hi, i have an inexpensive paint meter, like a $40 unit and it is measuring is um's, but a different u, anyway, what thicknesses should i see on factory paint on a 997? i have from 60 to 95 um's is this average or normal? or? thanks , kevin

 

That's VERY low. Healthy measurements should be around 100....anything around 70-80, and the max we'd do is a 1-stage with power finish. For full paint correction, I wouldn't touch anything less than 90-100. Pardon my assumption you're asking this in order to polish the paint.

Are you sure your meter is calibrated properly?

 

well, no, have no idea how to do that, what are the measurements i''m looking at, hundredths/thousandths of a mm?, seems to me, though i am no expert, that the paint is original, has very consistent orange peel all over, i got the car, a 2008, with 11k km's about 3 months ago, so it could have been in the guys garage, original owner, or in a shop garage being totally refinished/repainted, just don't think that is the case, anyway, i like it, we'll see how she holds up, and thanks for your insight, i will have to have someone with a good meter check it, or maybe i should just not ask...but i will, cheers, kevin

 

Found this for a GT3RS:

 

Film thickness can be measured in two ways. The first and more common and standard measurement are called mil. A mil equals 1/1000 of an inch. A typical factory paint job will measure between 4.0 and 6.0 mils. The clear coat will generally measure between 1.5 - 2.5 mils
The alternative measurement is called a (µ) micron, which is a metric unit that equals one millionth of a meter, or 1/1000 of a millimetre. A micron (µ) is much smaller than a Mil; there are 25.4 millimetres in an inch



Note: 1 µ (micron) is 1/1000th of a millimetre or 0.0393700787 Mil or 0.001of an inch

· 200µ+ can be expected on older cars that have been hand painted or a re-painted vehicle
· 100 – 200µ 4 – 8 mil - normal paint thickness
· 80 – 100 µ - 3 – 4 mils, thin paint
· 80 µ < - less than 3 mil, very thin paint

Ultra violet protection (UV) a clear coat paint (isocyanate polyurethane) provides the colour and base coats with protection, and usually has (UV) protection added in the final coating; this tends to migrate towards the upper level of the clear coat (this is why it’s important to check how much of the paint surface you are removing with an abrasive polish)

Removing more that 0.5 mil (12µ) of clear coat will cause premature paint film failure as ultra violet (UV) radiation protection percolates to the top of the clear coat. UV protection is a sacrificial / renewable component; this is due to the UV protection layer being degraded by exposure to the elements (sun, sand, road or sea salt, and etc) it is also water miscible, so it is imperative that you renew it and needs to be re-applied on a regular basis (dependent upon location climatic condition)