Bad paint bubbles

[DevEngNerd]

Hey guys, I got a real bad surprise when I pulled the cover off my 69 Super Bee today. These paint bubbles seemed to appear out of nowhere. The paint has been on for about 10 years, the car is kept outside with a car cover. Because it is outside, the cover does get moisture trapped under it, but the bubbles are only on this one fender and cover about 3/4 of it. I know some chemicals can damage paint, I haven't been doing any work on the car but that's still a possibility. Moisture, chemical spray, rust? What the heck is happening?

 

[pnora]

Poke one with a pin and see if water comes out.

 

[DevEngNerd]

Yes, if I peirce a bubble with a needle then a tiny bit of moisture can be pushed out. So maybe my car cover is trapping too much moisture under it?

 

[R413]

Moisture and heat. A bad combination.

 

[zyzzyx]

What I don't understand is that paint is not porous! Moisture shouldn't be able to be trapped
like that. The paint looks very nice too! If moisture is trapped, you'll have to strip it to bare
metal and re-shoot it. Sorry Man! Let us know what you find. Good Luck.

 

[bearman]

What a shame this happened Strang only one part but that's better than all of it. Good luck on repair.

 

[AR67GTX]

I wonder if there was a bit of very fine solvent pop in that area - probably barely visible and not uncommon with urethanes. And that might create a microscopic path for moisture to be driven under the surface from heat. It’s a shame whatever the reason.

 

[66 Sat]

Damm shame. I hate car covers for that reason (moisture/rubbing).
Can you build a carport or buy a kit or something instead if you're forced to keep the car outside?

 

[pnora]

Yes, if I peirce a bubble with a needle then a tiny bit of moisture can be pushed out. So maybe my car cover is trapping too much moisture under it?

Did you do the body work and paint it?

 

[dadsbee]

Very unfortunate, the moisture makes it's way in from behind or in filler and also after time the paint just gets porous without being kept waxed. Condensation doesn't help and why I never cover my cars. Even without a cover my Superbird had started doing that on the drivers quarter just very lightly, some 33 years after paint, and when we stripped it last Winter there was zero filler on it in that location.

 

[DevEngNerd]

Did you do the body work and paint it?

No I didn't do the body or paint work. Wierd thing is the paint has been on for over 10.

 

[pnora]

No I didn't do the body or paint work. Wierd thing is the paint has been on for over 10.

I suspect some poor prep work, but who knows. Once you start to sand it down it my display the root cause.

 

[j-c-c-62]

Hey guys, I got a real bad surprise when I pulled the cover off my 69 Super Bee today. These paint bubbles seemed to appear out of nowhere. The paint has been on for about 10 years, the car is kept outside with a car cover. Because it is outside, the cover does get moisture trapped under it, but the bubbles are only on this one fender and cover about 3/4 of it. I know some chemicals can damage paint, I haven't been doing any work on the car but that's still a possibility. Moisture, chemical spray, rust? What the heck is happening?
View attachment 1582719View attachment 1582720

I in the past 4 months have experienced the exact same issue on two cars, one is 30 years old, the other 15 years, one had a polyester undercoat, the other epoxy. Problem only arose this year, both had a car cover, in shade, in SW Fla during rainy season. Both paints were painted with old school real Dupont Imron Urethane. One car is two tone and both paints have same issue. Another observation, the blisters only occurred on horizontal services. Everything so far IMO indicates trapped water penetrated the paint. I have yet been brave enough to break a blister and see what gives.
This might be the same poor outcome with car covers as with header wraps. I am now thinking the longer I wait to correct, the worse rust I might find to repair.
I feel for the OP.

edit
I just saw your reply that you found water after puncturing a blister, then I have real mess on my hands.
You guys might want to rethink long term outdoor car covers, I will.

 

[DevEngNerd]

I in the past 4 months have experienced the exact same issue on two cars, one is 30 years old, the other 15 years, one had a polyester undercoat, the other epoxy. Problem only arose this year, both had a car cover, in shade, in SW Fla during rainy season. Both paints were painted with old school real Dupont Imron Urethane. One car is two tone and both paints have same issue. Another observation, the blisters only occurred on horizontal services. Everything so far IMO indicates trapped water penetrated the paint. I have yet been brave enough to break a blister and see what gives.
This might be the same poor outcome with car covers as with header wraps. I am now thinking the longer I wait to correct, the worse rust I might find to repair.
I feel for the OP.

edit
I just saw your reply that you found water after puncturing a blister, then I have real mess on my hands.
You guys might want to rethink long term outdoor car covers, I will.

Yeah this was a shock to me, I've had the car for 25 years and kept it in all kinds of conditions, indoor and out. But the last three years was the first time I've had it outdoors AND under a cover for extended periods. So I'm definitely thinking it was trapped moisture.

 

[EmitRDetsaw]

Just as an experiment, leave it in the sun and see what happens. Then later, just before you prep it for repaint, run a credit card over the surface and see if you can get the bubbles to merge, like smoothing out window tint or popping bubble wrap. Might as well have fun with it before you fix it.

 

[1966Canuck]

after coming out of the auto business and being in the boat business for 20 + years you learn that there are bad batches or primer and prep chemicals that affect companies globally. Remember all the paint peeling GM,ford,Chryslers.......bad primer ! They have also been reducing harmful chemicals in body fill and gel coat products which is good for humans and the environment but bad for the longevity of the finished product!

Just like a boat with osmosis blisters you will have to take it to the bone and start over

 

[JackR]

Prep work. On one of my cars in the desert with 0 moisture climate, one area just started bubbles not unlike that on a 12 year old paint job.

 

[Don Frelier]

Pubescent paint perhaps?