Brake fluid stains in paint

[GMC-ARK]

For 5 years I've been looking at and trying to rectify a mess the previous owner left, which is a very large brake fluid stain around the drivers side upper fender area on my 59 Corvette. Original paint. Can't take it any more...
Any ideas?

[Murr1525]

Re: Brake fluid stains in paint

Any pics to tell how bad the damage is?

Probably going to need to try some Ultimate Compound, if it is even fixable.

[TOGWT]

Re: Brake fluid stains in paint

You should handle brake fluid with extreme caution. Brake fluid, particularly DOT3 and DOT4, will erode automobile paint; eventually, the paint tainted by the brake fluid will delaminate from the substrate.

One particular ingredient of brake fluid is the most damaging; Polyethylene glycol, which is also found in some solvents, is very corrosive to paint.

[TOGWT]

Re: Brake fluid stains in paint

Brake Fluid

You should handle brake fluid with extreme caution, particularly DOT3 and DOT4, as it will erode automobile paint; eventually (anexception to this is silicon brake fluid which is much safer on paint) the paint tainted by the brake fluid will delaminate from the substrate. If left standing on a painted surface for an extended period of time it will at the very least, leave what looks like a stain.

One particular ingredient of brake fluid is the most damaging; Polyethylene glycol, which is also found in some solvents, it will cause a chemical reaction that, and is very corrosive to paint.

Correction- Repaint the base coat and apply a clear-coat to the affected panel)

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Brake fluid stains in paint

For 5 years I've been looking at and trying to rectify a mess the previous owner left, which is a very large brake fluid stain around the drivers side upper fender area on my 59 Corvette. Original paint. Can't take it any more...
Any ideas?

I've seen plenty of this on older cars with single stage paint, newer cars don't tend to need brake fluid added as often as older cars and thus the problem is more often associated with older cars. When is the last time you needed to add brake fluid to a new Honda? Old cars, with drum brakes and rudimentary wheel cylinders wear out and the seal leak thus the master cylinders lose fluid.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but single stage paints like lacquer and enamel are fairly porous compared to modern clear coat paints and what happens is the brake fluid penetrates into the pigmented paint and because the stain is both topical and throughout the matrix of the paint layer itself you cannot remove it without the risk of removing so much paint that you expose the primer.

Brake fluid will also tend to stain single stage paints a bluish gray color depending upon the color of paint on the car.

Sorry...

Cool car just the same, here's the last Corvette from that era I buffed out, this had a single stage black lacquer finish.

[TOGWT]

Re: Brake fluid stains in paint

One of the (many) worst things I've seen- I think I may have upset a girlfriend. When I went to my car (Jag E Type) she had slashed the soft top, tyres and the leather seats and poured brake fluid all over the car, I don't know if you've ever seen what this can do to auto paint "£$%^* should about cover it.

And no 'it it did not buff right out'