After oogling over other people's Subarus for years, I have noticed that GLs tend to look a lot better than the Loyales or my DL.  They're shiny and have minimal rust.   My question is, did Subaru use better quality paint on the GLs?  Or are they built a little bit better... or is my poor DL, which is held together by spraypaint and foam, just hammered? 

Depends upon the color, the location the enviorment. SUn is a beast. My Justy, any surface that was not exposed directly to the sun has its original color and shine, whil the roof hood and rear hatch just is completely sunbaked. 

Older GL's used a very heavy duty enamel paint.  Single stage, no clearccoat, thick and chip resistant.

 

 

Some colors of late 80's GLs and all Loyales they changed to a base coat/clear coat 2 stage type.  These tend to peel the clearcoat.

 

Many older cars that have had body work also got a 2 stage, so sometimes parts of an old GL will peel, while other sections are still enamel.

That explains a lot.  Thanks for that, Gloyale.  Almost all of the GLs that I've seen are white.  I think I won an argument with this info.

That explains a lot.  Thanks for that, Gloyale.  Almost all of the GLs that I've seen are white.  I think I won an argument with this info.

 

Cool.

 

Alough thinking about it....not sure if the enamel is "better" paint but lasts longer.

 

It's pretty dull and ugly though.....especially the white ones.....blah.....yuck.

Here is a 1988 GL car I recently picked up.   The older cars definitely used better paint, my 1977 DL still buffs out and shines.

Yeah that maroon is one of the worst.

 

IIRC 87 was the first year were some models got 2 stage paint.  Maroon being one of the colors.

Would this explain why the silver paint on my 87 GL is a different shade of silver than is on our 93 Loyale? The 87 has more of a ..guess you can say darker tone to it than the Loyale. The Loyale looks like brushed aluminum practically. Both cars' paint is holding up nicely though, maybe the Loyale a little less (clearcoat is fading)

Yeah that maroon is one of the worst.

 

IIRC 87 was the first year were some models got 2 stage paint.  Maroon being one of the colors.

 

Ahhhh....

Interesting.

 

That would explain why my Maroon '87 GL's roof is fading.