Paint and Body Care

pat455

This is a fine topic to ask your question. Have you done a Topic Search (on the left side of the page) for cover? I found one from 1998 in Smart Shopper (it has been archived) that you might like to check out. That particular one is #569 in Smart Shopper - read all the posts, there is a little bit of information you may find helpful.

Here is a link: Vehicle Cover

And maybe someone who hangs out here will offer some suggestions. If you don't get enough information, I think starting a new topic on "Car Covers" in Accessories would be something to consider - I was surprised that one does not exist there already.

Good luck.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

joelb

Has anyone ever had to remove yellow highway paint from their car. Is the State Highway Department responsible? Has anyone had any luck getting them to do the work? Or is it simple to get it done myself with a miracle snake oil?

joe166

I have had to remove it several times. It is not hard unless you were to leave it on for months. It is not put on a well prepared surface so it can be taken off with some effort. Try using those plastic "razors" that they sell at auto stores. They come in a pack like the single edged razors but they are made of a hard plastic. They are used just like a razor, but they won't scratch your paint unless used too harshly. Another suggestion is some form of solvent. Test acetone or some other solvent in an inconspicuous place it can't be seen. The baked on finish would not react to it, but the highway paint probably would come right off. Alcohol might work and would not do much to your finish except remove any underlying wax. Clay would probably work. See the store bought wax or Zaino forums on this board for extensive talk about clay. Believe me, it works for almost any kind of superficial damage such as overspray. It has the added benefit of smoothing the paint surface so your next wax job will be amazing. If worst comes to worst, use a mild polishing compound. One or all of these will work. So will taking it to a body shop or detailing shop.

rungnatee

I just recently had a mishap in the parking garage at my job. A construction crew was drilling above the garage where I was parked and neglected to block off a few of the parking spots below and my BRAND NEW Mitsubishi Galant 2000 was parked directly underneath and when I was leaving for the day I found my car completely covered with rocks.....anyway, I have a few scratches on the hood and bumper.

Would it be best to just have the hood and bumper touched up? Will having the whole bumper and hood decrease the value of the car? If I wanted to sell it later...would the buyer think that it was in a major accident?

Has anyone else ever had this problem? I would really appreciate some friendly advice. A touch up will definitely be noticeable...wouldn't it?

Please help.....Confused.

joe166

If it will pass your muster, always go for the touch up. Whether someone thinks it is covering up an accident is almost irrelevant because that is what they will say to you to drive the price down. I had the problem with a Seville STS where the touch up on the pearlescent white was so awful that they ended up repainting the entire car. When I went to sell it they claimed that I "must" have had a major accident and what was I covering up. Besides, unless they remove the windows and all the trim it can't be masked completely so it will be much more evident that a good spot paint. Now if your question is whether a touch up with a paint brush is better, that is a matter of taste. Not in my opinion, but doing part of the hood and a fender is MUCH better than a full repaint (in my opinion).

automophile

Since it is a brand new car, and the damage is limited to the hood and bumper, have them repainted. If it's a good body shop, the paint will match perfectly, and no one will ever know. I assume that the contractors are paying for this, yes?

A few years ago, my garage door hinge broke and dropped the heavy door on the trunk of my (then)2-week old Millenia S with the dreaded Pearl White paint. The repair by my local shop was totally invisible, and I am extremely picky.

Also - the repaint will not hurt the value of the car, but a spotty touch-up will.

joe166

I guess we are talking definitions. I may know what "is" is, but apparently I don't know the difference between touch up and repaint. I thought the question was whether to paint the minimum possible or repaint the whole car. I think the repaint should be as small as possible. If that is the hood or trunk, so be it. That is what I meant, so I think we are not in conflict there. I have never seen an acceptable "touch up" unless the spot was almost microscopic and the time used in repairing it was far greater than any body shop could afford to devote to it.

automophile

what I mean. Paint the bad panel, not the whole car.

redsilverado

i definately know the old fashion way, and now
i'm looking at the pressure washers that are on
the market. my Q is are they worth the money or
are they destructive? i know they can be used for
undercarriage and possibly engine compartments
but how about the painted surfaces? any input
would be greatly appreciated.

...red

pat455

I have read opinions that for painted surfaces, pressurized sprays can be dangerous - if you have only a slight chip or imperfection in the paint, the pressure could make it much worse.

This theory makes sense to me, although I have no personal experience to report - perhaps others do?

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

anonymous

thankyou for the response, with that i think i'm
gonna pass on the washer. there's always good 'ol
elbow grease right.

thanx again
...red

redsilverado

that should have said redsilverado.

luvboxrs

There have been some posts here regarding Chrysler/Dodge paint--I thought I'd second the observations expressed. Our 99 Dodge Durango and the most unbelievably large paint chips I'd ever seen on a car--and when the chips appeared, the edges just kept breaking away and the chips would get bigger and bigger. I was NOT happy. That vehicle's gone now....

My beloved 91 Accord (black) developed paint cracking on the hood at 50k miles...those little white stars. Honda told me to kiss off when I talked to the rep.

What is a person to do!

Lisa

luvboxrs

daverose (?) posted a few days ago about Zaino products and I have to agree with him about the great quality of their products. I used to pay detailers--now with Zaino my cars look better than showroom (NO I don't work for them!)

As he said, you definitely must use the proper washing/drying equipment to produce the best results: use the best 100% cotton towel you can find (yeah, buy the Fieldcrest!) I cut up one towel into 4 pieces and use that to wash. I take all the tags, labels and all the stitching out of any towel before I use it. I never throw them on the ground, I don't use the same washrag on the wheels as on the painted surfaces. The car wash rags and towels are not used for any other purpose other than on the car. Oh, the key to great looking windows is a vinegar water solution! Wash inside and out of windows with a washrag and dry with a towel.

Happy Washing!

Lisa

cnollkamper

Help! I have a 2000 Focus Light sapphire (metallic light blue) and i had a run-in with a white freshly stuccoed wall! Well the damage is not too bad , and it is only on my rear lower right side of the bumper. So the paint is "scraped" in areas that go as deep as the plastic so it is visible, any suggestions?

theresa11

Just bought a new white car (off-white, actually). I have ordered a nosemask for the front end but it has not arrived and will not be in for the next few weeks. I live in a part of the country that has alot of bugs. What should I use to wash my new car and how do I keep my new car bug free? These bugs eat into the paint if left on any period of time. Help!

kenlee2

Like Dodge But, Met with the Chrysler rep yesterday. He said there isn't anything wrong with the paint and that Chrysler hasn't issued any notices about paint. I told him that it's a good thing that I'm just having paint problems and not problems with the tires. He thought that was funny. Also told him that I've found others on the internet that are having the same problems. He said that anybody can post anything that they want on the internet. I guess we're all a bunch of liars. He did however offer to have the dealer do a touch up and buff. We're going to try it. It better be a professional job or we'll be asking to see the rep again.

packman2

I heard of someone doing this when they had a Chevy truck with major paint problem,,,remember the 80s Chevy pickups,, bright blue paint,,,,the primer showing ,,,,they had a sign in the window stating that Chevy didn't think this was a factory problem,or something like that,,and they created quite negative publicity,,I would park right in the dealers lot and look at other cars ,,,I think it would scare buyers away,,,anyway,you can't back down on this they will say you wash it wrong or something like that,,,,stay firm,,a paint job may cost you a thousand dollars....they have to make sure all the problem paint is off....If I remember right with G.M. it was defective primer that was the cause..It acted like Teflon.......

joe166

You better be right if you plan on slandering the manufacturer with signs. Even if you are right, I don't know how you could afford to deal with the legal onslaught that would result. I know it sounds neat, but what if it is proven that it was not their fault? Are you prepared to pay the consequences? Civil disobedience is an established way to make a point in this country, but nowadays people don't seem to be willing to go to jail to prove their point. I would try LOTS of other things before I started publicizing my belief, not supported by any expert testimony that I was getting screwed by a manufacturer. They react in a very hostile fashion to this sort of thing. I would suggest that you seek to find out the extent of the problem by complaining to the superiors of the guy you already talked to and if need be, all the way to the top of the consumer protection ladder. This would be the very last thing I would resort to. In some states it is extortion to threaten to do something (or not stop doing something), if they don't do what you want, even if what you demand is something they are supposed to do. Be careful.

trip3

theresa11,

I bought a new silver 2000 Honda Accord in Dec of last year. Two weekends ago, wife and I drove six hours up and back through lots of Minn. bugs for a weekend gettogether with friends. On Tuesday, two days after we got back, I washed the car with mild car-washing soap, and the bugs just came off with the sponge. Really easy. The answer I have found is a really good surface treatment, and the best I have found is a polymer. There are lots of fans of a polymer sealant in that otherZ discussion group, but I use a different product from Meguiar's. I am really sold on it, but I am sure there are lots of choices.

Bottom line: Regular washing, and a really good surface treatment. You and your new car will be fine.

ejy

I'm surprised no one mentioned it yet, but use 'clay' to remove stubborn bugs and even yellow road paint. I personally have had very good luck with erazer detailing clay but many other companies make it now too.

automophile

theresa11 - the above posts are right on. A good polymer will not only make your new car glow like a diamond, but nothing sticks! Bugs wash right off. Please DO NOT use any detergent on your paint, use car wash or clay to remove the bugs. For really persistent ones you can get Turle Wax "Bug and Tar Remover", but it will also remove your wax, and you'll need to rewax immediately.
If you want to see my white car with a polymer finish - go to:
http://www.geocities.com/newwestd/Zainoat3mo.html

jagvdp

I have ended up losing my clearcoat finish in a number of areas on my car. Is there a way for a do it your selfer, to reapply clearcoat?

basic217

I ordered my truck, so it had no chance to sit on a dealer lot. I received my new truck October 99.
It has become apparent this summer that there is a problem with the paint job. In several locations small chips of paint of flaked off.
While wasking my truck (myself) at a car wash paint flaked off the hood from the water pressure. My other vehicle (an Isuzu Amigo),
I have had since it was brand-new (1993), and
have always used a pressure washer at a car wash to clean it - weekly, and I have never had paint just flake off from the water pressure.
I began waxing it this weekend and became thouroughly discouraged when I continued to find small rust spots all over the truck. I have contacted the dealer I purchased the vehicle from, and I am waiting for his return call.
I think they should repaint the whole vehicle, you don't spend 20,000 + dollars and expect to see the paint fall of in under a year!
I will post what my dealer is willing to do when I know, so maybe it helps out someone else.

koury

A little off topic, but lots of experience in this forum, maybe someone can help. My dealer sticker came off, leaving the sticky residue on the car. Tried gently rubbing it off, but it left the are hazy. Any suggestions?

pat455

I think you've hit almost all of the relevant topics on your question except for perhaps the best one. Check out the posts in this link, there are a lot of good suggestions:

Removing stickers, labels, decals... (Topic #1596)

Good luck, hope you can get it cleaned up easily. Come back to all the topics you posted in and let us know what your experiences were; I'm sure everyone will be interested.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

automophile

jagvdp - NO

Pressure Washers - a REALLY bad idea for cleaning your car (as you have found out). The water pressure must be high enough to remove baked on dirt. Where do you think that dirt goes? Bouncing straight up off your paint? NO - it grinds along your paint like sandblasting, removing paint until it flies off. My neighbors have learned this the hard way, and have already had to re-paint one car after only a few years. I wash my car with a car wash compound and a sheepskin mitt just as fast. DONT DO IT!

Labels - Get some "Goof Off" or "Lift Off" designed for removing paint drips and spray and all kinds of adhesive residue. Great around the house! Paint, Auto parts or drug/grocery store should have it.

karluvver

My '00 Acura TL was obviously worked with rubbing compound on the rear deck lid but the sides had a stipple finish so I had to sand it with 600 grit wetordry sandpaper to smooth the finish. Then used the rubbing compoud, polishing compound and finally wax.

sayno2buick

My '94 Park Avenue has 40,300 original miles. The paint is blistering and peeling off. The dealership informed me that it is a known problem and that DuPont had supplied GM with the wrong paint ingredients causing the paint not to adhere to the primer. In other words, it is a factory defect. The dealership also informed me that the entire car has to be stripped of paint and repainted but they refuse to take care of it because I am nearly 12 months beyond their 5yr paint warranty. My complaint to Buick corporate was not well received either because of the expired warranty. Any suggestions?

Schwantje

I have a 2000 Blue Pathfinder that recently received a dent from a little girl practicing her fishing pole casting on it. The dent was located on top of the fender right next to the hood. I had the dent extracted by a paintless dent remover, but during the process of him removing the dent he used, for whatever reason, what looked to me like sandpaper to do what he was doing. Now there are light scratches in that area, but they only seem to be in the clearcoat as the color has not been effected.

I've tried hand buffing the scratches out several times to no avail. If I take the car to a detailer he uses a machine buffer, will this be better and more effective than my hand buffing? Also, how easily can the machine buffer eat through the clearcoat? I'd rather live with the light scratches than missing clearcoat, which will eventually lead to fading paint.

Thanks.

automophile

I'd continue to work with the hand polish for a while. The 3M hand polish (Sorry, can't remember the exact name)is said to be especally effective. Machine polishing might be a little heavy, and you are right - a few light scratches are better than no clear coat. If you ever decide to use Zaino polymer polish, the Z5 actually "fills" light scratches, so it might help.

vernlew

After reading many posts, it seems that many people use 3M Imperial Hand Glaze to polish out light scratches (and swirls). You can find this product at Pep Boys. Then follow up with your favorite wax. Agree with automophile, machine buffer may be a bit excessive (and tricky for inexperienced hands) for this task.
Vern

daverose

The 3M product may be your solution, it was for me for some oxidation that Dawn, clay, and Zaino 1, 5, and 2 could not take care of on my 1987 Dodge Caravan deep red, but that's taking an abrasive to your paint. I would think you'd like to take the most gradual approach that you could in taking care of the scratches. I would try to use the Z1/Z5 approach first. My brother-in-law scratched his daughters' deep Navy Blue Saturn; he took rubbing compound to it and added fine scratches on either side of the original. One coat of Z5 took care of the rubbing compound scratches. Now the original scratch is a different story ...

olegphil

Hi!

I've got some small pin head-sized brown spots on the paint. When I first saw them I was scared that it was rust. I was able to clean them off from a small area with tar and bug remover. Although I think it's a little bit too harsh to use on the entire car. I went to an auto store and found some Polish 2001 and a Cleaner/Wax. What should I use to remove those spots?

joe166

There has been a lot of discussion on this very subject on both the Non-Zaino wax topic and the Zaino one. Without going into the merits of that debate, there is not a whole lot of difference in the clay that Zaino sells and most of the others. If you read the last couple of Zaino posts today, you will see two testimonials about claying their cars. Look into this. It worked for me a couple of weeks ago on my daughters car which had apparently gotten tiny brown spots from some overspray from a nearby building. She thought it might be tree sap, I thought it was water based paint. Didn't matter. It came off easily without too much effort. Although I use the Zaino products, I did not use a Zaino clay bar since I bought one at AutoZone for about half the price and didn't think there was enough difference to merit the extra cost. Pep Boys also carries Mothers and Meguiars clay and ezerase has a web site with lots of information. It is very easy to do and really smooths out the feel of the paint. Look into it, it seems to me to be less abrasive than compounds which will obviously also work.

pat455

Just be careful that you get a nonabrasive form of clay. For example, Clay Magic makes two kinds, blue which IS nonabrasive and therefore should not damage the surface, and red which is not (and will leave scratches on your finish).

Also, I think the website joe166 mentions is actually www.erazer.com - there is a lot of good information there about how claying works.

Looking through previous posts in this topic and the two that joe166 mentions will give you more information on our members experiences with clay. It's worth a shot and very well might take care of those spots without your having to resort to anything abrasive.

Good luck - let us know how it turns out.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

phelpsm

Question to anyone with ideas:
I have a 99 Silverstream Solara and over the past several
months I have noticed very little specks of black
on the hood, roof and trunk of my car. I work for
a University and live about 2 blocks from it's
powerplant. Since I started noticing the specs I
have noticed the exaust of the powerplant smoke
stack blowing 75% of the time right over my place. I can't get the specks off the car even by using a cloth to "scrub" the car. So today I took it to a body shop and they think they can get most of it out by buffing it out at a cost of $200. If that doesn't work then I would have to get a new paint job. The bodyshop said that since the powerplant burns coal, the ash is what is specking my car. First off, has anyone ever had a this type of a problem before??? And second off (a lawyer question), I am not eager to sue anyone or to make alot of noise, but could the powerplant be liable since I was unaware of the possible problem when I moved there (I have only lived there 1 year)? It's bad enough that if I wanted to sell the car that people would definitely notice it and it would bring the value of the car down. And I don't think I should have to pay out the $200 just to have it buffed out. Any advise would be wonderful.
THANKS.

joe166

Sure, if you can prove that the damage to your car is caused by the smokestack, you should be able to recover but the problem is that you can't afford to sue anyone for $200. That is why the court system has come up with the class action concept. If a wrong causes the SAME DAMAGE to everyone, then you can band together and sue as a class. Go to see a lawyer that does class actions (or any lawyer that does plaintiffs work). Ask any lawyer you know for a recommendation. IMHO avoid the guys who advertise on the bus bench or the sides of public transportation or the back of the yellow pages. A recommendation from a friend who is a lawyer is much more important than a good ad agency. They may be interested and as a result, you may be reimbursed for your damages. You could also try writing a letter to the miscreant, but I think they would fear setting a bad precedent by paying you in light of their massive exposure. A class action would protect them by limiting who could claim to a certain time period. You have a chance, go for it.

dlepore

hi

help i have a 1992 dodge shadow america teal blue in color and for the last few years the paint has been falling off, its really bad. when i drive around from time to time i will see the same make and model and color with the same problem. has their been any recourse with dodge for this paint problem its obvious the paint is defective, when i call the customer service line they just ack surprised as if mine is the first call they have received on thsi subject and offer no help aat all.

thanks

davel1@mail.com

koury

Anyone have any recommendations on what is SAFE to buy that won't scratch or cause swirl marks? I've used swirl remover on my black car (yes, I realize how tough it is to prevent swirl marks), but I fear the wash mit I'm using might be the culprit. Any suggestions welcome!

daverose

I don't know of a wash mitt, but if you don't find one, you can reduce your possibility of getting more swirls by wrapping a hand towel around a sponge to wash the vehicle. That towel should be a high-quality (bath store or bath department bought: Cannon, Fieldcrest, or other name brand; NOT bags of shop or wash towels from auto stores, which are normally non-US made and contain thread blends that can scratch/swirl your paint) white, 100% cotton in both the loops and the backing, check the label, Made in the USA, for Government assurance that the towel is all cotton. You should keep the edges of the towel and any sewn-in designs away from the surface of the vehicle;they may contain non-cotton thread.

automophile

I found some GREAT genuine sheepskin mitts at Costco. They are very soft and cause no swirls at all.

I also bought a set just to use for polishing the car - they are great for wiping off the dry polish!

dferrara

I have a 2000 Corolla with Super White paint.
There are brown & black spots all over the car,
they can not be wash or wiped off the only thing
that seems to take them off is if you scrape with
your fingernail. I am not sure if I have a bad
paint finish or something else.

dodgeomni

I have waxed my New Honda Accord about once a month since I bought it last February. Is this excessive and is there any danger a once a month waxing might damage the paint? I have been using Maguires Cleaner-Wax. Any advise?

automophile

If they can be scraped off with your fingernail, you can removed them fairly easily by claying the car with one of the many car clays available. A finge mbenfit is that it will clean the surface really well, leavintg the car baby-smooth and ready for the re-wax you will need after claying.

In fact - if you had a good wax the dots may not have stuck at all, and a polymer polish would have been even better - nothing sticks to them!

graphicguy

While, in general, there is no such thing as waxing too much, if you are using a "cleaner-polish" as you state, you may want to switch to something a little less "strong".

Not sure, but the only way a cleaner-wax can work is with either some fine polishing compound (very fine grit in the wax) or harsher chemical derivatives (that chemically break down contaminants).

Since you wax every month, you may want to look at some of the purer carnuba waxes out there (Mothers, California Gold, Malms among many others). They don't last very long, but since you are waxing every month, it won't matter.

If you want a longer lasting and more brilliant shine, look at some of the polymer waxes. You might want to make a trip over to the Zaino topic.

daverose

The only "danger," if that is the proper word, or risk, would be if you are not using the proper "applicators" on the surface. Your question leads me to guess that you are new to caring for your car. To me, the single most important ingredient to car paint care is the towels you use. They should be high-quality (most likely found at dedicated bath stores or departments) white, 100%, made in the USA, cotton towels. They should be white to avoid transferring dye to your car's paint and they should be all the other things "required" to avoid scratching/swirling the paint. The "spider web" lines you see around the glare of the sun's reflection off vehicle panels is NOT a desirable thing. You need to read the label to insure that both the loops and backing are cotton. Still, the edge stitching or woven patterns could contain the polyester or blend threads that would scratch the paint. Because of this, some advocate cutting off the edges and patterns in towels. While this may speed up your car care regimen, it could quickly disintegrate the towel and if it does so in the washing machine, you could be in for a problem. I just fold the edges and pattern into my towel "pad." Some advocate bath size towels, I only use them to dust or dry the vehicle. I use a number of hand towels to wash (wrapped around a sponge), to remove the dried polish, and to apply gloss enhancer/quick detailer. You should wash the towels with liquid soap, rather than powder that might not all dissolve, without bleach, without fabric softener, and rinse them twice before using them the first time to help cut down on the lint when they're used. To maintain the softness, wash the towels the same way and try to air dry them.

So,if you're not using the proper applicators, your frequent waxing could be scratching and swirling your paint, leading to a dull look, at a higher rate than someone less enthusiastic might.

mgw1

My RED 2000 Solara recently sustained a scratch on the side of the front bumper. It's about 6" long and maybe 1/16" wide. Would greatly appreciate any advice on touching this up myself without going the expensive body shop route. While the scratch is not too deep, there is some white color showing through where the paint was peeled off on part of the scratch. Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.

automophile

Get some touch-up paint at the dealer, and some "Paint Leveler" at an auto parts store (In a little bottle with the touch up paint section) Clean the scratch out. Touch up the scratch best you can, let dry 15-20 minutes. Then, wet a cleant cloth with a little leveler, wrap one layer around a card or small flat stick and use the leveler to smooth the touch up paint down to the regular paint surface. If you do it carefully, the scratch will almost dissappear.

Good Luck.

mgw1

Thanks so much for taking the time to advise on the touch-up paint & leveler. I'm going to try it out. Again, I appreciate your help.