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bandman posted:Claybar the windows. It'll lift the mineral deposits right off. This. This should be everybody's first step to "how to I remove _____?"
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Jun 9, 2012 04:34
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SentinelXS posted:Invisible Glass + microfiber towel did a great job of cleaning my windows, much better than Windex, but there's still hard water spots that are pretty much baked onto the glass. It's from years of being sprayed by a lawn sprinkler. Any suggestions on more aggressive options? If clay won't do it (it may well; try it if you haven't) I've had good luck using paint compound on mineral buildup. There's not much to do if it's actually etched the glass, but in many cases you just get that nasty opaque buildup. Compound makes short work of that.
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Jun 9, 2012 07:26
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bandman posted:Claybar the windows. It'll lift the mineral deposits right off. Yep, seriously prepare to be amazed. My wife basically ignores her car and the windows were horrible. Once over with a clay bar made them like new. As far as the goon with the pin-sized sap, that should come off with just a regular automotive soap. No need to  the car with Dawn or something. I get that sap all the time and it washes right off.
War Bunny fucked around with this message at 13:05 on Jun 9, 2012 |
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Jun 9, 2012 13:03
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Molten Llama posted:If clay won't do it (it may well; try it if you haven't) I've had good luck using paint compound on mineral buildup. There's not much to do if it's actually etched the glass, but in many cases you just get that nasty opaque buildup. Compound makes short work of that. If it etched the glass there are buffing compounds you can use on the glass.
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Jun 9, 2012 18:08
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ratbert90 posted:Do this. What is the plastic bag test? Do I need a buffer to clay the car? Is using the clay bar pretty self explanatory? I suck at this.
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Jun 9, 2012 18:17
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Clay didn't remove the deposits on my windows, so I guess it's off to get some sort of window safe rubbing compound...
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Jun 9, 2012 18:26
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THE BLACK NINJA posted:What is the plastic bag test? Do I need a buffer to clay the car? Is using the clay bar pretty self explanatory? I suck at this. Clay bar is super easy, three components -- the clay bar itself, a microfiber wiping towel and lubricant. You can spend a lot of money on "specific clay bar liquid," or just put a few drops of Johnson's baby shampoo into a spray bottle filled with water. Spray a 1'x1' area with the liquid, rub the clay using light-to-moderate pressure. You'll clearly be able to feel the area that you've clayed in comparison to the unworked area. The clayed area will be substantially smoother.
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Jun 9, 2012 18:34
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EVERYWHERE 
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THE BLACK NINJA posted:What is the plastic bag test? Do I need a buffer to clay the car? Is using the clay bar pretty self explanatory? I suck at this. Put your hand in a plastic sandwich baggie and run your hand over it AFTER you wash the car but before you clay it, and feel how the paint feels. The paint should feel smooth and free of any defects. Claying a car is easy enough. I suggest going to walmart and buying a claybar kit for 15$ish. It's a chunk of clay that you keep wet and rub over a washed car. The clay will pick up any dirt embedded into the paint. After you clay a panel, try the plastic bag test again and you will be a very happy man who knows he has smoother paint than 95% of the other cars on the road. A warning: Cut the clay in half, that way if you drop it you have another half bar left. IF THE CLAY TOUCHES THE GROUND THROW IT OUT.
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Jun 9, 2012 18:35
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I use plain water for claying. I compared plain water versus plain water with a couple drops of dawn and found that plain water was smoother.
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Jun 9, 2012 18:44
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revmoo posted:I use plain water for claying. I compared plain water versus plain water with a couple drops of dawn and found that plain water was smoother. I use detailing spray, but distilled water works really well also.
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Jun 9, 2012 18:48
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ratbert90 posted:A warning: Cut the clay in half, that way if you drop it you have another half bar left. IF THE CLAY TOUCHES THE GROUND THROW IT OUT. Wouldn't it be easier to pick it up, DO NOT KNEAD IT OR MIX IT IN ANY WAY, and then take off the ground touching layer with a razor blade? Or is the risk just too high? I tend to put newspaper on the ground of i'm working the vertical panels of my car, just in case.
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Jun 9, 2012 18:52
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Thanks for the tips dudes (and dudettes?  ). I just bought a meguiars clay kit since I essentially use their other products exclusively. I'll post pics later if I'm not drunk and things go as planned. The car is a subaru and this may be totally overkill 
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Jun 9, 2012 19:27
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ratbert90 posted:Put your hand in a plastic sandwich baggie and run your hand over it AFTER you wash the car but before you clay it, and feel how the paint feels. The paint should feel smooth and free of any defects. Ratbert dead on again. Clay is too damned expensive to waste an entire bar at a time though. Also, the plastic bag test is crazy stuff. You think your car is clean, then....ugh. This new-fangled thing may put an end to all that, though. https://detailersdomain.com/NanoSkin-Autoscrub-6-inch-Pad_p_695.html toplitzin posted:Wouldn't it be easier to pick it up, DO NOT KNEAD IT OR MIX IT IN ANY WAY, and then take off the ground touching layer with a razor blade? Unless you are working on a totally sterile surface, the risk is generally too great. If you somehow miss a little nasty in the clay, it could wreak havoc on your paint. War Bunny fucked around with this message at 21:42 on Jun 9, 2012 |
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Jun 9, 2012 21:39
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War Bunny posted:
I already spent so much on clay.. UGH. Someone needs to buy that and then see if it holds up to the plastic bag test as well as a section done by true clay bar.
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Jun 9, 2012 22:00
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coolskillrex remix posted:I already spent so much on clay.. UGH. Someone needs to buy that and then see if it holds up to the plastic bag test as well as a section done by true clay bar. It does from what I understand. I have seen high-end detail shops on autogeek use it on Mclaren and Lambos all day long and swear by it. toplitzin posted:Wouldn't it be easier to pick it up, DO NOT KNEAD IT OR MIX IT IN ANY WAY, and then take off the ground touching layer with a razor blade? As said previously, the risk is far too high. Clay is cheap in comparison to a long scratch from a tiny bit of sand/gravel you missed on accident.
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Jun 9, 2012 23:38
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I keep leaving that page up on my computer just in case my wife will wise up and stop asking me what I want for Father's Day.
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Jun 10, 2012 00:19
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As shao kahn would say, "Flawless Victory."      The paint feels incredibly smooth. I used the meguiars pure synthetic polymer wax instead of my normal gold class and it sucked really bad to remove. Already dirty again 
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Jun 10, 2012 20:00
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Where's the best way to go after an engine bay? I'm not looking for show quality but I want to be able to open the hood without wincing. There's no massive oil explosions or anything, just normal grime compounded by Nissans's bizarro decision to coat the bay in a weird waxy substance.
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Jun 10, 2012 20:24
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BTW you can buy Aquapel in lots of 10 for like 30 bucks on Ebay. I definitely recommend it. It has a slight 'break-in' the first couple times you use your wipers but it really works well. It outlasts Rain-X by several orders of magnitude. I could really care less about the beading, in my experience having clean glass is just as good. What I really like about it is how clean it keeps your glass. Nothing can stick to it and your wipers are able to remove 100% of dirt with a quick squirt. You only have to apply it once or twice a year and it is worth it. Also a little-known product called Sprayaway with an old logo in aeresol cans is slightly better than Invisible Glass. If It's available I always grab the Sprayaway first, especially since invisible glass doesn't seem to foam like it used to. revmoo fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Jun 10, 2012 |
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Jun 10, 2012 20:33
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THE BLACK NINJA posted:As shao kahn would say, "Flawless Victory." This? This is the Subaru that you were considering "overkill?" No. No, my goony friend. Nothing is overkill when it comes to a STi. If you get the detailing bug, a Porter Cable will make that dark gray metallic absolutely pop. The softness of Subaru paint is legendary, so if you do become completely ADD like me concerning your car, good luck. As far as your wax goes, some are worse than others when removing, but it sounds like you used too much and/or let it sit on the car for too long. Some waxes (Zymol comes immediately to mind) really need only a light glaze and done one car panel at a time. Nice car, by the way. I'm hoping to have one by this time next year.
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Jun 10, 2012 21:06
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Yea I'm pretty sure I used too much. I just wanted a solid application since I had used dawn to strip everything down. Overall it was poor technique, but it's done and I'll do better next time (maybe). Also, if you buy an STi get ready to be super ADD about alot more than the paint. I love the car, but I am paranoid about it. Also, they are great fun and even though not perfect I don't regret buying it one but. And don't let people talk you out of comfort/convenience options. They exist, and the people who complain the most about how the WRX and STi are just an upgraded shitbox impreza bought the cheapest stripped version they could find saying "I'll upgrade later." THE BLACK NINJA fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Jun 10, 2012 |
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Jun 10, 2012 22:16
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You'll get it. It generally only takes once or twice absolutely killing yourself getting hardened cake batter off of your car before you get your technique down I have a 09 Impreza right now, (had to trade in my Tacoma regular cab for something baby friendly). I've been absolutely feening for a STi since...drat, like 2003? I'm/We're finally in the position to get one, and I'm really hoping to get a low mileage used 11 or 12 for Christmas or maybe a surprise spring present. That will hold me over until the new model comes out, because I WILL be placing an order on one of those babies as soon as they wink into existence. That said, I know all too well the paint issues. I do a full detail on the Impreza and within a few months I've got tiny scratches and swirls, no matter how careful I am or how high-brow the cleaning stuff I use. My wife's 03 CRV, on the other hand, has a clearcoat that I'm sure was made with liquified diamonds or something. I'm with you on the paranoia. I read the Subaru/Flannel thread and think the stuff those guys do with their cars is awesome, but I'm pretty sure I'll leave mine stock other than a Cobb tune.
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Jun 11, 2012 00:39
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At the risk of further derailing this thread, I have one thing to add. The 08 STi had alot of problems. I want the next gen STi as well, but it won't be the first model year. Also, although I've hed some hilariously inaccurate information given to me by dealerships (insisting upon a v12 BRZ even after I though he was joking and said so) I had one local guy tell me there won't be another iteration of the wrx. Plus at this point beyonfld the newly announced Subaru DIT motor it's a mystery regarding their performance lineup.
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Jun 11, 2012 01:35
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1st Edition ADandD posted:Where's the best way to go after an engine bay? I'm not looking for show quality but I want to be able to open the hood without wincing. There's no massive oil explosions or anything, just normal grime compounded by Nissans's bizarro decision to coat the bay in a weird waxy substance. Simple Green + a garden hose. If you are really worried you can do it with the engine running, but do NOT do it with the engine crazy hot or you may stress the metal.
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Jun 11, 2012 23:42
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este posted:Simple Green + a garden hose. If you are really worried you can do it with the engine running, but do NOT do it with the engine crazy hot or you may stress the metal. Eh, they have engine degreasers, and in my experience simple green doesn't work very well to begin with. I would suggest Meguiars MPC D103 Diluted at a 3:1 ratio with a pressure washer set to 750-1000psi. Here is what I do traditionally for engine bays: 1) Turn car on for 3 minutes to get it warm. 2) Open hood, spray on super concentrate of D103 on all areas you want clean and close the hood. 3) Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes. 4) Open hood again and spray all the loosened crap away. 5) Turn engine back on for 5 minutes to dry anything residual. 6) Have a beer while admiring your engine. If you do have any stuck on grime, spray on the 3:1 D103 and scrub with a nylon brush to agitate any loose stuck on dirt. The real goal here is to get the D103 to soak into the grim to lift it away. As far as electronics go here is what I would recommend: Put any distributors in plastic wrap just in case Put any ignition coils in plastic wrap just in case That's about it, if your engine gets hosed up from some water being sprayed on it, it was about to fall apart anyways.
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Jun 12, 2012 06:13
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I "detailed" my car last week using Dodo products because that’s all the "local" detailing shop carries and recommends. The stuff is stupidly expensive but a joy to use. The products work great and, more importantly, smell so awesome.  I washed, clayed, waxed and finished it with some finisher spray. The wax is called "Dodo Banana Armor" and smells exactly like you would expect it to. When I parked my freshly waxed car at a car event, several people stopped commented on the banana smell. +1 awesome factor in my book, I hope it lasts for a long time. My next purchase will be a decent DA polisher plus pads and compound. All of my cars have really bad swirls and some scratches which I’d like to get correct. eames fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Dec 11, 2012 |
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Jun 17, 2012 16:14
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Is that an original single stage paint job? If so I have an article for you!
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Jun 17, 2012 16:24
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Thats a lovely car, what is it? Also, bonus comedy banana smell on yellow car.
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Jun 17, 2012 16:37
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Looks like a Peugeot 304 to me.
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Jun 17, 2012 16:42
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The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/25304-secret-removing-oxidation-restoring-show-car-finish-antique-single-stage-paints.html I am not one to usually copy and paste whole article, so please read this. It's important if you ever have older single stage paint, because putting down a DA with a modern pad and Megs M105 will gently caress poo poo up really quickly.
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Jun 17, 2012 16:50
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ratbert90 posted:Is that an original single stage paint job? If so I have an article for you! Unfortunately no, it isn’t. The car had recently a minor accident and I paid a bit extra for a complete respray since the panel colors were way off. I already managed to get some swirls (or is it called marring?) despite only washing it twice with the two-bucket method. Maybe it is the dirty cotton car cover because I park it at a dirty public underground car park. I read the #7 article last year, it’s sounds very promising but it is very hard to get over here in Europe. If I can source it I will try it on an other SS-painted car. InitialDave posted:Looks like a Peugeot 304 to me. Correct! I took the picture from the only angle where it doesn’t look like Pininfarina had one of his worst days at the office. 
eames fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Jun 17, 2012 |
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Jun 17, 2012 17:01
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Ahhh gotcha. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meguiars-...=item20b29b7a71 As for technical terms: Marring to me is more of a uniform haze that is built into the paint, whereas swirls are just swirls due to car washes or washing improperly. Sounds like you are on the right track to keeping your paint healthy for years to come! edit* How recent is recent for a respray? This is really important if you want to buff the car. FlapYoJacks fucked around with this message at 18:01 on Jun 17, 2012 |
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Jun 17, 2012 17:58
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ratbert90 posted:Ahhh gotcha. I definitely have slight swirls then, no marring. They are really only visible when the sun shines directly on the car. Probably from the cotton cover that I mention early. About the paint, the car was resprayed last fall and sat untouched in the garage until march. I only rinsed it with water and didn’t wax it until last week, I think the paint should be hard enough for a slight polish by now. The quality of the repaint is about "average", not excellent but passable. I think a pro could improve it a lot by wet sanding the orange peel off, but I’m nowhere near confident enough to do that yet. Someday!
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Jun 17, 2012 19:58
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I'm looking for a recommendation to hand polish my car. I've got some light swirl marks I want to try to remove and some light scratches. The scratches are from dust that was on the car. I had a cover that I used and when I removed it, dust was trapped under it and the cover dragged causing light scratching. Its barely noticeable, but now that I've seen it, I can't un-see it. I have no problem putting in some elbow grease into it, I just can't justify buying a $100+ random orbital buffer to use this one time, not to mention I've never used a machine buffer so I wouldn't want to screw up. I plan on doing a wash, clay, polish and wax. What products would be good for the polish stage, that is the only thing I don't already have. I would prefer something I can quickly pick up at Autozone or similar shop. Also, if anyone has a video or writeup they'd recommend specifically for doing it by hand that'd be appreciated too. In case it matters, the car in question is an 04 BMW 3-Series in Black Sapphire Metallic
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Jun 17, 2012 22:40
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SeñorMisterioso posted:I'm looking for a recommendation to hand polish my car. I've got some light swirl marks I want to try to remove and some light scratches. The scratches are from dust that was on the car. I had a cover that I used and when I removed it, dust was trapped under it and the cover dragged causing light scratching. Its barely noticeable, but now that I've seen it, I can't un-see it. Zymol is a good cleaner wax, but plan on only doing one panel of your car at a time.
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Jun 18, 2012 00:48
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War Bunny posted:Zymol is a good cleaner wax, but plan on only doing one panel of your car at a time. The blue liquid "Zymol" cleaner wax is a Turtle Wax product. Real Zymol is a non-combo product. Actual Zymol waxes are very good, but do not hold up to the weather well.
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Jun 18, 2012 01:08
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Huh. Did not know this.
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Jun 18, 2012 13:14
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Well gently caress, my Taurus' rear passenger door was smacked hard in a parking lot today.  It may have been just a 1999 Taurus, but I always had it buffed and waxed and took good care of it. Luckily it was just the door and I should be able to replace it fairly easily. Pictures tomorrow.
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Jun 20, 2012 07:57
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I dunno dude, I don't think I've ever seen a 1999 Taurus in a junkyard.
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Jun 20, 2012 19:38
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revmoo posted:I dunno dude, I don't think I've ever seen a 1999 Taurus in a junkyard. None with a good transmission you mean.
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Jun 20, 2012 22:01
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