TECH ARTICLES

 
NOC shares your obsession for pristine old cars!

Knowing how and where to find one is a skill that many people in the hobby have yet to master. But even when you stumble across one and decide to look at it, you have to stop and ask yourself – how good are you at validating a car’s originality? Can you properly distinguish between factory paint and a respray? And if you buy it, how long are you able to preserve the car’s current condition while driving it on a regular basis? Five years? Ten years? Twenty?

Let’s be honest – you’re paying a premium for the cars on this site – don’t you want to be confident that the car you’re buying is as original as the ad states? And don’t you want to know how to preserve it’s cosmetic condition throughout your entire ownership?

You’ve found the right page.

 
Of course, as the new owner, you have every right to run your car to the ground. But you’ll find that you can have your cake and eat it too – I drive my E39 540i as much as I want (143k miles as of writing), yet the paint looks fantastic because I understand proper paint maintenance.
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An unfortunate yet common occurrence in the collector car hobby is how much faith people put into the seller’s claims of “all original” and “unrestored” – regardless if the seller is the first owner or not. It has less to do with trust, and more to do with the simple lack of knowledge (as well as overconfidence) of what to look for. This is where the Tech section comes in – an ever-expanding library of expertise that aims to address the many misconceptions and questions within the collector car hobby in regards to authenticating, purchasing, and preserving these pampered vehicles. These articles will bust myths, clear up the misconceptions of paint authentication and maintenance, and set proper expectations of the attention and care required to keep an old car looking like new for years.

Each article is painstakenly written to provide the most accurate, all-inclusive information on its particular topic. Years of experience in the field combined with exhaustive research go into each of these pages (textbooks written by industry leaders, studies done by top tier companies, production line documentaries, and more), as well as real world photo examples from my time in the industry. The desire to preserve the condition of these pampered cars is stronger than ever!

 

PAINT INSPECTION

Understanding paint defects, as well as the HOW and WHY of paint inspection:

 

why original paint is so desirable

Understand the science of what makes a car’s original paint so much stronger than even the highest quality respray, and how it adds to the value of the car.

how to spot a repaint

Ever wonder how the pros do it? NOC has created the ultimate guide to differentiating original paint from aftermarket paintwork, on virtually any panel on any car. No more guessing. Oh, and you don’t need a paint thickness gauge…

orange peel on BMW cars explained

The ultimate explanation for why your ultimate driving machine has more orange peel than the other guys. Blame the factory powdered clear coat.

 

factory paint defects are rare … more so than you think

Your brand new car may have overspray or other paint defects in the finish, but don’t be quick to blame the manufacturer. Chances are it wasn’t done by the factory, contrary to what you may believe.

why are bumpers a different shade from the rest of the car?

Once you catch it, you can’t unsee it … sorry. Just about every car has this problem to some degree. There are multiple reasons this phenomenon occurs at the factory, and it won’t go away any time soon.

why factory overspray on old cars is so misunderstood

The misunderstanding comes from not knowing how the car was painted by the factory. Put aside your assumptions so we can step back in time and see exactly what went on behind the scenes over the decades!

 

orange peel: why your new car paint looks so bad

Why do all modern cars seem to have it? You’ve heard all sorts of answers. Fortunately, this article provides the only one you need to care about – and it’s more in depth than you can imagine. The complete guide to the modern automotive paint job, as well as how and where orange peel occurs within the factory paint process!

what a paint thickness gauge REALLY tells you

You just spent hundreds of dollars on one. You think it’s your easy ticket to verifying original paint on a car, but erratic readings throughout the entire vehicle have you scratching your head. Learn the science behind the numbers, what to look for, and how to properly use the tool to help authenticate a vehicle’s paint finish.

 
 

 

PURCHASING
MAINTENANCE
PRESERVATION

You bought the car because it looks absolutely perfect. Now it’s your responsibility to try and keep it that way. The growing list of articles in this section will help you do it, even if you use the car on a regular basis:

low mileage cars: what to look out for

A regularly driven car is a healthy car! While ultra-low miles looks great, not touching a car for long periods at a time can do more harm than good when it isn’t stored properly. Here is what to prepare for when buying an old survivor

stop ignoring overpriced cars

 
You might think they’re a “waste of time”, but as someone who’s been in the car business for over 12 years will tell you: these ads can actually lead to great buys. Are you trying to find the best deal, or the best car? What if you could have both? Hear what I have to say – it may change your perspective.

 

servicing your air conditioning system

You must read this before servicing your air conditioning system! Those A/C recharge kits from the auto parts store do more harm than good to your system. And quit running your A/C when the refrigerant is low. Read why!

R134 conversion: think twice before you convert your A/C system from R12

It’s a common practice. But there are quite a few reasons you won’t want to do this to your old car, especially if it’s of high value.

 
 

UPCOMING ARTICLES:

Preserving Your Original Paint: By The Decade (in the works)
Automotive paint finishes have evolved dramatically in the past 70 years, and each type of paint requires different care. If you’re lucky enough to own a car wearing it’s original paint, whether it’s a 60’s Jaguar saloon or a 90’s Japanese legend, props to you! Here’s some tips for preserving the factory paint from each decade, starting with the acrylic paint of the 1950’s.

How To Properly Wash A Car (in the works)
A job so simple yet so misunderstood. Here I break down what it takes to clean a car while inflicting the least amount of damage to your paint. Modern products have made this process much easier than it was 10 years ago, though it ain’t easy. Your patience will pay off!
 
… and more to come! Articles will be added throughout the year. Stay tuned!