Technical Define "Driver Quality" paint

My old beater has what I consider good enough, it has chips & scratches, the paint has popped off in a few spots and the car gas character, it was last painted in 1963 but I drive it and don't worry to much about where I park.

I'm going to a monthly cruise in this evening and I got caught in the rain last week and the car is dirty but I doubt I will wash the car before I go, I love this car and it suits me just fine,clean or dirty.



The Ranch Wagon on the other hand has a very nice paint job and we try to keep it looking it's best, but if weather looks threatening 9 times out of 10 we will drive the old beater, Cleaning and detailing is a PITA,especially on the wagon.



Nice paint jobs are always eye catching but to me drive my cars trumps the washing,wacing and detailing. HRP

 

Generally speaking, "driver quality" to me means that the paint has imperfections that might make an individual more apt to subject the car to considerable usage without fear of damage. Some of those imperfections might include nicks and chips, wavy or substandard bodywork, excessive use of filler or foam, bubbles of rust or corrosion, swirl marks, fading, UV damage, excessive texture or orange peel, etc. "driver quality" falls somewhere in between "show quality" and "needs body and paint", and can be closer to either ends of the spectrum. A new paint job that has too much texture I would consider "driver quality".

"Show Quality" in my mind means basically perfection. The color is rich and homogenous, with no poor fades, splotchiness, blends, etc., the clear has been cut and buffed to a mirror-like finish, and ever panel should give a straight reflection in any direction. There are no swirl-mark, buffing rub-thoughs, or the like. Anything below this, is "driver quality". A show quality pant job may become a driver quality job after a few years of driving it.

 

Wow