Minty Fresh

Seven months ago I bought a 2006 E55. "Clean CarFax!"

It has always looked fine to me. Still, it's time to wake up that 10-year-old paint job.

This week I took it to a pro-detailer. He immediately looked at the car and said, "this is not the original front bumper, the headlight has been wet-sanded incorrectly, dent repair here, clear coat on this quarter-panel is way too low (.57) ..." etc.

I was impressed. In the future, if buying a used car, it will pay to take a paint pro with his little coat depth tool.

The detail and paint-correction job is next week, this was the first meeting.

BBBSS

That does seem like a lot o stuff. At the age of these cars though, I bet quite a few have had some sort of body work done at some point.

I know I'm in the club after some drunk idiot in an Explorer decided to rub down the side of my car after stopping at a red light one night.

fila0220

I'd suggest getting a paint meter next time. It measures the paints thickness on the metal. (it won't measure plastic) The plastic parts are usually bumpers which get repainted a lot to do them literally doing their job, bumping against cars. But it does measure the metal, such as hood, quarter panels, trunk ect. The key is to get a uniform thickness. Usually when you go around the car its 4.5- 6 then you get to a painted part reading 7-12, which indicates previous paint work.
Next time ask them if there was any previous paint work done to the car, after seeing the carfax.

At least the title is not branded with accident, if it really was touched up before.

Hulk

If the bumper has been on and off a few times for HE work etc it's easy to say its not the original number when it really is. Paint meter is good to have though but as said bumpers get redone a lot and sometimes paint gets blended depending on the color