The connections of this experiment to stunt are: a) that I performed it while leaving my driveway yesterday to fly stunt, b) that a machine and materials purchased for stunt purposes were used.

This experiment compared relative paint and structure quality between a 2004 Honda Odyssey and a 2008 Toyota Prius.  The Honda was moved in reverse in increasing proximity to the Toyota until friction prevented further movement.  The Honda was then moved forward to disengage the two automobiles.  The Honda was then reversed following a path away from the Toyota and then proceeded to Arlington, WA, where the operator flew some stunt.  A cellular telephone call was received by the Honda operator as he was climbing to perform a four-leaf clover.  Complaints from the Honda operator's wife were rendered during the four-leaf clover and three subsequent laps.  Upon returning home, rubbing compound was applied by a pneumatic buffing machine bought at the recommendation of Mr. Bradley Walker, but available a lot cheaper at Harbor Freight, to both automobiles. Meguiar's number 1 was initially used, but was more abrasive than required.  3M Perfect-It II rubbing compound, purchased for an arm and a leg for the purpose of buffing the harder-than-diamond clearcoat recommended by Mr. P. T. Granderson of the Jive Combat Team and Uncle Jimby, was used for subsequent buffing.  Tire scuffs and abrasion were completely removed from the Toyota, leaving the finish pristine except for swirl marks left by the Meguiar's number 1, which will eventually be removed to avoid embarrassment when the Toyota is presented to the body shop for structural repair.  Abrasion was similarly removed from the Honda.  Paint around the Honda wheel well had been chipped off, and was repaired with refrigerator touch-up paint which is pretty much the same color.  The touched-up finish may be sanded and buffed later, but it may not.

Conclusions:

1. Toyota paint is really strong, and better than Honda paint.
2. Honda Odyssey side body sheet metal is stronger than Toyota Prius side body sheet metal, that covering the left, aft Prius door currently looking like the wing of an All American covered with silk applied with nontautening butyrate dope. 

Appendix:

The above experiment is the second in a series, the first having been performed approximately four years earlier with a 1991 Honda Accord wagon and a 1995 Plymouth Grand Voyager, the latter having proved the stronger.  The wife of the Odyssey operator of the second experiment was the Accord operator of the first experiment, who nevertheless established cellular telephonic contact with the Odyssey operator of the second experiment during the approach to a four-leaf clover for the purpose of expressing a complaint about the second experiment. 

Go Photoshop yourself.

Go Photoshop yourself.

 

The connections of this experiment to stunt are: a) that I performed it while leaving my driveway yesterday to fly stunt, b) that a machine and materials purchased for stunt purposes were used.

This experiment compared relative paint and structure quality between a 2004 Honda Odyssey and a 2008 Toyota Prius.  The Honda was moved in reverse in increasing proximity to the Toyota until friction prevented further movement. 
The Honda was then moved forward to disengage the two automobiles. Tire scuffs and abrasion were completely removed from the Toyota, leaving the finish pristine except for swirl marks left by the Meguiar's number 1, which will eventually be removed to avoid embarrassment when the Toyota is presented to the body shop for structural repair.
Conclusions:

1. Toyota paint is really strong, and better than Honda paint.
2. Honda Odyssey side body sheet metal is stronger than Toyota Prius side body sheet metal, that covering the left, aft Prius door currently looking like the wing of an All American covered with silk applied with nontautening butyrate dope. 

Appendix:

The above experiment is the second in a series, the first having been performed approximately four years earlier with a 1991 Honda Accord wagon and a 1995 Plymouth Grand Voyager, the latter having proved the stronger.  The wife of the Odyssey operator of the second experiment was the Accord operator of the first experiment, who nevertheless established cellular telephonic contact with the Odyssey operator of the second experiment during the approach to a four-leaf clover for the purpose of expressing a complaint about the second experiment. 

Howard! THANKS FOR THAT GREAT STORY AND POST! A REAL KEEPER!!!

Your skilled talent for building, finishing and flying models are only shadowed by your humor and talent for writing. 

I have printed your post and have stored it in my shoebox of favorite Stunt-stuff!

The other day...I paid forward this post of your's to a friend of mine in Burien that for years was not only a painter from the far away hills (MAAAACO!) before he retired...
 
Jerry was also an avid R/C flyer and he called me on his cell phone a few minutes ago telling me that your story brought back so many stories....
 (NIGHTMARES, REALLY!!)
 about many repairs that he performed on busted vehicles (from all kinds of mfgs, even from the same models and year.)
So much time and money he felt was wasted because the manufacturers would often make a bad habit of changing  their factory paint formulas that often varied so much in both quality and fomula's without notification to their dealers and repair facilities of their changes.

Especially during the mid 80-through late 90's and lack of communication (ON PURPOSE?)...it became such a problemo' for Jerry and others..it became a habit for him to make it routine to perform sample paint tests on these vehicles on a daily basis.
Sadly....
After suckin' and absorbing waaaay to many paint fumes and chemicals...he had to take a medical retirement in 2006.
Even the smell of paint fumes and some home chemicals..will often trigger flue like systems and turn his skin a bright blotchy red.
Opps! Sorry to kidnap Howard great story and post...

However after my phone conversation with my master painter Jerome  this morning and listening to his voice which has turned raspy...(much like NICKLEBACK-BUTT the singer) and just how many years he was involved in the commercial painting scene....

I CAN'T STOP thinking about the SOBERING possibilities that Jerry's life span has been shorted, due in part from the lack of information in those early daze-days when the big name chemical companies seem to make a habit of giving as little information and SAFTEY AND HEALTH ISSUES.

ODE' to the MISERIES AND MYSTRIES OF PAINTING!