Tell-Tale signs that a car/Bike/Boat has been resprayed:

The used-car market in South Africa is a minefield for consumers who aren’t as clued up on the industry as others.

One of the most common issues seen on “pre-loved” cars in the country is repainted panels, which is a tell-tale sign that the vehicle was in a previous accident.

It may just have been a light graze against a pole, or a severe impact that required a front-end rebuild.

Regardless, repainted panels are one of the first and easiest-to-spot signs that a vehicle may not be what it purports to be.

Don’t be convinced if it’s standing at a registered dealer with a good reputation, either. From personal experience, I can tell you that even a shiny demo model with sub-10,000km on the clock on a premium German auto-maker’s showroom floor can have repainted panels.

It may have been done by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) themselves and to a high standard, but repainted nonetheless.

Without further ado, an exotic car collector takes us through the?biggest signs?that a used vehicle may have gotten a fresh layer of colour after it left the factory.

Mismatched panels

The first and most obvious red flag when looking at a repainted vehicle are mismatched panels.

Even if a body shop uses the exact same paint code as the OEM, there’s a high likelihood that the new paint could have a slightly different hue to the original.

This is primarily because of the way the paint was applied. In the factory, the paint may have been applied from left to right, while the after market painter went from top to bottom.

This will result in a slight difference in the particles and, as result, a different appearance.

Other factors such as age, sun damage, and road rash will also affect the look of the various panels.

If one is completely smooth and looks brand new, while the one right next to it has its fair share of scuffs and fading, there’s a good chance the prettier one was repainted at some point in time.

Panel alignment

When a car hasn’t been taken apart yet, its panels should all be in line with one another and fit perfectly.

However, when it has been partly disassembled and reassembled for painting, odds are these pieces won’t fit together as well anymore.

When looking for poorly aligned panels, it’s also worth checking the bolts keeping them up as they’ll generally have signs of wear from the tools used to loosen and fasten them.

Another consequence of reassembly; fixtures such as the windows or lights may not function as they should anymore as they may not have been correctly put back into their place.

Orange peel

Orange peel is not so much a sign of a repainted component, but rather, of poor quality paint. Depending on the OEM, orange peel could be present on a vehicle that came off the assembly line five minutes ago.

Nevertheless, it should be considered when shopping for a new-to-you set of wheels as it’s very prevalent among used cars.

Orange peel doesn’t refer to the colour but rather the texture of the paint. It’s a rough surface that quite literally looks like the outside of an orange, and it’s caused by improper painting techniques.

According to?a classic car paint restorer, the imperfection can be attributed to premature evaporation of thinner, incorrect spray gun set-up, spraying at an angle other than perpendicularly, or applying excessive paint.

Fortunately, orange peel is fixable by a reputable bodyshop.

Fish eyes

Fish eyes are also a sign of low-grade paint and painting techniques.

It can be described as a bubble, dot, or small circle on an otherwise homogeneous panel where a drop of paint fell and dried.

It could be either higher lower than the rest of the layer.

Paint trash

If a car wasn’t properly cleaned before painting, or if it was painted in a dirty environment, you may find small particles of dust, dirt, or even hair sealed underneath the top coat.

This is known as “paint trash” and points to poor workmanship.

Unfortunately, unless the layer of paint is removed, these imperfections will stay there forever no matter how good you wash it.

Overspray

When a car is painted at the factory, the body is done first before all the trim pieces and other accoutrements are added.

However, when after market painters do the job, they generally do not remove these pieces and instead try to cover them up with tape and plastic.

This is rarely a bulletproof method for spraying in a vehicle, as paint often finds a way to seep under the tape and plastic.

You’ll thus see parts that shouldn’t be painted – such as a plastic wheel arch trim, chrome window surround, or weather stripping – with specks or lines of colour on them.

Edgework

Jagged edges on things such as the doors, bonnet, and boot generally tell you that a pre-owned car has been resprayed.

When the OEM does the painting, it’s able to buff and polish out the imperfect textures before all the interior and exterior trims are installed.

However, when done after the fact, there’s usually not enough space for this without leaving traces.