Auto body repair & detailing: white streaks on roof of green Goe Prizm, geo prism, prizm

Question
The roof of my 1996 Geo Prism has large white streaks running front to back on the sides of the top.  I have been told (by a friend with a similar problem on his VW), that it is the clear coat is coming off.  He says a good coat of wax will at least hide the white streaks. What is really going on?  Is it very expensive to fix?
Thanks in advance

Ernest


Answer
The clear coat on your car is chalking, which basically means turning to dust. The entire vehicle will need refinished eventually, which yes, is expensive. I think I would personally get rid of the car before it gets much worse. I personally cant see putting 1500 bucks into a 1500 dollar car. If you really want to throw good money at this car, do it as soon as possible. The more damage it incurs, the more it will cost to paint. Bill