I have a red alfa 159 just under 12 months old. I have a few stone chips on the paintwork and was surprised to see white undercoat paint. It looks awful. Why would they paint white undercoat paint on a red alfa. Do they use white on the blacks, it seems ver strange to me.
Not too strange. The base coat that you are looking at would be the 'proof coat' that protects the metal from rust, or if the chip is on the plastic bumper it will be the colour of the plastic. When a stone chips, it lifts all the paint including the undercoat . All coloured cars would be the same. Most Manufacturers these days will be using the environmentally friendly method of water based paints for primer, base coat and colour tinter, with a two-pack top coat of clear coat over the top to seal it all up and give it some lustre and protection. Soon as something penetrates the clear top coat it lifts the lot.
Stone chips are inevitable I'm afraid, so just equip yourself with a little touch-up kit and dab on the spots as they happen. The paint dries in seconds and it will keep you 159 looking as good as new. Also good coats of polish twice a year or more frequent, might help by encouraging the stones to skate off. Gary.
My beloved Renault Sport Clio 182 (Smurf Blue) collected 3 visible (base coat viewable) chips on the bonnet during the 4.5 years I owned it.
I just counted the chips on my red 159 (12 months old) – 20.
Upon closer inspection (checking for the smaller chips) – I stopped counting at 220.
and yes, they use white under black too as i witnesse don my 156 GTA that looked like it had dandruff