What caused this? Paint issue

[TomsFocus]

As title really, I have a very specific patch of bad paint on the Focus.  It didn't look so bad in summer when it was clean but looks awful now that dirt is sticking in the gaps.  I know it can't be fixed without a respray but I'm intrigued to know what caused it to try and avoid it anywhere else!!  I'd owned it 2 years before this suddenly developed, hasn't had any paint in that time but might've done before.

Any ideas!?

[Gaskell71]

parking next to or brushing past bushes, might do that. 

[isetta]

not sure about the first answer, does not look like scratches to me. Looks like it is like the paint has shrunk. Do you agree?  It is hard to tell in the picture

My 1982 Suzuki motorbike has a patch like that on one side of the petrol tank. 99% sure it is original paint. I had the bike store for 19 yrs. I don't recall it being like that before I stored it but noticed it when I got it out of the depths of my garage after 19 years. No idea what caused it.

[TomsFocus]

Hmm, interesting!  

I don't believe it's bush scratches either, I've got plenty of those as well but they are far less deep and all 'flow' along the side, rather than the erratic pattern here.  I also wondered if I'd damaged it when cleaning but again that would either be straight lines or swirls I think!

I guess you could say the paint had shrunk, I'm not really sure how to describe it other than looking like the crazing that you get in antique china items.

[MrRedman]

Is it a bad  paint repair I've seen something similar years ago when a pal bought a car that had dubious history and had been resprayed ? 

[simcor]

Could be an area that has been repainted during it's life. but it has a spider web pattern of paint cracking. it may be possible to have it detailed to at least lessen the visibility of it and depending on how bad it is depends on whether paint correction could cure it and bring it back to normal finish.

GIYF http://www.drbeasleys.com/blog/2011/07/13/solving-dry-car-paint/

 

[simcor]

If it's just the clear coat that is affected an it looks like it is then a wet sand and RE lacquer would very likely cure it, thinking about it. 

[artscot79]

you can get that from putting hot water on a frozen car ie washing it in winter the paint effectively shrinks and cracks it looks cracked to me not sure if an issue when the car was painted could cause it years later

[TomsFocus]

7 hours ago, artscot79 said:

you can get that from putting hot water on a frozen car ie washing it in winter the paint effectively shrinks and cracks it looks cracked to me not sure if an issue when the car was painted could cause it years later

Would that work the other way as well, ie cold water on a hot car?  It happened back in the summer at some point.

[TomsFocus]

8 hours ago, simcor said:

Could be an area that has been repainted during it's life. but it has a spider web pattern of paint cracking. it may be possible to have it detailed to at least lessen the visibility of it and depending on how bad it is depends on whether paint correction could cure it and bring it back to normal finish.

GIYF http://www.drbeasleys.com/blog/2011/07/13/solving-dry-car-paint/

 

Tbh I won't be spending any more on the car now so it'll have to stay like that, I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again really!  

[alexp999]

2 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Would that work the other way as well, ie cold water on a hot car?  It happened back in the summer at some point.

Yes, cold enough water will cause a sudden drop in temperature and the paint to contract slightly. Could be enough to crack it, especially as it becomes brittle with age.

Most things in this world do not like sudden temp changes in either direction.

[artscot79]

as above if the body was hot enough yes it'll crack.....bear in mind you could cook an egg on the cars paint in summer .. in summer use warm water in winter use cold water never hot on cold or cold on hot

[TomsFocus]

7 hours ago, artscot79 said:

as above if the body was hot enough yes it'll crack.....bear in mind you could cook an egg on the cars paint in summer .. in summer use warm water in winter use cold water never hot on cold or cold on hot

Have you seen the Top Gear Middle East special?  They couldn't cook an egg on the back of an MX5 in the desert!  

I'll keep that in mind though, can't really use warm water to pre-rinse the car with the car from the hose but I'll just have to make sure it's cool before washing in future.

[Gizza11]

I have seen this before exactly the same . I expect that your  car wing has been repainted as some stage this problem appears some time after the paint job has been done. Funnily enough it was also on a Ford (Ford Escort MK2) the first time I saw this sort of thing. Looks like a re spray to me to fix it. In my opinion I would be very surprised if it was anything else.

[goldtail77]

Looks very similar to what happens on fibreglass top coats over time. I reckon it is previous repair with some filler involved. 

Heat would expand the metal but filler would not.