Chevy / GMC paint peeling years?

[Weight]

The price you pay for a well running van will be at a bargain if it's only the 'paint is peeling'. Get a roller and outdoor paint.

 

[John61CT]

> the bare fact is, i'm not interested in spending money to paint sections of a vehicle in which the paint is prematurely and mysteriously coming off the vehicle....... 

So why post on the topic?

Buy another brand and pay 20-50% more per mile for total cost of ownership.

To me it's a very minor issue.

 

[doublegregg]

Hey I think you might be seeing the grey primer coat, not bare metal. And it seems to mostly be a problem on the hoods, which makes me think its a combination of solar UV and heat from the engine. 

I've seen a few vans with hood 'bras' or 'wraps' that hide it or maybe even help prevent the paint from peeling.

 

[highdesertranger]

if you are in the dusty west here's a little story,

a friend had a bright and shiny 4x4 and wanted to keep it that way so he install a bra. so we were out in the desert for a trip very windy and dusty that trip. when we got back he wanted to wash his bright and shiny truck so he removed the bra, he about died right there. the dust/dirt got under the bra and rubbed the paint right of in a few spots and scratched all the paint.

highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

So if I cover all the bad places with a bra, drive down a dusty road with the wind blowing sand it will prep itself for bed liner (always tan) and all I have to do is wash, dry and paint? I'm in, I think I could tape some micro fiber towels to the peeling area, throw in a hand full of sand and go play in the desert rather than work all day sanding, too good to be true! LOL!!!

 

[John61CT]

I wonder if putting some high-heat insulation to the underside of the bonnet lid would help?

 

[Weight]

No. the roof paint of my 1990 chevy failed first, then the paint on the hood.

 

[John61CT]

So what is the answer if I find one that's still fine?

Give it a UV resistant coating?

 

[bullfrog]

Don't buy it cause it is gonna happen if it stays out in the sun, buy one that is already peeling at a price low enough you can get it painted with paint that will stay on there like bed liner.

 

[highdesertranger]

the underlining paint must be completely removed. doesn't matter what you paint over it with. if the old paint is still there that is what your bonding to. I think I stated this previously, it's not just Chevy's that have this problem it goes across all lines. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

Join a "Rat Rod" club and spend all your money on the mechanicals. People will think you made it look that way to be cool. If that fails there are always stickers, I especially like the bullet hole ones as when people see them they quit worrying about the paint and start to worry about you!

 

[John61CT]

I prefer to pass through as unnoticed as possible.

 

[doublegregg]

Yeah - I've seen paint peeling off various parts of (white) vans. Paint peels off the doors, hoods, tops.....sometimes small areas, sometimes larger..... hey, it's white paint, and it's not put on properly, or there's some primer problem. but it happens quite a lot, and I would like to get an Express van, or similar --- i just don't want to be 'the guy' stuck with paint that one day decides to jump off the vehicle.....

and painting the thing again - for some people, that seems to be not a big issue, for me, it just would be a PITA. I'd like to get a relatively recent van - i doubt this problem has been corrected? I mean, if it were a 20 year old van, or maybe 10 year old, i could see the paint being a problem.

that being said, my honda is 20 years old. the paint is fine. it's purple. it might have a clear coat on it; i really don't know. i don't see how a clear coat would help these white vans with paint peeling off. the paint is either not bonding to the metal or to its primer. unless it's a paint and primer combined...

 

[KroFlite]

It's not a clear coat problem, it's a factory quality control issue.  The amount of Express vans I see with this problem is amazing.  Has GM decided to fix the issue after all these years?  I guess one has to find that out for themselves over time.  I'm not anti GM-I've had some good ones-but quality control has never really been their thing.

 

[doublegregg]

It's not a clear coat problem, it's a factory quality control issue.  The amount of Express vans I see with this problem is amazing.  Has GM decided to fix the issue after all these years?  I guess one has to find that out for themselves over time.  I'm not anti GM-I've had some good ones-but quality control has never really been their thing.

i don't consider it a QC issue. i consider it an issue where some person buys one of those vans, and within a very few years the paint starts coming off in sheets. leaving the factory, the paint is fine. so it's not QC. it's simply they are taking some short cuts in painting. or getting poor quality paint.  I don't see this problem on the imports.  and, again, i would like to buy an American van, I suppose because of the price, and the numerous cargo vans seem great for travelling around.

But that paint problem - it just really gets to me that i might be "the guy" who buys a relatively new van, only to have sheets of paint peeling off from various parts of the vehicle. Oh joy - I get to get the newish vehicle repainted............. every now and then.

 

[KroFlite]

Quality control is not just about how it looks when it exits the factory.

The Express has a lot a things going for it, but the quality of the paint job is obviously not one of them.  Sounds like you should be looking at other vans if it's a major potential issue for you.

 

[John61CT]

R&D and paying (a little) more for quality components & supplies

are part of QC/QA generally.

 

[doublegregg]

>>>It's not a clear coat problem, it's a factory quality control issue.  The amount of Express vans I see with this problem is amazing.  Has GM decided to fix the issue after all these years?  I guess one has to find that out for themselves over time.  I'm not anti GM-I've had some good ones-but quality control has never really been their thing.

>>>Quality control is not just about how it looks when it exits the factory.

sorry - i added chevrons to show what my predecessor wrote........ i have no idea how the quote system works....... what follows are my comments.

The Express has a lot a things going for it, but the quality of the paint job is obviously not one of them.  Sounds like you should be looking at other vans if it's a major potential issue for you.

I'm still definitely thinking of the express or safari, etc... probably pretty recent model, as i don't want a total fixer upper. i'm also thinking of an even more recent transit or promaster? that is, the next larger size up from the standard cargo vans...

alas, ALL SEEM TO COME IN BASICALLY WHITE. 

it is a relatively major issue for me. i really don't want to have to deal with it. but i'd rather deal with paint falling off than some engine part dropping out... etc..  but - i have to admit having a white vehicle that's only 5 years old or so, and having the paint merrily falling off - there is a chance that will happen, and there ain't a thing one can do about it. it's just bad luck.

and crappy paint jobs.

 

[tx2sturgis]

any other ideas?

Masking tape and rattlecan paint? 

Hey...my 2009 Ford E-250 had no problems with paint for the entire time I owned it. 9 years old when I sold it.

In fact, it was 100% reliable in every way. Got good fuel mileage too. I kinda miss it.

 

[doublegregg]

Masking tape and rattlecan paint? 

Hey...my 2009 Ford E-250 had no problems with paint for the entire time I owned it. 9 years old when I sold it.

In fact, it was 100% reliable in every way. Got good fuel mileage too. I kinda miss it.

glad your ford had no paint issues. i haven't noticed fords with this problem. seems to be gmc, chevy....  i would prefer to get a gmc chevy. it just galls me to pay a lot of $$ for a recent van, and have paint problems. if it's an old van, fine. a recent model, say less than 5 or even 10 years old, i resent having to pay my money for something the manufacturer should've remedied a long time ago.

how hard is it to keep paint on a vehicle? most vehicles have no problems.