I've got a yellow 05 SRT. I feel it has an incredible paint job, even better than my wife's Mercedes CLK. Although I'm no paint expert, it appears to me that the Vipers hav a better finish than the Vettes, regardless of color. Opinions?
Paint job- Viper vs Vette
- Thread starter phoenix1
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lankhoss
Enthusiast
Yep. I've got a blue Vette, and the orange peel is pretty bad. I saw a guy who had the Copperhead edition SRT, and we took a really close look at the paint. It was far better than the Vette, although it did have a little orange peal.
This is off subject, but if you want to see a good paint job....check out a Lamborghini. I saw a black Murcielago, and it had NO orange peal whatsoever...it was incredible.
This is off subject, but if you want to see a good paint job....check out a Lamborghini. I saw a black Murcielago, and it had NO orange peal whatsoever...it was incredible.
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Viper paint jobs are very good from the factory.
Had a C-5 and its paint was lousy. Not sure about the C-6s.
Had a C-5 and its paint was lousy. Not sure about the C-6s.
twinturbo3150
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I think the factory paint on the vipers are very good, I do however think they could of spent a little more time on the stripes
Pythonpete
Enthusiast
The C-6s aren't any good either
bigmike32172
Viper Owner
proven fact:
dodge invests more time in providing a better looking paint job out of the big 3, although it holds up the worst over time against the elements and especially rock chips, as everyone on here already knows.
dodge invests more time in providing a better looking paint job out of the big 3, although it holds up the worst over time against the elements and especially rock chips, as everyone on here already knows.
Lee00blacksilverGTS
Enthusiast
I dunno, I think ALL brands hold up worse from a standpoint of rock chips as they all went to water based paints at least 5 years ago due to the environmental standards. My 01 M5 had to have the whole front end front fenders and whole hood repainted at 19,000 miles due to rock chips and it never saw a gravel road, only expressways. They all chip more easily. And I have NEVER seen a faded paint job on a Viper, but it's not like they get left outside much.
bigmike32172
Viper Owner
totally true, you will probably never see a faded or oxidized viper because they usually never leave the garage. i do know that after owning dozens of GM cars and a few fords, and 2 dodges, i can honestly say that the dodge paint especially black is the best looking, but you can scratch it and remove it with your finger nail. i have to repaint the entire front end on my viper from paint chips after 18k miles on it, and my black zo6 had maybe 4 to 6 chips on the front end when i sold it with 9k miles. the front end of the viper looks like someone took a sand blaster to it!
lankhoss
Enthusiast
My new Z06 has 11,400 miles on it, and is FILLED with rock chips all over. It's pretty bad.
I also drive a Ford Five Hundred for work, and I tailgate, follow rock throwing trucks, usually drive it faster and it has twice as many miles. Can't see any noticeable rock chips in the paint or the windshield!!
I also drive a Ford Five Hundred for work, and I tailgate, follow rock throwing trucks, usually drive it faster and it has twice as many miles. Can't see any noticeable rock chips in the paint or the windshield!!
I had a black '04 Z06 and the paint was not only orange peel terribly, it was literally sand blasted off the wells and rocker panels in 4 months. Maybe it was the black making it look worse, but it sure seemed thin and brittle. My red is holding up pretty well for a car 8 years old.
GOT VENM
Enthusiast
Nobody beats Dean Loucks(Art of design) on paint jobs.
bigmike32172
Viper Owner
maybe its the orange peel factor that makes paint more durable against chipping. dodge has less orange peel and it gets hammered quicker. ford has the most orange peel but seems to hold up better.
... but nobody looks at a ford ...
Earlier Vipers up to around 2001 had a much superior finish, with pretty good durability. Since then, with the advent of the high bake paint and single, thin clear coat (was 2 thicker coats), and a reduction in the finish smoothness requirement ( I do not remember exactly but it was something from a 8-10 finish to now a 5-8 finish) has made the Viper finish much less durable and not much more orange peel free than other upscale cars.
I have also noticed that the level of orange peel is less on black cars than on red or white cars. Maybe because it is more noticeable on black. My 2003 SRT paint is very inferior to my 1995 RT/10. Both in smoothness (lack of orange peel) and in durability.
I have also noticed that the level of orange peel is less on black cars than on red or white cars. Maybe because it is more noticeable on black. My 2003 SRT paint is very inferior to my 1995 RT/10. Both in smoothness (lack of orange peel) and in durability.
bigmike32172
Viper Owner
true, the only way to get a ford to look good is to pay a high end shop some big cash to wet sand the whole car out to flatten out the orange peel. i wonder if the ford gt has less orange peel for that ridiculus price?
Is he the one that did your tasteless,tacky, horribly embarrasing bugger paintjob? Thanks for telling us where NOT to go...
Let me ask you, did the paintjob come with a mask to cover your face while you drive that thing??
bigmike32172
Viper Owner
ROTFLMFAO! oh man here comes another war!
bluestreak
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That couldnt have anything to do with the high speed runs all the time could it. Or riding behind deon to the drag strip. That reminds me. When are you gonna put that thing on the track to see how it runs now.
Asp Man
Enthusiast
Vipers are buffed at the factory, are they sanded as well?
Seems like the only way to get the peel out with new-tech finnishes.
Anyone know?
The finnish is great, no orange peel on mine, at all.
Whenever I see a 'vette, especialy if I sight down the side panel, it's pretty awfull. Waves and orange peel. Worth it for those guys to invest in a wet-sand/buff from a good detail shop.
Now that I think about it, don't the panels come to CAAP painted from the supplier? Maybe they put the effort into making them perfect 'cause they have a vested intrest in maintaining quality.
Seems like the only way to get the peel out with new-tech finnishes.
Anyone know?
The finnish is great, no orange peel on mine, at all.
Whenever I see a 'vette, especialy if I sight down the side panel, it's pretty awfull. Waves and orange peel. Worth it for those guys to invest in a wet-sand/buff from a good detail shop.
Now that I think about it, don't the panels come to CAAP painted from the supplier? Maybe they put the effort into making them perfect 'cause they have a vested intrest in maintaining quality.
Nowayforya
Enthusiast
Check out ClearMask and that will end the rock chip problems. Had my 04 nearly 3 years now and no rock chips where the material is installed.
Website http://www.clearmask.com/
The stuff is tough and you can't see it.
Website http://www.clearmask.com/
The stuff is tough and you can't see it.
Mopar426
Enthusiast
I'm simply AMAZED at how GM allows so much orange peel on the Vettes let alone their $70K flagship Z06. 
2 VENOMOUS
Viper Owner
Bigmike, we are not talking Dodge's or Ford's, Vipers and Ford GT's and other high end cars are painted mostly by hand with diffirent materials, and take much more time, as they are not mass produced.
GR8 ASP, black hides very well, compared to white or red, usually that means less paint build up wich can mean less overall orangepeal.
Asp Man, yes they are lightly wet sanded otherwise there would be no point in buffing, the earlier Vipers used paint that was easier to wetsand and buff, the SRT's paint is softer and more difficult
GR8 ASP, black hides very well, compared to white or red, usually that means less paint build up wich can mean less overall orangepeal.
Asp Man, yes they are lightly wet sanded otherwise there would be no point in buffing, the earlier Vipers used paint that was easier to wetsand and buff, the SRT's paint is softer and more difficult
Peter Nielsen
Viper Owner
Re: Paint job- Viper vs Vette
I don't know... I have a piece of black dirt baked in the red paint of the passenger side sill (it's like a grain of sand - it sticks out and you can feel it, yet it is under the paint -- probably only under the clear coat), and a very mysterious small chip on top of my rear fender which I believe also was caused by dirt in the paint...
The Viper clearcoat (2006) is a little too SOFT to my taste... It's very easy to accidentally get scratches. The "diamondcoat" of the Vette is definitely better (except when you want to fix the scratch - it really is a diamond coat!)
Maybe just bad luck...
Peter
I don't know... I have a piece of black dirt baked in the red paint of the passenger side sill (it's like a grain of sand - it sticks out and you can feel it, yet it is under the paint -- probably only under the clear coat), and a very mysterious small chip on top of my rear fender which I believe also was caused by dirt in the paint...
The Viper clearcoat (2006) is a little too SOFT to my taste... It's very easy to accidentally get scratches. The "diamondcoat" of the Vette is definitely better (except when you want to fix the scratch - it really is a diamond coat!)
Maybe just bad luck...
Peter
