Hood has deeper gloss than roof or trunk

[mwr]

I've noticed for while that the hood had a deeper gloss to the paint than the roof or trunk, all horizontal surfaces. So today I polished all three the same way - Wolfgang products, clay bar, polish enhancer, sealant - all hand done. The result is the same; the hood has a deeper gloss than the roof or trunk which both appear a bit "cloudy" compared to the hood.

 

Also, I noticed when wiping off the residue from using the clay bar that the towel was a bit red when used on the roof and trunk. I did the hood first and don't recall noticing any red from that. Why would there be red on the towel if there was a clear coat over the red paint?

Edited March 14, 2015 by mwr

[GrySql]

If having paint on your polish remover towel is repeatable I might be tempted to show the Dealer when you are there next time.

[mwr]

If having paint on your polish remover towel is repeatable I might be tempted to show the Dealer when you are there next time.

It wasn't on the polish remover towel. It was on the towel used to wipe off the residue after using the clay bar.

[murphy]

It wasn't on the polish remover towel. It was on the towel used to wipe off the residue after using the clay bar.

Are you sure it was paint and not rusted metal flakes? Cars shipped by rail pick up rail dust which rusts on the surface of the paint.

[mwr]

Are you sure it was paint and not rusted metal flakes? Cars shipped by rail pick up rail dust which rusts on the surface of the paint.

Doesn't look like rust to me. Also, (I think) it didn't happen with the hood.

[jeff_h]

When I did the clay bar on the 2010 Edge sometime late 2012 or early 2013, I don't recall having any red on the cloth as shown above, but did have the same type of red residue was on the clay bar from parts of the hood and roof.

[acdii]

Get some fine white polish, and do a small section on the trunk, and on the hood, and see if you get any color transfer. Though it sounds strange, the only way you will get transfer is if the clear coat was not applied. Base coat does have a sheen to it, but nothing like clear coat does. Also a single stage paint will transfer paint, and not be as glossy. Considering you have Ruby Red, its a 3 stage paint, so that is even more strange.

[mwr]

Ruby Red, its a 3 stage paint

Is it one color coat and two clear coats? Or?

[acdii]

Base coat, pearl coat, clear coat. Extremely difficult to match, needs a good professional painter to match it. If they lay the pearl wrong it will be glaringly obvious. Some are base coat, pearl coat, candy clear coat. Even more difficult as if not applied evenly will be blotchy.

[mwr]

I took the car (and "red" towel) to my Ford dealer today. Both the service adviser and service manager couldn't see anything different in the paint gloss on the hood and roof and trunk. The service manager took the car to the body shop they use and the manager there said the same and that all was well with the clear coat. And that the red on the towel could have come from multiple sources back at the factory.

 

I admit the difference i (think) I see is subtle, but for now it looks like all is well. On the chance (hopefully an off-chance) that the Ford service manager and body shop manager agreed to the same story to prevent a warranty issue, I may have another body shop, a good one that I've used several times in the past, look at it.

[acdii]

I see a slight difference in mine as well, and black will show it more. My hood is extremely glossy compared to the rest of the car. Maybe because it is aluminum while the rest is steel?

[hybridbear]

I see a slight difference in mine as well, and black will show it more. My hood is extremely glossy compared to the rest of the car. Maybe because it is aluminum while the rest is steel?

Good thinking! I remember seeing a video or reading an article about how automakers pick paint colors and how they have to test them on all the different materials that go into the car to make sure that the paint will appear consistent on plastic, steel, aluminum, etc.

[acdii]

If you look at the bumpers and the lower half of the trunk lid, they have a slight variation to them than the rest of the car. so my thinking is what the OP sees is normal. When I clay bar'd the car, it came off looking blue, so not sure what that is from, it was mostly the front of the car, hood and front part of the roof that had the bar looking blue, the rest of the car did not have the blue on the bar. My hood is very shiny compared to the rest of the car, so to me the OP car is normal.