Knowing now that the Insight's paint is prone to chipping, would either of you recommend anything different earlier on in ownership - e.g. coatings, coverage, etc.? Seeking recos on behalf of those of us who (for now) have fewer miles/chips on our cars...
@4star mentioned
adding 3M film in this intro thread and
@ebsandiego mentions
paint protection and ding shield coverage in this 'first scratch' thread.
Honda paint is generally described as "soft" in the paint/body industry, and it seems to be getting thinner/worse and more apparent on newer models like the Insight. I'm wondering if the supplemental coatings or coverages are less optional than in the past, to offset the lower standard of paint quality -?
The issue lies in the clear coating, it's environmentally the worst part of all paint, and voc laws/regulations have made clear coats harder (more prone to chipping) and often thinner layers (less spray = less pollution). I was lucky enough to get my degree in auto body during the transition to waterborne paint. Using both products, I can honestly say the color didn't change much in thickness, but using a high voc clear vs a "environmentally conscious" voc clear yields completely different results.
It's actually quite amazing to paint a car with water, and put a high voc clear on, the shine and depth are quite impressive.
Luckily for us, the big paint companies have figured out a better process, than for example during the early 90's when the epa regulations and governmental pressures forced them to re-evaluate the layers and coating processes applied to cars. Unfortunately when changes like this are made, it's the consumer who is duped. We are essentially long-term testing their new process. (I'm sure we all remember the paint-less roofs of many cars in late 90's- early 2000's.
This wasn't a single manufacturer trying to cut costs (and emissions), but instead PPG insisting that a layer of sealant after primer wasn't necessary. Unfortunately this layer was in fact quite necessary for uv protection and better mechanical bonding.
Sorry for the long rant, in summary:
Clear coatings that contain more solids and less "volatile organic compounds" are more environmentally friendly. Unfortunately these harder clears are more prone to chipping than the older VOC formulations. It's a trade off, we want to save our planet, but we haven't figured out a way to do that without sacrificing paint issues.
