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Can a cracked clearcoat be abrasively removed with minimal damage to the base coat?

August 25, 2008

I am a hobbyist trying to learn of potential methods to remove the substantially cracked clear coat on my car's hood. There are many small cracks which may be felt with one's fingernail and appear in places in a star pattern. I initially tried two rubbing compounds of different strengths without any change in appearance.

I don't have any paint chemistry details (1995 Mazda 626), so identifying a potential chemical process doesn't look promising. I would appreciate comments related to mechanical abrasion with progressively finer grit papers. 1500 grit is the finest available locally and I've read at least one post listing grits of 1500 and 2000 as the final steps.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Adam Dixon
hobbyist - Suwanee, GA, USA

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I don't think it will be possible to remove the clearcoat without damaging the color coat.

The underlying color coat is thin, not very hard, and not resistant to sunlight.

The only solution is to sand off the defective paint and repaint.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
August 29, 2008