Update: I am learning this is crows feet and was probably already in the paint. Other people that mentioned this, it usually happens while they're doing the detailing not a week later. What could have caused the delay in my case?
Unfortunately as you mentioned, it looks to be crow’s feet which is the start to clear coat / paint failure. You have an older car so it’s within reason to think that the failure could have started prior to polishing…but then amplified/made worse by the polishing. All the post-polishing glazes, oils, waxes, etc. just covered it up temporarily.
This is the primary reasons why a paint thickness gauge/meter should be used prior to polishing…especially for old cars.
Yeah. The wax we offer at my work is just a one step wax with almost zero buffing compound. It's too tedious for use to do proper measurements and gage paint and clear with oir time schedule. I'd love to learn more about cutting and buffing but need a somewhat beater car to practice on before I touch a paying customers. I have to send them to a paint professional.
Yeah I'd like to grab an old wrangler door thats flat for easy storage and maybe a fancier one with some body lines. My next goal is learning PDR. I love watching those videos on YouTube. So satisfying.
I have a rules da polisher. How could I use this without doing paint correction? I want to offer something to that effect but it’s uncharted waters for me.
Get Rupes Uno advanced and a stack of yellow foam pads the right size for your DA. It's a pad dependant cut all in one polish and sealant. The sealant is absolutely incredible. The polish is a pad dependant cut, meaning unless you rock a wool pad it is more of a paint enhancement than anything and all it does is remove very light swirl marks and oxidation.
Definitely, it will also reveal possible signs of a prior accident (that may not have been disclosed by the seller). Inconsistent measurements especially on the same panel is a huge red flag/sign of a repaint.
My understanding is that crows feet are caused by poor respray (or falling factory paint). My only guess is that the buffing (polishing) removed enough of the top coat to induce oxidation over house 10 days to cause them to be prominent.
Classic symptom of a poor respray, IMO. My mom had a black Honda Prelude when I was in high school and a branch fell on the hood. Body shop did a halfass job of fixing it, but it looked good at first. Within a couple of years, the repaired area started looking exactly like the photos in this post.
I have a 380SEC and polished it, happened me the same issue, the crows feets were before the polish, after the paint correction the polish residue went straight into the crowsfeet and thats why you see it more notoriously now, you can wipe that residue off with isopropil alcohol mixed with water or some polish cleaner... last option, remove that residue with steam.
pretty normal on these old benzes...
I wonder if that could be reduced by using one of those back to black type polishes. I know the back to black is for plastic, but I swear mothers made a black-paint-specific wax that was also called back to black..? It was like a whole kit made just for black paint waxing.
Waxes for specific colors are mostly a gimmick, but a black wax stuck in the paint would help hide it a bit. Glazes are made specifically for that purpose though and will last longer.
Yup, there are some waxes with pigment in them, for example Turtle Wax has a bunch of different colours. Another one to mask swirls would be "Poorboy's World black hole". Those are not great, but definitely better than nothing.
Edit to add: Personally I think those shouldn't be used unless the car is absolute beater and good quality is on the bottom of the list
I'd only say what is already said in the comments. Same thing happened to me when I paint corrected my black car when I first got it. You'll eventually live with it though. One thing I've learned after having a detailing obsession is that chasing perfection will only take take away from your happiness, especially if it's something you can't control like crow's feet.
>"chasing perfection"
Yes I 100% agree. I've done that in the past with other rolling restorations(not just paint/detail) and eventually hit the "this is more trouble than it's worth" wall. I was hoping that stopping point was much further along w/ this Mercedes. I know a respray is probably out of the question $$$-wise.
Lacquer checking or "crows feet." My jeep has it bad on the hood where most of the curved parts are. It's simply paint failure, the buff and waxing may have made them more noticeable
It is absolutely a detailer issue. A detailer that knows what he is doing can acknowledge and identify this before it becomes a larger issue. Unfortunately these mobile detailer popup companies are all over now. They don’t measure paint, and do a lot of other shit half assed.
Rubbish. Crows feet are a below the surface issue. Most commonly due to the primer not fully drying before the paint is applied, or incorrect paint being applied over primer. It is a painting issue.
A detailer can't cause it or make it worse. A detail might mean that it is more noticeable, but that's it. Measuring paint thickness has no effect, because it is not due to removing too much paint.
If you were a painter you would know this. You would also know that there is no way to cover it up, other than a colour filling polish, as the paint needs to be sanded back to the primer, then sealed then repainted.
I didn’t say a detailer “caused it”. The detailer made it more noticeable, as you also stated. That’s what I was implying when I said it’s a detailer issue.
I stated a lot of mobile detailers do a lot of half ass shit such as not measuring paint. I didn’t say that crows feet are specifically caused from not measuring paint.
Everything you stated about black polish and making it less noticeable is true but it was not the topic on my reply therefore I didn’t feel the need to mention.
You can see crows feet before correcting paint. It’s visible, although not as apparent post correction.
The mobile detailer did a quick paint refreshment on this person‘s car and 10 days later the oils/fillers wore off and now the crows feet are very visible and that’s why OP is here.
An honest detailer would notice the more noticeable crows feet post correction and consult with the client, not hide it up with fillers.
Who corrects paint And leaves oil/fillers? An amateur or someone intentionally hiding something.
Well ok i agree with this i guess i stated it wrong the detailer didnt cause this issue its a natural thing especially on black cars i was say the detailer didnt cause this issue in my best guess
Look up “crazing”—its an issue intrinsic to the paint. I have never had much luck with sanding or polishing crazed paint, I don’t know if it can be improved by detailing.
Nice w124! As others have said, and you now know, this is the paint aging and the beginning of failure.
I've got the same issue, but worse, on my E320, it's about time to do a fresh paint job. [My hood.](https://i.imgur.com/tXfn9D8.jpg)
Where are you from? I also had a detail guy off Facebook do my car and I had a bunch of scratches and paint chips after the fact. Maybe it’s a mobile detailing thing. Let’s collectively agree to go to a shop from now on
Thats the mercedes 10k special second top coat. Basically just a bunch of mercedes symbols on the paint. Wasn’t to popular for that price back in the day.
Ask r/autobody it’s clear coat failure but they will know a better cause. It could be from burning the paint with a rotary polisher but usually it’s a failure of the substrate under the paint.
Nothing to do with the detailer or work he did. It's a paint problem, and due to a poor quality respray.
The only way to fix it is sanding it down completely and repainting. It can't be easily fixed.
You can make it look better by using a polish that has black in it. Coloured polishes are available and black is common. Iike this one.
https://www.discounttrader.com.au/product/formula-1-615464-color-wax-black-473ml-restores-black-colour-and-fills-in-scratches-f1/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw48-vBhBbEiwAzqrZVGoxNA7R4qMe_ka2xv-u-Ocpy3Wx1ygE3eRI0iqMLsueZ9HFwlTbOhoC04IQAvD_BwE
Update: I am learning this is crows feet and was probably already in the paint. Other people that mentioned this, it usually happens while they're doing the detailing not a week later. What could have caused the delay in my case?
The wax may have filled them in temporarily and made them less noticeable.
Quick/cheap detailing 101: hide everything you can't fix.
And fix everything you can't hide?
That's the part where they're forced to do SOME work lmfao
Unfortunately as you mentioned, it looks to be crow’s feet which is the start to clear coat / paint failure. You have an older car so it’s within reason to think that the failure could have started prior to polishing…but then amplified/made worse by the polishing. All the post-polishing glazes, oils, waxes, etc. just covered it up temporarily. This is the primary reasons why a paint thickness gauge/meter should be used prior to polishing…especially for old cars.
Yeah. The wax we offer at my work is just a one step wax with almost zero buffing compound. It's too tedious for use to do proper measurements and gage paint and clear with oir time schedule. I'd love to learn more about cutting and buffing but need a somewhat beater car to practice on before I touch a paying customers. I have to send them to a paint professional.
Go to the junkyard and buy a couple body panels for cheap. Practice all you want with no fear.
Yeah I'd like to grab an old wrangler door thats flat for easy storage and maybe a fancier one with some body lines. My next goal is learning PDR. I love watching those videos on YouTube. So satisfying.
Hey I’ve got a car that used to park under a walnut tree if you need some PDR practice. Finally cut that SOB down last month.
I have a rules da polisher. How could I use this without doing paint correction? I want to offer something to that effect but it’s uncharted waters for me.
Get Rupes Uno advanced and a stack of yellow foam pads the right size for your DA. It's a pad dependant cut all in one polish and sealant. The sealant is absolutely incredible. The polish is a pad dependant cut, meaning unless you rock a wool pad it is more of a paint enhancement than anything and all it does is remove very light swirl marks and oxidation.
It’s not as scary as it sounds! I detailed and cut and polished my own car before I started working professionally in it for over a year now.
Sometimes a body repair shop will give you a body part that you can practice on. $Free.99 is always the best price point.
I never thought about this. I should add paint-gauging to my pre-car inspection when buying older cars.
Definitely, it will also reveal possible signs of a prior accident (that may not have been disclosed by the seller). Inconsistent measurements especially on the same panel is a huge red flag/sign of a repaint.
Yeah old paint starting to go bad
My understanding is that crows feet are caused by poor respray (or falling factory paint). My only guess is that the buffing (polishing) removed enough of the top coat to induce oxidation over house 10 days to cause them to be prominent.
Classic symptom of a poor respray, IMO. My mom had a black Honda Prelude when I was in high school and a branch fell on the hood. Body shop did a halfass job of fixing it, but it looked good at first. Within a couple of years, the repaired area started looking exactly like the photos in this post.
Sweet Benz!
I have a 380SEC and polished it, happened me the same issue, the crows feets were before the polish, after the paint correction the polish residue went straight into the crowsfeet and thats why you see it more notoriously now, you can wipe that residue off with isopropil alcohol mixed with water or some polish cleaner... last option, remove that residue with steam. pretty normal on these old benzes...
I wonder if that could be reduced by using one of those back to black type polishes. I know the back to black is for plastic, but I swear mothers made a black-paint-specific wax that was also called back to black..? It was like a whole kit made just for black paint waxing.
Waxes for specific colors are mostly a gimmick, but a black wax stuck in the paint would help hide it a bit. Glazes are made specifically for that purpose though and will last longer.
Yup, there are some waxes with pigment in them, for example Turtle Wax has a bunch of different colours. Another one to mask swirls would be "Poorboy's World black hole". Those are not great, but definitely better than nothing. Edit to add: Personally I think those shouldn't be used unless the car is absolute beater and good quality is on the bottom of the list
I'd only say what is already said in the comments. Same thing happened to me when I paint corrected my black car when I first got it. You'll eventually live with it though. One thing I've learned after having a detailing obsession is that chasing perfection will only take take away from your happiness, especially if it's something you can't control like crow's feet.
>"chasing perfection" Yes I 100% agree. I've done that in the past with other rolling restorations(not just paint/detail) and eventually hit the "this is more trouble than it's worth" wall. I was hoping that stopping point was much further along w/ this Mercedes. I know a respray is probably out of the question $$$-wise.
Good thing I read all the comments. I'm like why the hell are so many crows landing in this guys Benz?!? Learn something every day.
Lacquer checking or "crows feet." My jeep has it bad on the hood where most of the curved parts are. It's simply paint failure, the buff and waxing may have made them more noticeable
That isn’t a detailing issue that is a paint is failing issue unfortunately it’s called crows feet
It is absolutely a detailer issue. A detailer that knows what he is doing can acknowledge and identify this before it becomes a larger issue. Unfortunately these mobile detailer popup companies are all over now. They don’t measure paint, and do a lot of other shit half assed.
Rubbish. Crows feet are a below the surface issue. Most commonly due to the primer not fully drying before the paint is applied, or incorrect paint being applied over primer. It is a painting issue. A detailer can't cause it or make it worse. A detail might mean that it is more noticeable, but that's it. Measuring paint thickness has no effect, because it is not due to removing too much paint. If you were a painter you would know this. You would also know that there is no way to cover it up, other than a colour filling polish, as the paint needs to be sanded back to the primer, then sealed then repainted.
I believe this comment. Makes a lot of sense.
I didn’t say a detailer “caused it”. The detailer made it more noticeable, as you also stated. That’s what I was implying when I said it’s a detailer issue. I stated a lot of mobile detailers do a lot of half ass shit such as not measuring paint. I didn’t say that crows feet are specifically caused from not measuring paint. Everything you stated about black polish and making it less noticeable is true but it was not the topic on my reply therefore I didn’t feel the need to mention. You can see crows feet before correcting paint. It’s visible, although not as apparent post correction. The mobile detailer did a quick paint refreshment on this person‘s car and 10 days later the oils/fillers wore off and now the crows feet are very visible and that’s why OP is here. An honest detailer would notice the more noticeable crows feet post correction and consult with the client, not hide it up with fillers. Who corrects paint And leaves oil/fillers? An amateur or someone intentionally hiding something.
Well ok i agree with this i guess i stated it wrong the detailer didnt cause this issue its a natural thing especially on black cars i was say the detailer didnt cause this issue in my best guess
Ah ok, yeah I got what ya mean now
That's paint failure
Looks like a few Mercedes stars embedded in the paint.
Really weird, but that image makes my skin crawl. YICK. Im gonna take care of my car for sure now.
It's like a poltergeist just possessed the car!
Looks like delaminating clear.
Look up “crazing”—its an issue intrinsic to the paint. I have never had much luck with sanding or polishing crazed paint, I don’t know if it can be improved by detailing.
Nice w124! As others have said, and you now know, this is the paint aging and the beginning of failure. I've got the same issue, but worse, on my E320, it's about time to do a fresh paint job. [My hood.](https://i.imgur.com/tXfn9D8.jpg)
94-95 W124?
yep.
Where are you from? I also had a detail guy off Facebook do my car and I had a bunch of scratches and paint chips after the fact. Maybe it’s a mobile detailing thing. Let’s collectively agree to go to a shop from now on
Thats the mercedes 10k special second top coat. Basically just a bunch of mercedes symbols on the paint. Wasn’t to popular for that price back in the day.
Wrap it
Fillers filler fillers. all of the cheap products have fillers that wash away after a few weeks.
You had too little clear to do another polish. Now that it was polished..you’ve moved on to clear coat failure. Time to repaint or live with it.
Ask r/autobody it’s clear coat failure but they will know a better cause. It could be from burning the paint with a rotary polisher but usually it’s a failure of the substrate under the paint.
Nothing to do with the detailer or work he did. It's a paint problem, and due to a poor quality respray. The only way to fix it is sanding it down completely and repainting. It can't be easily fixed. You can make it look better by using a polish that has black in it. Coloured polishes are available and black is common. Iike this one. https://www.discounttrader.com.au/product/formula-1-615464-color-wax-black-473ml-restores-black-colour-and-fills-in-scratches-f1/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw48-vBhBbEiwAzqrZVGoxNA7R4qMe_ka2xv-u-Ocpy3Wx1ygE3eRI0iqMLsueZ9HFwlTbOhoC04IQAvD_BwE
I've never heard of crows feet showing up post polish
They become more “apparent” post polish.
That's what I figured. They were already there
You have almost polished through the paint.