Just got back from a trip to Baltimore. The Baja took us there & back towing about 1200 lbs of pop-up camper trailer all the way bothways in cruise in 5th gear. That is not the whole story.

 

On the way home, on I-40, between Mile Marker 410 and 412 near Knoxville, we caught the FLYING WRENCH in the windshield. It looked like a 6-inch extension for a half-inch drive, spinning end over end and heading perfectly for my face! Every thing was in slow motion and VERY much in great detail. I had time to think & plan. There was no room to move either left or right. There was no opportunity for heavy breaking. So I did nothing and waited for impact.

 

The windshield was destroyed while keeping the wrench ourside completely. The spinning extension put a couple of kinks in the radio antenna, a small dent in the roof and broke the plastic at the front of the roof rack. Out side of some really fine glass in my lap, all of the above was it.

 

I told you all that to tell you this: The body shop guy did a WONDERFUL job of repair! Cannot tell a thing had ever happened. He said the paint on Subarus is a Zinc Oxide base the same as on BMW and Mercedes! In his words,"The Best stuff I have ever seen and I wished they used it here!"

interesting comments on the paint....

because on the BMW forem i read for my other car we all hate the paint.

the BMW stuff chips very easily becuase it is water based.

I have two 99s, a Forester and an M Roadster.

The Forester paint seems fairly normal, but the M scatches if you look at it.

I think this is because it is water based and supposed to be environmentally friendly to apply.

Both cars are about the same color, but so far the Subaru paint seems better.

Many Euro manufacturers use water based paints for environmental reasons, which is good..... but the quality isn't as high as "normal" paint yet.

We both HATE the paint on the '03 Forester. One trip to Wyoming in the winter and there was very little left of that "new car" look. The paint chipped so easily I have considered screaming at the dealer about it. Seems like water is all it takes to screw up this finish. Needless to say, we love the new Forester, but are very disapointed about paint, carpet and interior plastic. Had a few random problems with electronics, but that's what new cars do best.

Could be the body guy does not really know what he is talking about.....:-\

VW started using water based paints a long time ago. On the Golf/Jetta MkIII. Seems to last well.

 

Anyway, the solvent used - be it water or something more sinister- is only really relevant for the application and surface texture. It's the other components that don't evaporate that influence the long-term quality.

I always though that subaru paint was thin. I had an 01 Impreza with any many paint chips as cottege cheese marks on RoseAnn Bar's rump roast. I just got an 04 Impreza, it seems to be promising and looks really thick.