of course they will probably deny, even though they could have been doing something as simple as cleaning a gun with solvent in the area and caused pitting on soft MINI clearcoat...so I hope you can resolve your problem with the clay, and your car is as good as new!

[H.A.W.G.]

Even if it turns out to be the shop there isnt much I can do, there isnt really a way to prove its their fault. Their word against mine

[H.A.W.G.]

Just got done claying the bonnet between the stripes ( most serious area) and it has helped a good bit. The clay did a little damage to the spots, but the cleaning wax did most of the work it appears, most of the spots arent very noticable now, and the others just need alittle TLC. On a good note she sure does look purdy now. I guess I will have to set aside all Wednesday to get everything done

[Frank Matyja]

Check to see that is isn't overspray. Sounds like it could have been near someone spraying red primer and your car got hit with overspray...clay will remove overspray.

[ChrisW]

Why are you washing your car after it just got painted anyway? Everytime I've had body work done they have told me not to wash it for atleast a month. Or did I miss something?

[H.A.W.G.]

Just the front bumper is freshly painted, they said not to wax it or buff it, I have done neither

[agranger]

Yep... don't wax, seal or buff for a month. Washing is OK.

Congratulations on cleaning up their mess!