Dear Forum,
My 1996 beige SL1 clear coat is peeling -- especially on the roof posts. While this is not unexpected for an 18 year old sedan with 180k miles accustomed to the elements, it saddens me. Shall I sand? If so, can you recommend a paper type and method? Has anyone utilized a "paint pen" kit (near $35 at amazon)?
Thank you,
OSU Beaver Fan
(Looked bad against SC last night)

 

If it's begun to peel there, the rest of the car may not be too far behind. I say MAY because things like spoilers were made of different plastic and likely painted via a different process. The clear coat on my 95 and 97 spoilers have been gone for years - probably accelerated by windpath. Don't know about the pillars. Are they even plastic?

I am pretty close to the farthest thing from an expert on bodywork, but here it goes:

1) sanding it will of course remove more clearcoat around the area, I guess this is fine as long as all you are doing is removing loose material.

2) I think using a paint pen filled w clear coat on a roof pillar (vertical surface) will be difficult since it will likely "run" down the pillar unless the stuff is thick and cures really quickly---neither of which sound like properties I'd want in a clear coat material.

I've never used a clearcoat pen. I have used a paint pen on the horizontal portion of a Kia quarterpanel and the paint kept running down out of the grooves I was trying to fill. 'Course the grooves were prob too big for the pen but my point is it ran.
Might work for small spots though

Sorry, that's all I have.

Someone else w body/paint experience pls chime in