# Do car paintjobs physically change overtime if looked after? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 9, 2017, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188 "2017-05-09T09:51:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loyuod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e36b37/32.png) [@Loyuod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loyuod)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/1 "2017-05-09T09:51:44Z")
With modern car paints, if you polish the paint up to a mirror finish will it stay that way 10-20years later if well looked after & stored in garage? I suspect the paint actually changes over time, not as a result from abuse, scratching etc, but that it slightly warps or shrivels up over the years. The result would be a slight reduction in the gloss & sharpness in reflections even if its very small. But I have no long term experience with car paint detailing. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/2 "2017-05-09T10:08:29Z")
My Mitsubishi is 15 years old, parked outside 24/7 and never once waxed. Paint still looks like new. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/3 "2017-05-09T11:12:44Z")
How cars are painted has changed over the years, so you can’t compare old cars with new ones for your purposes. Everything changes over time, so yes, the paint will change. No, it wont turn into alligator skin if it was done correctly at the factory or elsewhere, at least not unless you subject the car to extreme conditions. What’s your concern? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/4 "2017-05-09T13:48:13Z")
Car paint doesn’t warp or shrink but it does oxidize, a chemical reaction with the air that can cause dulling. Most car waxes are mild abrasives and will remove a bit of the finish, which will remove any oxidation in most cases. For severe oxidation you need a stronger abrasive. Car paint technology, like every other technology, has improved continuously over the years and today’s paints are pretty resistant to ordinary exposure to the elements. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/5 "2017-05-09T17:43:41Z")
You aren’t really polishing the paint, waxing the paint or doing anything else to the actual paint on a new car. You are polishing a fairly thick layer of the clear coat that is covering the colored paint. All the color, metal flake, etc. is under the clear coat. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/6 "2017-05-09T18:24:55Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > You aren’t really polishing the paint, waxing the paint or doing anything else to the actual paint on a new car. You are polishing a fairly thick layer of the clear coat that is covering the colored paint. > > All the color, metal flake, etc. is under the clear coat. Unless the car is single stage enamel ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/7 "2017-05-09T19:23:03Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > Unless the car is single stage enamel And which modern cars come with that? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/8 "2017-05-09T19:26:08Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > Unless the car is single stage enamel I don’t think anyone does that anymore. most if not all cars are painted using a base coat/clear coat process, where the base coat is not glossy, and the clear coat adds gloss and UV protection. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/9 "2017-05-09T20:56:01Z")
Are they still using paint in factory? Or is powdercoat becoming the standard? I am pretty certain the most metal bicycles (at least, over $250) are powdercoated. ---
**Author:** ![Loyuod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e36b37/32.png) [@Loyuod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loyuod)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/10 "2017-05-10T08:01:13Z")
> [@igor\_frankensteen](#): > > How cars are painted has changed over the years, so you can’t compare old cars with new ones for your purposes. > > Everything changes over time, so yes, the paint will change. No, it wont turn into alligator skin if it was done correctly at the factory or elsewhere, at least not unless you subject the car to extreme conditions. > > What’s your concern? More just curious to know if will really stay flat always giving a mirror sharp look, else the whole polishing process to me would be a waste especially if the car was a classic or something. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/11 "2017-05-10T09:22:57Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Are they still using paint in factory? Or is powdercoat becoming the standard? I am pretty certain the most metal bicycles (at least, over $250) are powdercoated. paint. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-car-paintjobs-physically-change-overtime-if-looked-after/786188/12 "2017-05-10T10:49:25Z")
What you will see, is that the finish from the factory is far superior to the finish that most body shops can achieve. My last car but one had had a new wing (fender) at some time before I bought it. Most of the time it looked fine, but when it was wet, it was a different colour. I should also add that some colours last better than others. Red for example is probably the worst.