That’s interesting about the clearcoat—totally agree it makes a bigger difference than people realize. I had a red Mazda years ago, and after a few summers parked outside, the roof looked like chalk. Meanwhile, my buddy’s blue Camry from the same era held up way better. I’m convinced it’s mostly about how much effort the manufacturer puts into the paint process, not just the color itself. Red just seems to show neglect faster, but even silver gets those weird cloudy patches if you don’t keep up with it.
Funny thing, I’ve actually seen the opposite with red paint sometimes. My neighbor’s old Ford truck—bright red, always parked outside—still looks decent, while my silver Accord started getting those weird hazy spots after just a few years. I wonder if it’s more about how the clearcoat reacts to UV on different colors, or maybe even the angle of the panels. Roofs and hoods seem to take the worst beating no matter what color you pick. I do agree though, some brands just cheap out on the paint process, and it shows...
I’ve noticed the same thing with my old Camry—red paint held up better than the blue Civic I had before, even though both sat outside year-round. I do think panel angle matters a lot, especially on the hood. Seems like some colors just hide the fading better, too. Maybe it’s not just the paint but how thick the clearcoat is on certain models?
Red paint always seems to have a mind of its own. I’ve seen hoods go chalky way before the doors on some cars, and I’m convinced panel angle is a big part of it—horizontal surfaces just get roasted. The clearcoat thickness definitely varies by model and year, too. Some manufacturers seem to go heavy on it, others... not so much. And yeah, certain reds just hide fading better—maybe that’s why every brand has their own weird shade.
I’ve seen hoods go chalky way before the doors on some cars, and I’m convinced panel angle is a big part of it—horizontal surfaces just get roasted.
Totally agree about the sun roasting the flat spots. I had a red Tacoma once—roof faded so bad it looked pink, but the sides were still decent. Ever notice how some reds turn orange-ish and others just go dull? Is that down to pigment or just the clearcoat recipe?
