Paint Bubbling ??

[ianrayfield72842]

HI all,

I'm a new member so not sure if this is the normal thing to ask for help and advice,

I own a 2007 XK had it for a number of years, Its a weekend drive car, so doesn't do much mileage from one year to the next. The car gets lots of attention and plenty of spit and polish !!!! the paint work is very good, however after this weekend when i had some time to check the car over and do some minor clean up over this winter, I have notice very small bubbles on the off side of the bonnet half way down. after notice this on my proud and joy I check in the normal places around the car and didn't find anything.

What is the best course of action and how do I stop this happening else where?? I know the car is made out of Aluminium and I know that Aluminium still can deteriorate, has this happened to anybody else ? what do I need to do ??

Thanks in advance

Kind regards

Ian

[Andy P]

Hi Ian and welcome to the Forums.
Aluminium does corrode but is often referred to as anodised and is no less a problem than steel bodied cars.
The reputation of aluminium is that it doesn't rust which is true to a degree but it still needs protection from the elements.
Exposed aluminium goes white instead of brown and takes longer to rot through than steel so I'm led to believe.
Here is an interesting thread from jaguarforum.com :

https://www.jaguarforum.com/threads/alu ... on.105299/

Which might ease your mind and give you a coarse of action to take.
Good luck.
Take care and stay safe.
Andy

[ianrayfield72842]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your replay, I'm going to keep an eye on it, this winter has not been kind to the paint work this year. In the spring I'll get the car in for a professional fix.

thanks again

keep safe

kind regards

Ian

[JimMann]

Hi Ian, as Andy has said, unprotected aluminium can still corrode although at a much slower rate than unprotected steel. You state that the paint is 'bubbling' so does that mean that the paint is unbroken, i.e. no stone chips around the particular area? If that is the case, then that might be considered unusual as the unprotected aluminium does need exposure to the elements in order to start the corrosion process. If paint is still in place, then it should not be corroding.
Aluminium corrosion is like a white powder that increases in volume, hence why paint might 'bubble' adjacent to a stone chip, especially if the primer coat has also been broken.
When you get the opportunity in the New Year to have it looked at properly by a body shop, make sure that they are experienced in aluminium body repairs as the processes to stop the corrosion and repaint the area is markedly different to steel bodied cars. Don't be afraid to ask the question of your body shop.
Other areas that might be prone to oxidation / corrosion on the early X-150 models are, stone chips on the leading and trailing edges of the doors and the boot plinth - the chrome trim above the number plate is a water trap and it can be ever so slightly loose, which can 'break' the paint below the line of sight. First people know about it is when the white products of oxidation creep up from the chrome trim.
In general though, these cars are very good at corrosion resistance, but there are quite a number of articles in the magazine about corrosion underneath the car, especially where the steel subframe joins the aluminium body, so don't stop your inspection with the upper body / paintwork. Look underneath as well.

Jim

[ianrayfield72842]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your reply, I've now got concern's as the issue with my car is not how you explained, as soon as I read your reply, I had another good look at the area in question, the paint is not broken or damaged in anyway, what I have is a small patch of very small round hard bumps, could it be a result of work carry out in the passed ?? My XK is 12 years old and I've had it for a few years. however I regular polish -wax the car and never seen this patch before until a week ago. You can barely see the effected area, but you easily feel the area.

What you explain makes perfect since as if the paintwork was damage then I know this would be a problem. I've never come across this before.

Anyway this is all part of the fun....

Happy New Year

Kind Regards

Ian

[JimMann]

Hi Ian, are you positive that the 'hard bumps' are under the paint and not some contaminant sitting on top of your paint? I think I saw a photo of your car in another area of the Bulletin Board and note that it is one of the light blue paint finishes. If the contaminant were of a clear nature, it would be difficult to spot, but you should feel it during washing and / or waxing.
If you can have a closer look at it, perhaps with the aid of some form of magnifying glass / lens, you may get a better appreciation of whether it is your paint or some foreign matter.
If the paint is unbroken, then it is unlikely to be corrosion.

Jim

[Astromorg]

I had a Morgan Plus 8 with alloy bodywork that I had had re-painted in two pack paint. Some 4 or 5 years later one of the doors displayed small bubbling in the paint work just as you describe; no sign of any damage breaking the paint layer. I eventually investigated with a scalpel and found each bubble to be full of a white powder. Obviously some chemical reaction was taking place but I never found a source of the problem

As the paint colour was a simple, easy-to-patch-repair Ford Radiant Red, I cleaned each bubble out, finishing with a glass fibre pen brush to get back to bright metal. Then after priming, filled each blemish with knifing putty, smoothed the area out, primed the area again and resprayed with a Halfords rattle can. Final result was indistinguishable and was still perfect when I sold the car some years later.

I recount this not to encourage you to have a go yourself, but just to add to the re-assurances above that alloy bodywork bubbling does happen, sometimes for no apparent reason, but repair can be relatively simple and successful. Modern paintwork with lacquer topcoat will need a slightly more advanced application, but is easily manageable by a good body shop

[ianrayfield72842]

HI all,

Big thanks for your reply's

I will have another look at this weekend, as I'm a key worker it's dark by the time I get home and I think its best to look in the day light.

I've NOT got the skills to fix any paint and body work so I will get the car into a workshop in Salisbury in the spring.

great advice gentleman.

kind Regards

Ian