Paint and Body Care

danielj6

Thank you for the advise! I went to a car wash today Sunday very early in the morning, and they said that the paint looks too good to compound. They recommended waxing only as anything else would be too hard for the paint. I showed them the fine scratches. The car was washed and waxed too quickly I might add; it took 20 minutes. It
was cheaper that they had quoted me before the saw the car.
The scratches I was told are too deep to take off. I'm not happy but the hood and roof were not really rough to the touch as I originally appeared to me. This car survived the New York winter better that previous vehicles I owned. I don't know what to do about the scratches though.

dhanley

I was told to use rubber cement to glue a little circle of sandpaper onto the end of a rounded eraser. Give it a day to dry, you you should be able to use it to sand out the rust without damaging the surrounding paint. You're smart to worry, i thought it could do it right with a square of sanaper just by being careful. I was *wrong*

dave

chuasan

Hi everyone,

Did anyone try this new product(California Water Blade)? I found this product from Sport Compact Car (www.sportcompactcarweb.com). It seems very cool and time-saving. However, I am suspicious about its ability to keep surface scratch-free. Please share your experience with everyone here. Thnx

joe166

There have been lots of posts about this. The consensus seems to be that it does not scratch the car if used properly (to dry a clean car). Some people love it, some don't. I have used it and have one in my trunk. I have found it to be useful, but I prefer to use towels, for some reason that I can't really articulate maybe because I SUSPECT that it takes the shine and water beading off a "wax" job prematurely. I obviously have no proof that this is true, but I do suspect it.

bretfraz

I use one and love it. Especially good for larger vehicles like minivans and SUV's. I have to wash my car at the local coin-op which prevents me from using the old "trickle-the-water" trick so the blade cuts the amount of drying time.

I say "go for it".

chuasan

I will order the blade today and I cant wait to use them.

bretfraz: Just wondering, how long does it take to clean your sedan or SUV? Does it drys the surface in once or more?

Chris

automophile

They are all a total scam. The ALL turn white in the cracks, and are usually low-grade wax to begin with. It would be nice if it works, but it doesn't. Don't waste your money.

It may be worth going to a professional to have the scratches buffed out as much as possible, then keep a good wax or polymer coat on the paint for max protection.

daverose

Before I would have someone buff out scratches, I would use Zaino's Z5 polish for scratches and swirls.

armtdm

I have been trying various waxes etc for about a year on my TOY. I have tried the Mequiars Gold Class,as well as # 26, as well as Collinite and now just tried the Z product. Also used Nu Finish in the past.
Nu Finish, if left to dry is tough to get off but a long lasting protection with not the greatest shine.
Gold Class, pretty good stuff, agaian a white residue that if in hard to get places can be tough to get off
# 26, great finish (not on long enough to talk about protection) seems to be a little harder to get off due to a greasy like film when wiping.
Collinite, the best of all of the above, great shine not as long lasting as Nu Finish etc but no carnuba wax will ever be long lasting.
Zaino, well, assumming your car is clean (and it must be clean for basically any wax or polish prep) it is very easy to put on, a thin coat is recommended, very easy to get off and the price is no worse then Collinite or #26 for that matter. I just put it on, in fact did not follow directions by washing with dawn first to remove old Collinte wax. This stuff is truly remarkable, so damn slippery and the shine looks great but I have not had my TOY out of the garage as yet to truly see it in the sun. Nice thing is it can be applied in the sun whereas the others cannot be. So, the final opinion is not yet out for me but I highly recommend #26, and Collinite over the Gold Class and Nu Finish and will see about Zaino but it could outshine them all.

bretfraz

My former SUV took about 20 mins to dry but I was cleaning door jambs and all the cracks and crevices. The sedan takes less time.

The blade doesn't "dry" your car but you can get large panels mostly dry (like the hood) in a few swipes. You'll still need a towel or two to cry everything else. I use the blade to sling off as much water as possible to prevent spotting and speed up the process. I'm sure you'll like it.

twobrowns

Planning a trip to Florida from Pa. Per previous trips I collect a smathering of bugs which is very difficult to clean after they are baked from the Fld. sun. Does anyone know of something that could be applied to the front area which would protect the finish and allow easy cleaning? I remember someone suggested pam(cooking spray) but this could harm the finish.

rrmcdonald

How effective are the bug screens? I live in Fl, but I always wash the bugs off immediately after a trip.

armtdm

The wax should make it much wasier to wash off.

joe166

That is the best defense against our love bugs in Florida. Wax the car with something that makes it real slippery and hose the front off every time you stop. Most of the Turnpike stops in the most affected areas have windshield washing stations, use them on the front bumper. Most of the interstate rest stops also have a hose to wash the windshield. Either way, take some extra paper towels and wet them and wipe away most of the bugs, but be careful to throw it in the trash right away as they smell even worse than they look.

tronsr1

Florida Bugs..
I live in MelbourneBeach, Florida and make three to four trips to NJ and back yearly. I always put on a $4.00 bug screen {from PepBoys}for the trips. It helps considerably plus a good wax job. The main to remember is to get those "LOVE BUGS" off as soon as possible. They are usually most prevelant in April and September...but there are plenty of other "LITTLE CRITTERS" to supplement them. All of the above posts were good advice for you.
Hope this helps
BUG SCREEN NORT

goose1207

Has anyone tried the new Mother's Trigger Wash product?

automophile

AUTO BLADE
The idea of dragging an object over my car makes me really nervous. All it take is a single grain of dirt from some little cranny sticking to the blade to carve deep. permanent scratches into the paint.

Better to use a garden "fan" type sprayer to wash and rinse your car. This provides a high volume of water at very low pressure. When you are done, move the fan spray close the the car, slowly moving it over the surface, creating a "wall" of water, and follow the slope of the car down. Surface Tension will cause the wall of water to pull most of the rest of the water off with it, leaving the car nearly dry. Once you get the hang of it, you will see that you can get about 80% of the water off the car with high-volume, low-pressure technique. I never need more than one small towel to then quickly dry the car.

hsilva

I'm a new owner of a Red '01 Subaru Forester S and I've been reading a lot of forums here in Town Hall to get tips and information on taking care of my new vehicle.
I've read most of the posts in this section and I want to thank everyone for sharing so much information and good will.
I'm really starting to feel that I can take care of my Subaru and keep it going and looking great for years to come.
Also, special thanks to all who posted about repairing/painting paint chips. I had a rock gouge out a little chip of paint on the front fender. Thanks to all of you - I know how to fix it - and do it right.
Appreciate all your help. I'll be checking in for more info.

twc8888

I own a reddish brown 1986 Honda Accord that is recently experiencing severe deterioration of the paint and the clear coat (several white blotches on the roof and the hood - but NO rust). An autobody expert said it's due to the heavy oxidation & UV damage. Any "cheap" solution to restore its original color? Or, at least, how to minimize the ugly blotches (e.g. using red color wax)?

xfiles

I agree with hime when he says if you want the best paint finish to not have the dealer do any washing or detailing to the vehicle.

Just had my Savana van picked up, and there were absolutely no swirls or light scratch marks on the body. Why should there be any after a new paint job? All those swirls are from them doing the washing, buffing, and I bet some have gone through a contact car wash to save them time if they have a lot of vehicles to do (at least it looks that way). Walk into a showroom and look carefully at the vehicles on display. If those cars have many swirl marks, you can imagine how the one you order will look. I have seen many paint jobs on new vehicles ruined. I guess most of us have accepted it as normal. I washed my vehicle myself and was pleasantly surprised by the lack of ANY flays!

sddlw

It's going to to be tough to repair the paint once it has gone this far, without some repainting, or processes that are best left to the professionals. I think your best bet to do it yourself would be to sand the areas with heavy oxidation with very fine (1500-2000 grit) sandpaper, then attack it with rubbing compounds and then polishing glazes in order of decending abrasiveness, using an orbital buffer and polishing pads. You'll probably need to polish the whole car when you get to that stage for everything to look the same. It really depends on how deep the oxidation goes. If it is completely through the paint, no amount of polishing will take it out. If it is not through the paint, you might be able to salvage things.

dhanley

I'd give 3m hand glaze or nu-finish a try, in that order. I had a friend who had an '85 mercury capris with chalky paint, and i mostly fixed a section of it with the nu-finish.

dave

twc8888

'adriaticous' gave me the following advice.
(please post your comments about adriaticous's advice. Keep them coming. Thanks!):

>>>>>>>>>>>

The horizonal parts would be effected most by sun damage. An inexpensive improvement (not cure) goes as follows. Start by using a polishing compound (dumont makes a good one) which can be found in most auto stores. Read the directions. Use sparingly. Feel the rag and compound cut into the paint oxidation. However, bear in mind you are cutting. Get a feel for it. After this process use one of the colored waxes that are on the market now. You mentioned your car is red and that it has white spots. Since it does have white spots you'll have to purchase the red and the black colored waxes. You know what happenes when you mix red and white together. You get pink. Mix the two colors in a small container. Use your own judgement. You may want to put more black than red. Do a small section at a time. This stuff dries fast and it's difficult to rub off. After this process you need to put somwhat of a luster back into the paint. I'll let you in on a secret. ALL car waxes ( I'll probably get responses from other experts disclaming this statement. However, I'm 100% correct.) produce a dry white haze after a few days ON OLDER CAR PAINTS. I'M NOT REFERING TO NEW PAINTS (experts). Anyway, you need a product that will add somekind of oil, if you would, back into the paint at the final stage. For this you use a vinyl protector. Such as "High Gloss, by Armor All" Let me know how you made out.

killakella123

Hello, I just bought a '01 Accord and I want to protect the notoriously thin honda paint from chipping. Have any of you heard of/used the 3M clearmask stuff? Seems like it would work and look good, if it isn't too visible and doesn't damage the paint underneath? If any of you want to check it out, go to www.clearmask.com. Also, if any of you have put the stuff on yourself, let me know how difficult it is and whether or not I should have someone else do it. Thanks!

deuce56

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good aftermarket gold kit for an Olds Silhouette?

sddlw

I've not used this myself, but I have seen people discussing clear bras in Mercedes C-class, in the sedans topic. You might check that topic's history out.

bretfraz

They really aren't designed to be self-installed. It's not like you remove the silver ones and replace them with gold ones.

The process to turn silver emblems to gold ones is electrochemical and requires a machine, a solution with gold flake suspended in it, and someone who knows how to do it.

My suggestion is to find a detail shop in your area that offers the service. It's pretty common for detailers to do as its a nice side business.

joe166

I didn't know that this was something that people wanted. I always thought this was something that dealers did in order to jack up the prices of very popular cars and increase their profit margin. Then the people who really wanted these cars would have to take this until they could get them removed or else they would have to park in the handicapped spaces due to being "good taste challenged". Shame on me, shows how much I know.

mblrds

I'm thinking about taking my truck to an auto detailing shop for a exterior detail job. I had it now for over a year and kept it fairly clean inside and out as well as waxed. But as things happen, some minor scratches have turned up.
Does a detail shop remove minor scratches (can't feel with finger nail) as a part of it's service?
Exactly what does a detail shop do? How can I go about finding one that I would feel good about and trusting them with my $$$ truck? I have never dealt with a detailing shop before. What should I look for? Questions to ask? What's the difference between polishing, buffing, and waxing?
Any input is appreciated, Thanks,
M.

00 GMC Sierra Ext cab Z71 w/ 5.3

deuce56

Hey Joe, everyone has their own tastes, but the reason for my interest in gold kits is that I personally like the look of the gold on some colors of cars rather than the silver/chrome. My mocha van looks better with the gold than with the shiny chrome-look. Sorry if I've offended your superior tastes. I promise I won't park it in front of your house - it may depreciate the value of your neighborhood.

bretfraz

Wow, lots of complex questions. It'll take lots of typing to answer but here's my 2 cents.

Yes, a detail shop can easily remove minor scratches. Actually, you'd be quite amazed what an experienced detailer can do. But little scratches, scuffs, and marks are a piece of cake. Make sure you point them out.

How to find a good detailer - that's almost a book or at least a large pamphlet. One excellent way is to ask around, especially any car-nut buddies or people you know who take excellent care of their cars. I'd spend some time searching the net as many detail shops have websites. Also try this:

http://www.mobileworks.com

It's a pro detailer's central website and has links to detailers nationwide. Like many things there is an entire world of detailing; you just gotta find the front door.

What you look for in a detailer isn't much different than what you look for in a mechanic or attorney or plumber or whatever. Some detailers are mobile-only and have large clientele's but no shop to check out, so don't rule out someone just because they work out of a van.

If it were me, after I found a couple places to take my truck, I'd have them do a basic wash and hang out while they work. You'll pick up lots of clues just by watching how they do business. And if they're not worthy, you aren't out lots of money.

I hope this little primer helps. Good luck.

automophile

Actually - you are both right -

It IS done by dealers to jack up the price, AND it really does look better than chrome on some colors, IF it isn't over done. I stripped most of the tacky emblems off my Pearl White car, and had just the front and back Toyota symbols gold plated, and the matching symbols in the wheel hub covers. The gold really gives a classy look on warm colors. It CAN be over done and should NEVER be used on a black car, do the black chrome instead.

deuce56

I know I'm not the only one who likes the gold on "warmer" colors (ie., GM mocha brown). I was looking to get the gold embossed Olds insignia on the inside of the wheel covers done. The only other emblems that are gold are the Olds insignia in front and back and the script Premier logos. I think the wheels look too plain. The older wheels had a gold highlighting around the openings but they aren't available anymore.

adc100

Vehicle is 9 yrs old and the windshield has so many scratches it affects vision. I know its a common problem in old cars. Is replacement the best solution or can windshield replacers polish them out.

roderacer

Hey, new to this board... I bought a 2001 Impala LS a few days ago. I plan on washing her this weekend...

What is the best material to use to dry the car? I want to use a leather chamois but would a 100% USA made cotton towel be safer on the paint?

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks!
RR

killakella123

roderacer-

I have read that leather chamois will strip off the wax. Also seems to me that any dirt on a chamois has less places to hide and more of a chance to scratch than on a cotton towel. I bought a car care kit from Meguiars and they sent me some BIG cotton towels that work great. The ones I bought from Kmart and an auto parts store really suck compared to these.

roderacer

Thanks for the info. I agree that any dirt or other particles have a greater chance of scratching the paint when using leather... I think I'll stick with the cotton.

Oh, you may have better luck with the towels from Kmart if you make sure they are 100% cotton and are MADE IN THE USA! Other towels may say 100% cotton but if they are made in a foreign country, there is more than likey nylon or polyester fibers in them too. And another tip is to cut off the ends of the towels because they contain nylon and can scratch the paint. Sew the ends back up with cotton thread and you should be OK. Towels in auto stores suck! Don't use them... Cannon or Feildcrest bath towels work the BEST.

Thanks,
RR

the_big_h

i've noticed on my car that the clear coat is peeling off along the edges of the driver side door. This is a 2000 car with very low mileage, so it's relatively new. Anybody know if, in general, this kind of defect is covered by the manufaturer's warranty? If not, how could i repair it myself, or who should i see to get it fixed. The peeling is very minor, just right along the edge of the top of the driver side door, right below the window and the side mirror.

thanks

H

bretfraz

I would not mess with this. I recommend going to Alldata.com and checking to see if there is a recall or TSB out on your car. $20 says if its happening on your car, its happening on others.

Take it to your dealer. Get them to put this problem in writing even if they refuse to take care of it. Open a file with the mfr's Customer Care dept. Start a paper trail. Take notes and pictures.

This has happened several times in the past 10 years or so, especially to GM cars, but Ford too had a problem with peeling paint. Eventually both companies had to offer something to the vehicle owners; some got full repaints, some got partial credit towards a repaint, others got a rebate on a new car or something like that.

I'm sorry - I don't mean to alarm you or scare you. But peeling paint is a serious problem that if not documented can easily be refuted by the mfr. It will have an adverse affect on the future value of your new car. I have friends and coworkers who had paint problems and never followed up so now their cars look like junkyard refugees. I hope this doesn't happen to you.

Best of luck.

deuce56

I just finished polishing m wife's car (Pearl White Lexus ES300) and noticed tiny (smaller than a pinhead) dots of rust in the paint. I used a light polishing compund (Meguiar's #1) and a clay bar but neither removed the spots. I have a paint sealant w/warranty from the dealer. Is this something that needs to be looked at NOW? Has anyone else seen anything like this?

lookintobuy

I picked up my new Acura 3.2 TL last week. It was absolutely shiny and spotless when I picked it up.I had to drive home about 400 miles, after which there was a tremendous amount of bug crap on the front bumper, hood, outside mirrors and windshield. Now there was another Edmunds board concerning 3.2 windshield problems, which I encountered also. No matter how much I used my washers, the stuff wouldn't come off the windshield. Windex finally solved that problem. But I took the car to a car wash and a lot of the bug stuff didn't come off the front bumper and mirrors which I never saw before. Any suggestions? Is Windex suitable as a spot cleaner for bug crap on a front plastic bumper or even the hood? They recommend it for "any surface" but I don't want to use anything that will ruin my still-new finish.

luthor1

I was polishing my car today and I too noticed one tint rust dot on the spoiler of my dwp solara didn't come off with rubbing with towel but fingernail did the trick. Wonder if it could be a tiny metal filing that got on the paint during shipping but so small regular washing didn't remove it??

eharri3

My friend has one in the older body style, just before it became the Chevy Prizm in 98 or 99. Anyone else notice that the paint on these things tends to fade after a few years? Doesn't flake or peel, just loses its shine. I see it especially on the ones in brighter colors. Hers is a bright red, and it's losing its gloss on the hood, roof, and trunk. I dont think she's seen it, so I'm not going to mention it and give her one more thing to worry herself to death about, but do many other Prizm owners notice this?

telaine

Hi All,
Been looking through part of this site to find out about door dings and dents, but haven't found much yet - probably somewhere in post #643, which I didn't read. Anyway, have a new 2001.5 Passat. Had it for about 3 weeks now, located 2 small dents/dings on passenger side. Could be from other drivers whipping their doors open in a parking lot. Don't know, but have been careful. Hard to detect, unless you stand right there. Is there anyway to get these out? I know there's got to be a way, because autobody shops do it. Is there a do-it-yourself method for small dings/dents? My father suggested a plunger or suction cup method. Don't know what to make of that. Any help, suggestions, GREATLY APPRECIATED!
Thanks

armtdm

Most cities have companies called dent wizards that can repair small dents at your home for reasonalbe prices. Look in yellow pages under autobody repairs

wilcox

This weekend, I transformed myself into a " Detailer".

Took a '99 Buick LeSaber and did it a job. Cleaning was rare for this bird...

1. Hand washed with a mitt, and sponge rubbed all bumpers free of bugs.

2. Dissolved all tar, etc on lower moldings and behind wheel wells.

3. Washed inside door casings and dried.

4. Towel dried all windows and painted surfaces.

5. Westley'd the white walls twice. By brush and by cloth. Wow!

6. Used "DustOff" on alloy wheels to remove wheel dust, etc.. Wow!

7. Used windex and razor blade on all outside windows. Then applied 2 separate coats of rain-x to glass surfaces.

8. Wiped interior down with moist towel. leather, plastic, steering wheel, etc..

9. Clayed car from top of roof...down to side door molding. Wow!

10. Applied NuFinish to the clayed surfaces. Buffed. Wow!

11. Applied McGuiers Tire Gell "Endurance" to all four tires.

Did all of this in less than four hours....over a six hour period.

It looks almost better than brand new.

Besides labor, it cost me roughly $9.00 worth of cleaning supplies out of my stock (including 1/3 clay bar).

I wonder what a professional Detailing Outfit would have charged my dad to perform that kind of service on his LeSabre?

wil

rayfbaird

Congrats. It was a lot of work, but if your DAD is like mine, then it's one of the best presents you could give.

One consolation. IT gets much easier and uses fewer supplies if you do it regularly.

protegextwo

I'm sure your Dad was pleased! Tom, the real question is? What are you going to charge ME? When I bring my car over to Wilcox's Detail service for a detail? LOL!!! :-}

-Larry

wilcox

Wouldn't you agree that cleaning a vehicle is a healthy activity? Can detailing provide about as much exercise as playing tennis or golf in some instances? Calories well spent?

Judging from your profile Larry, about the only effort a detailer would have to expend on your automobiles is plugging in the blower to blow the pollen off... : ^ )

wil

k9cop1

Finally, a site I can relate to! I have a new Ford Escape (black) & I use Meguiers cleaner wax & Mothers "Back to Black" for the trim & cladding.
My question is, I get a lot of brake dust on the front tires & rims. I have heard suggested that vented brake shields might help. Any comments?
Dave