Longtom-
The paint problem was because the gov't tried to make the automakers switch to a "greener paint" or face sanctions. I had a 84 chev that the whole front clip faded out on, the dealer said it was normal!?
I will disagree on that.
The real reason was they were using coated metal with out any primer.
The trailer company I use to be a dealler for was useing the same type of metal and it wasn't until a couple of years worth of production that we figured out what the problem was.
Neither paint or standard primer would stick to the coated metal.
You had to use epoxy primer.
Standard primer would not stick to the coated surface.
The problem would not show up until the metal went through the contraction caused by the cold of winter.
The trailer company was able to buy zink-chromate primer at the time off the military at $90.00 a gal in 55gal drums and that wouldn't even stick.
You could take the very same coated metal and sandblast it to get the coating off or sand the coating off and then any standard primer would stick just fine.
We worked two years with DUPONT and PPG trying to correct the problem.
For two years after the company quit useing the metal we were still repainting trailers free for our customers.
This problem cost the company and myself many of thousands of dollars to satisfy our customers
It is just about the same as a new galvanized roof on a barn.
You can't paint it the first couple of years until some of the galvanize coating wears off or the paint won't stick.
Sorry mirage:
I re-read what you said and your problem was not the same.
Yours was the fading problem.
Our problem was with pealing paint.
I beleave the light silver color paints were the worst for fading.
I know I had several that was dark brown or dark any color and I never had a problem with fading.
LONGTOM