Paint and Body Care

dwu2

Just bought a 99 toyota 4-runner . Considering to take it to a complete package of body protection - rust proofing, undercoating, permant shine and fabric gurding. Don't know whether it's worth it as new car has pretty good protection already. Any advice would be appreciated.

vivona

Rust proofing, undercoating, permanent shine and fabric guarding are all "snake oil" items loaded with excessive profit. Save your money.

Your car was made with rustproofing already applied. More is not needed.

There is no such thing as permanent shine. The best you can do is wax with Nu Finish Paste Wax once every 8-12 months. It is available at any automotive department. One can costs $5.00 and will do the truck 2-3 times.

You can buy 2 spray cans of Scotchguard for about $8.00 and spray all interior fabrics if you want. That is exactly what the body protection package vendor will do anyway, spray it with Scotchguard, but charge you a lot more.

For years dealers have offered the body protection package as a way of adding back a lot of profit. Save your money and enjoy your truck as it is.

bdstrie

I bought a brand new Grand Prix about 8 weeks ago, and have noticed several "chips", about 3mm in diameter, on the hood, roof, and passenger door. While hand washing last weekend, I noticed a small bump on my paint that I thought was dirt I'd missed. I scratched it with my fingernail, it came off, and left one of those "chips" in the paint!!!!

Anyone know what this is/ever experienced this?? Haven't gone to the body shop yet...figured someone out there has an idea of what's going on

ejy

My cousin had this problem on her '98 Monte. The dealer replaced it with a '99 (free of charge but with lots of headaches - in a small town, word of mouth really, really hurts a dealers bottom line .

pocahontas

may also be interested in this new Topic: #554, Removing (dealer) stickers, labels, decals... that is, without scratching the surface of your vehicle. If you have any questions, or advise, on this subject, please stop by. Thanks. ;-)

Pocahontas,
Community Leader/Coupes, Convertibles, and Sports Cars

cwilkes

I read somewhere on this board about using peanut butter to remove white wax residue on body side moldings/window moldings? I tried this yesterday on a 2000 Xterra and it worked great. I then tried it on my wifes 93 Sentra and it took years of residue off without a problem.
Method:I put a little peanut butter on a toothbrush and sprayed the area with water and just rubbed the peanut butter in then rinsed? What a difference on the sentra?

byed

they are probably paint problems from the factory or mishandling since then. The body shop at the dealer will probably repair them for free, but depending on the size they will repaint portions of your car. I had this done and there have been plenty of headaches since then. Check up on the body shop beforehand or demand they pay for you to take it to a better one.

aslugwirth

I recently purchased a new car with metallic black clear coat paint. It is garaged nightly and hand washed weekly. After about 2 months I noticed small pits etched into the clear coat. I tried swirl removal, and clear coat cleaning compound without success. I see similar marks on my other car. Is this just a fact of life living in the northeast? (near Philadelphia).

mtsang

I have two coats of Zaino Z2 on my car already. What is the best way to remove water spots on the trunk of my car?

Thank you in advance.

hagar

they have a good car care web posting area with lots of info on this stuff

geridoc

Dilute vinegar or other dilute acid will dissolve water spots, which are actually residual minerals, left after the water evaporates. Try 1 part of vinegar mixed with 9 parts of water. After you finish, rinse thoroughly.

zJay

johncg

#524
I guess I assumed wrong when I thought we were talking about normal operation.

#525
I have used syn oil during the winter only in my last three cars and all ran at the same temp as with DD oil.

Many things effect engine temperature but the final result -- what you see on the dash board -- is determined by the thermostat.

johncg

Sorry, this got posted in the wrong place.

vivona

I backed into a concrete post and it left bumps on my rear plastic bumper. What appears to have happened is the rough surface of the concrete scooped out small pits (1/32" diameter) of plastic from below the surface and left them above the surface, still attached.

I want to fix this the best way short of filler and repainting. My idea is to shave the raised plastic bumps off with a razor blade. That would leave the small holes which I would than fill with touch up paint. I would than sand the touch up paint level with the surrounding surface.

There is a product called Langka that is supposed to smooth the surface of touch up paint even with the surrounding surface without harming the surrounding paint, leaving the repair almost invisible. Anybody ever try Langka?

Any better ideas, procedures or other input would be appreciated.

das3

if you are repairing an older car whereby quality of repair is not the determining factor, i'd suggest touch-up paint; otherwise a body shop or a mobile bumper repair tech is your best bet for maximum results.

mdw1000

I have paint sealant on both my cars, and have put nufinish wax on them, based on the recommendation of a friend. Any ideas if this is ok/good/bad?

Thanks!

vivona

Paint sealant is just a fancy name for car wax. Car retailers sell "sealant" for a greatly inflated price and you end up with a wax job. There is no such thing as a real sealant that is any better than a good coat of a polymer wax like Nu Finish. The Nu Finish most likely removed the old sealant and is now protecting your car much better since it has been tested in independent consumer tests to be the longest lasting car wax. The Nu Finish paste lasts longer than the Nu Finish liquid.

vivona

das3 -- Of course it had to happen on a new 99! I have to say I am not familiar with a mobile bumper repair tech. The damage is a small area, two horizontal lines of dots about 4 inches long each. What does the tech do? Repaint the whole bumper or just the damaged area? Any idea of the cost?

highliner

The mobile paint tech comes to you, mixes the paint on location, preps the area, and paints either the entire bumper, or blends the paint out into the undamaged area. Quality varies with the technician and approx. cost in my area is $150 for a bumper. Inquire of a used car manager at a highline dealership in your area as to who they use for this type of repair. What color is your 99 vehicle?

vivona

My car is silver metallic.

highliner

Silvers are tuff to match. The few dollars you would have in touch-up paint(should you attempt repair yourself) would be of no great loss should the result not please you. Langka? unfamiliar with it.

vivona

Langka is a liquid that you use to buff touch-up paint to wear the blob down to the surrounding surface. Check it out at http://www.langka.com/

I went ahead and bought a bottle and will try the touch-up repair myself. If I don't like the results, I can always bring the car to a pro.

cruiser1

Just took delivery of my 2000 Honda Accord EX-VL Sedan. Nighthawk Black Pearlcoat. Looks great! Want to keep it this way. Should I consider undercoating, rustproofing and paint sealer from the dealer? Looking for your input.

Thanks in advance,

highliner

Forget the paint sealant, obtain paint protection elsewhere....
see Undercoating/Paint sealant/Rustproofing

vivona

Undercoating and rustproofing are high profit dealer add-ons that are of little use. Cars are properly rustproofed by the manufacturer.

Paint sealant is nothing more than a polymer wax. You can apply your own polymer wax for a few dollars and get better protection than what the dealer will apply. Use Nu Finish Paste Wax. Top rated in consumer tests. Lasts many months. Cost about $5.

drscopem

Hi:
For specific information on waxes and sealants check out the other topics in this section.
Briefly, there are 2 ways to preserve your paint finish - with waxes or with polymer sealants. Waxes are natural carbon-derived compounds such as oils, carnauba, beeswax, montan wax, etc. Polymer sealants are man-made. Sealants tend to last longer than waxes and may not be dissolved by putting a wax on top. This still will not hurt it though.
Good waxes include One Grand Blitz Wax which is the easiest to use paste I have tried. Some like The Wax Shop products available locally or at www.waxdepot.com. An excellent online source is Larry Reynolds at www.carcareonline.com.
Good polymer sealants are Finish First, Klasse, and Zaino. Although some like NuFinish, I find that it doesn't give the depth of shine that other products can. Wiping off that white residue is no fun either. Still, use what you like.
As to Consumer Reports, I recall them publishing 2 articles on car waxes. The first said that NuFinish was the best. The second chose Meguiar's cleaner wax as #1. They had a special box about Klasse where they said it gave the best shine but they didn't think it was worth the price difference. That is a subjective opinion. Neither article reviewed Blitz, Finish First, or Zaino.
See you at the other sites. Good luck.

highliner

Liquid Glass was recommended to me by a chemist in auto finish products at 3M 8 years ago. I have used it since on many vehicles that I am able to monitor its results on. The product literature for Liquid Glass stated that at 25 coats of application it begins to resist stone chips. Not sure about that, but have been very impressed with its longevity and protection properties. As with any product, avoid caking it in the seams; control the application along trim edges and such.

yjin

Hi folks,

I just notice a fine scratch on my new corolla. It looks white in sunshine, and can barely be noticed otherwise. I run my fingernail cross it, and I can feel it.

I am not sure what "catch fingernail on the scratch" means, which is used by most people to identify if the scratch is fine enough to be buffed out. Anybody can help me out?

Thanks

drscopem

Hi:
If you can feel it with your fingernail then treat it like a paint chip and fill it. If you can't feel it then buff it.
Good luck.

saintpauliegir

My 93 Tercel was the victim of some prank. It's blue paint now has dots of white/green spray paint on it. How can I get these out without damaging the original paint?

vivona

You can remove spray paint with automotive clay. It is sold under the name Clay Magic and costs about $20. You spray a liquid on the paint and rub a bar of clay on the surface and all spray paint does will be sheared off leaving the original surface undamaged. I had a car that had overspray that was there for 11 years before I learned of clay. Tried it and it all came off leaving the original paint as smooth as silk.

Many people clay their cars once a year just to get the nice smooth shine it leaves.

yjin

Anybody know what is the difference between pearlcoat and clearcoat?

jpp2

One of the most reputable Ford dealers in the Seattle area, in response to my query, is offering to apply paint sealant with a lifetime guarantee, a guarantee that is even transferable to another owner after me. They say United Airlines just started using this same sealant aftet they changed to non-all white planes and saw their paint coming off. Furthermore, they say I should NOT wax it- ever- just wash the car when I desire it to look pretty. The Infinity dealer told me the same thing- lifetime guarantee and DO NOT wax it- only wash it when I want to look pretty. However, I see where several of you have been negative on dealer-sold sealants, saying the same thing books and Consumer Reports say, i.e., don't waste your $ on paint sealant. However, my 15-yr old buick with Glaze Guard Paint Sealant looks terrific and so I want to believe the claims of the Ford dealer and I want to believe that they are on to something better than has existed to this point. One Buick dealer told me they don't do Glaze Guard anymore (he didn't recognize the name)- instead they do Luster Guard and it comes with a 5-yr guarantee. Anyone want to take a stab at this?

jpp2

An addition to post #186- I did not buy a Ford from the aformentioned reputable Ford dealer- I bought a Subaru from a Subaru dealer. The Ford dealer only wants $249. So, I ask myself- why would this Ford dealership only want $249 in exchange for giving me paint sealant with a lifetime guarantee that's transferable to another owner when this Ford dealer lakcs the profit from selling the car to me?

usmcpao

I have an '88 Honda Accord. The paint looks as if it's cracking and the bumbers have turned from black to almost a hazy gray, which comes off if rubbed real hard. Any advice?

msibille

Clearcoat is pretty much what it says-- it's a clear layer that protects the color layer and provides the shine. In fact, most of the 'color layers' below have no gloss and can't be buffed to one. You can use this knowledge to determine if a fine scratch or scuff can be buffed out w/ polishing compound. If it begins to shine with only hand buffing, the scratch is only in the clear coat, if not, it is thru the clear coat and the clear coat should probably be repaired.

Pearlcoat is similar to clearcoat but provides the "pearlescent" (sp?) appearance (similar to that of an opal) - sort of the rainbow refraction often adding subtle violets, purples, blues to the color.

yjin

Thanks for the information. That is why I notice
my car's paint looks so subtle under sunshine.

rbart

I own a 1992 Lincoln T/C and have recently began experiencing severe deterioration of the paint (white blotches followed by flaking of the clearcoat) particularly on the roof, trunk and a few varied spots on the hood. Looks like it just caught a "disease" overnight. Anyone else having this problem? Dealer says it's "normal" oxidation...can't believe a paint job on a $30K+ car can't last more than 6 years

eddieskl

Last night, I used a nozzle to spray my new truck (white in color). When I am spraying the front of the engine compartment, I noticed several yellow marks scrattered on the cover. I orginally guessed it were tar mark so I then tried to use wax to remove it. I failed. Subsequently, I used quite strone auto cleaner to remove them. I failed again. Anyone would give me advices please?

usmcpao

I have a Blue Nissan Pathfinder and the forward edge of the hood is just a mess with nasty spots/bugs/etc. Tried bug and Tar remover, Meguirs System 123 cleaner, to no avail. HELP!

countrylawyer

My father had a 1990 Town Car which, within three or so years, experienced exactly the same problem with its paint that your '93 is showing. What serves as my memory suggests that there was a recall or at least a TSB on the paint issue. It never got resolved on the guv'nor's car; in February 1994 he floated it into a retaining wall at 60 m.p.h., bounced out into interstate traffic where he was immediately struck broadside by a Suburban, crushing the driver's door into the centerline and spinning him around so the same (!!) truck could pop him on the passenger side, ripping the door off and knocking him rear-end-first back into the retaining wall. He wasn't wearing his seat belt (this appears to have been the one-in-a-thousand instance that wearing it would have killed him); they stopped counting fractures in his chest and spine at 17. But he survived; driving by the other vehicle owner's house one day, I noticed she still drives a Suburban, a decision the logic of which I can't dispute.
Be hard-nosed about the paint problem. It most assuredly is not normal.

hagar

has anyone tried langka paint repair product and how does it work if you have tried it? i would it at www.autosupermart.com under accessories for car care, any user feedback?

jauto98

Hey people, just want to say that I've learned a lot from this post. A question I want to ask is what is the best way to dry a vehicle after it has been washed. It seems like it takes me twice as long to wash than dry. Usually, when I dry a vehicle, which consist of a 97 GMC Sonoma, I use a chamios and try to get most of the water off and then run the entire vehicle of until dry. How do you guys dry your vehicles and what do you use and recommend. Thanks...

rs_petty

Here's a technique. I use my electric leaf blower to get most of the water off, then chamois. This saves a lot of wringing out. I use a squeegee to do the windows. About 20 minutes to do a full size car this way. Blower works best when car is waxed. Anything else is just air dry.

vivona

I just refinished some wheel covers (plastic) with Plasti-Kote Steel Wheel #618 spray paint. The finish dried to a rough finish. I was expecting the finish to be smooth and semi-glossy. The surface feels rough and if you wipe it with a cloth it will smooth down somewhat and leave residue on the cloth. It is as if the paint partially dried before hitting the surface. What caused this?

mdw1000

Anybody know a good product to repair scratches in clear coat paint? I tried using some liquid stuff to no avail.

tc123

Does anyone think that $125 cost alot for a paintless dent removal to remove a small, very small dent on the hood or is this the going rate ?

Thanks

rs_petty

#198: A possibility could have been you held the can to far away. A recommendation would be to use this as a primer coat. Smooth it up with Meguiars Unigrit finishing paper (1200-1500) and apply a second coat. Make sure you have a fresh can of paint and it is mixed well.

#199: Carcareonline.com has a good paper on fixing chips/scratches. A product called langka (langka.com) apparently is the "in-thing" for repairs.

#200: Only you and your pocketbook can decide. If it is less than dime size and the paint is not broken and you can only see it if you look for it real hard, I'd say let it be. $125 sounds a little high, but I'm not trying to raise a family in that line of work.

vivona

rs petty -- Thanks for the input. I held the can at the recommended 12" distance, but I sprayed outdoors and it was windy. I bet that the wind created the same effect as holding the can too far away. No telling how old the paint was, but I had just bought it. I'll get a fresh can, sand the surface with finishing paper and repaint on a calm day.

tc123

Thanks for your input, the above u mentioned is right on the head except if anyone looks at it, it can be seen, no big deal i guess to save $125 in my pockets, maybe im just paranoid of it, no chipped paint ,just a little dime size dent.


Thanks again