Different Coaster Companies' Paint Durability...

They only park I've been to with a wide variety of different coaster companies in the same park is Cedar Point so, I'm going to base my observations off of that park.

In the light of Raptor being painted this year, Mantis next year, and Magnum after that, I thought about the difference in ages and the fading of their paint.

Raptor is only 7 years and it already has been repainted. Magnum will be 14 years old before it gets repainted. Iron Dragon is 14 years old now and doesn't look very faded or rusted at all. I also noticed that the rust on the B&M's are more noticeable even though they are younger. Did B&M use inferior paint and steel on their coasters? Why don't the arrows rust or fade as fast as the B&M's There are many more Arrow's in the park and they look as though they are still in tip-top shape.

When B&M was introduced to the industry, everyone bought their product because it was a winner, however, no one knew how they would age. I think that B&M found out that its rails started to rust fairly early so they started to paint the rails.

I don't know if this goes for other parks in the country because I haven't made it to many. Is this the same pattern in most park?

Give me your comments on this from observations in your local park.

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Mayday - Memorial Day Weekend - Nonpoint, Nickelback, Oleander, Staind
Ozzfest - June 8 - Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Black Sabbath
Awake Tour- June 15 - Darwin's Waiting Room, Puddle of Mudd, Deftones, Godsmack

If   there's one  coaster  that   needs  a  new  paint  job  it  is   SFA's  Mind Eraser. That  thing  hasn't  been  repainted  yet  since  it  was built  back  in  95.It  really  needs  a  new  paint  job  really  bad.

An industrial paint salesman told me that the paint on the coaster is usually selected by the park.  Most of the parks opt for aliphatic enamels because they are cheap.  Parks seldom go for the the epoxy/urethane paint systems that would provide longer life.  
 Cost is possibly not the only factor here.  If you think that you are likely to want to change the color of your coaster in 5 years to update its image, you are not likely to invest in a 20 year life paint system.
 Of course, the quality of the surface preparation also has a lot to do with the life of the paint.
Unless you use something exotic, and coaster manufacturers don't, the steel itself has nothing to do with how the finish holds up or how fast the ride starts to rust.

*** This post was edited by Jim Fisher on 8/25/2001. ***

Another problem that parks are running into is not being able to spray the paint. In many municipalities it is illegal to spray paint unless it's in a paint booth with air scrubbers. It is considered a form of air pollution. So all exterior painting must be done with a brush or roller. This increases the labor time a great deal, thus making the cost of painting higher. As has been pointed out proper preparation of the surfaces to be painted is critical for the finish to last.