|
meatpimp posted:Touch up usually does a good job of protecting the paint by itself, but there's also touch-up-sized clearcoat, too. Is that what you were asking? Yes - basically I want something that's easier than touchup paint to apply, and I really don't want to have to deal with multiple coats/sanding the paint/primer/whatever.
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 02:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 23, 2024 23:43 |
|
|
What powerful, super bad-for-the-environment glass cleaner can get really stubborn water spots off my side view mirrors?
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 03:45
|
|
|
Polymerized Cum posted:What powerful, super bad-for-the-environment glass cleaner can get really stubborn water spots off my side view mirrors? Detailing clay. Sorry, it's probably quite harmless to the environment, but you could just dump your next coolant change on the ground to make up for it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 03:48
|
|
|
Recently got a new car and want to take care of it. I have no idea what kind of products the dealership used on the car...should I strip everything off with some Dawn and use my own products? Or just a normal car soap + wax on top of whatever they used?
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 19:42
|
|
|
polyfractal posted:Recently got a new car and want to take care of it. I have no idea what kind of products the dealership used on the car...should I strip everything off with some Dawn and use my own products? Or just a normal car soap + wax on top of whatever they used? Yes, for the love of god use Dawn. Dealerships are notorious for using detailing products with filler to make the cars look great, but when the lovely wax they throw on the car starts to come off, you will see horrible holograms, artifacts, and swirls. Best start fresh and go from there. Use the products recommended in this thread, read the OP, and be happy. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 01:01
|
|
|
ratbert90 posted:Yes, for the love of god use Dawn. Dealerships are notorious for using detailing products with filler to make the cars look great, but when the lovely wax they throw on the car starts to come off, you will see horrible holograms, artifacts, and swirls. Awesome. I've read this thread cover to cover, purchased far more cleaning products is reasonable, and am excited to get started. Honestly never thought I would get excited about a mundane chore like cleaning, but I'm pretty excited to detail my car. I've never owned something pretty before! (after I practice on my girlfriend's beat-to-hell subaru imprezza)
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 01:18
|
|
|
Polymerized Cum posted:What powerful, super bad-for-the-environment glass cleaner can get really stubborn water spots off my side view mirrors? Newspaper. I've started using newspaper+invisible glass. It's incredible.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 13:45
|
|
|
revmoo posted:Newspaper. I've started using newspaper+invisible glass. It's incredible. That or coffee filters (if you don't have newspaper) seem to work decent.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 16:10
|
|
|
Trip report: washed my girlfriend's horribly, atrociously, frighteningly dirty Subaru Imprezza this morning. Lots of things learned:
So, hooray! Glad I practiced on my girlfriends car before my baby. Some questions:
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 17:42
|
|
|
polyfractal posted:[*] My girlfriend's car has a ton of deep scratches that are exposing metal...most of which are rusting. We have no interest in repainting the scratches, but I'd like to keep them from rusting anymore. I'm assuming I need to use a rust-pen to scratch off the rust, then some type of hard clear coat? Any recommendations? If you're going to go to the trouble to clean rust, might as well touch it up with matching touch-up paint, it's the same operation whether it's brush-applied paint or clear.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 20:21
|
|
|
Stopped by Autoality this afternoon and picked up a few more things to try out. Meguiars Super Degreaser for some engine bay work Sonax Full Effect wheel cleaner to see if it's really as great as everyone says it is Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus to see if the longevity is as good as everyone says Race Glaze detailing brushes to get into small spaces Speedy Surface Prep Fine Mitt as alternative to clay Meg's Final Inspection to serve as lube for the Speedy
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 23:05
|
|
|
meatpimp posted:If you're going to go to the trouble to clean rust, might as well touch it up with matching touch-up paint, it's the same operation whether it's brush-applied paint or clear. Ok, in that case, will touch-up paint match if the car is 13 years old and severely neglected? I imagine it has faded considerably in that time...will it look ok at the ten-foot test?
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 23:14
|
|
|
polyfractal posted:Ok, in that case, will touch-up paint match if the car is 13 years old and severely neglected? I imagine it has faded considerably in that time...will it look ok at the ten-foot test? Depends on your definition of "match" and the color of the car. If it's a color with a strong metallic, that can be problematic... but still it would look better than rust. What color is it? Most often, going to a store with a large automotive department will allow you to pick from the large Duplicolor display and pick what you think is closest. In general, if nothing is an exact match, get as close as you can, but a little darker.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 23:25
|
|
|
This is my normal "good enough" scratch/chip fixing routine: Clean the rust out the scratches first, layer up the paint as per its own guidelines for time between coats until it's proud of the surface, and leave it as long as you can to harden (preferably a few days) before wet-sanding it with very fine wet and dry. Then use compound etc and detail the relevant panel as normal. You'll be able to see where you've done it, but it'll look much better, and all it stands you is a touch-up pen and a bit of wet and dry. Ammo have a good video of attempting this technique on something that really is just way too far gone for it to be appropriate, but it illustrates how it can make a big improvement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmEhsuO2cKY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5QAjWbx03s
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 23:31
|
|
|
I found the long lost wreckage of a paper plane I made from a random toll booth receipt    I do this at least once a year and the looks and muffled chatter of neighbors and random people passing by will never not be amusing to me. Also it's the only way to really clean between the seats and console in this car, and I recovered almost enough change for one Illinois toll. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2013 02:12
|
|
|
I'm heading back to my parents house on Wednesday to leave my lovely old pickup behind and pick up their Miata, I plan on doing a pretty intensive detail on both vehicles. The paint on the Miata is peeling in a pretty big way, but I was wondering if I should just wax right over it. I would like to get it painted at some point, but no time soon. Should I just wax the whole thing?
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2013 22:13
|
|
|
I think the paint on my black Miata is rubbing off somehow.....After washing it, my synthetic chamois started getting black marks all over it while drying, any ideas what's going on and how to stop it?
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2013 07:28
|
|
|
leica posted:I think the paint on my black Miata is rubbing off somehow.....After washing it, my synthetic chamois started getting black marks all over it while drying, any ideas what's going on and how to stop it? Are you sure you're not picking it up from the rubber seals around the windows and such? Maybe you're not being super careful and the chamois is hitting the tires as you dry. Or maybe you missed some spots while washing and you're wiping up dirt. Black is also a color that's fairly commonly a single stage paint from the factory, but you should only be picking up color when using an abrasive product.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2013 07:40
|
|
|
I use a cordless leaf blower to dry off the seals and to get water out of all the nooks around lights and whatnot. It was definitely coming off the paint, the only thing I can think of is that it was really dirty and when I washed it I didn't get it completely clean. We've had a lot of rain in the past few weeks and my car has been sitting next to the house getting all the poo poo from the roof on it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2013 15:00
|
|
|
What year is the Miata? It could perhaps be a single stage, but I am doubtful of that. If it is a two stage paint you would know if the base was coming off because the clear would be stripped away.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2013 16:41
|
|
|
If it's a black NA, it's single stage.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2013 21:40
|
|
|
So what does that mean then if it's a single stage? I haven't had a chance yet to really clean the paint, haven't even put a clay bar on it yet. I was planning on buffing out the swirl marks and getting a good coat of wax on it but now I'm scared to put a buffer on it and see the pad coming out pitch black 
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2013 03:54
|
|
|
leica posted:So what does that mean then if it's a single stage? There's no clear coat and the pad will come back pitch black. http://www.ehow.com/about_5057339_definition-singlestage-auto-paint.html
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2013 04:48
|
|
|
Yep! That's perfectly normal and expected. It's the reason why the paint fades and becomes dull looking as well.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2013 05:05
|
|
|
Welp. Any tips on how to buff single stage paint? I just got a HF high speed buffer and plan on using it so hopefully I don't gently caress it up 
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2013 05:36
|
|
|
same way you would buff two stage. Just wash the pads more and be prepared to watch them turn black. Be warry of the HF buffer, keep it going slow as they will burn the poo poo out of paint if you aren't careful.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2013 05:38
|
|
|
I just bought a new WRX, a bunch of Meguiars stuff, and was about to get a foam gun, pressure washer, and leaf blower just for washing the car... and now my county in Texas is banning washing your car at home until the drought is over.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2013 13:54
|
|
|
leica posted:Welp. Any tips on how to buff single stage paint? Clear coat is still paint, it just doesn't color the pads the way single stage will, but I believe that generally single stage black paint tends to be on the softer side. sim posted:I just bought a new WRX, a bunch of Meguiars stuff, and was about to get a foam gun, pressure washer, and leaf blower just for washing the car... and now my county in Texas is banning washing your car at home until the drought is over. Is it just hose washing that is banned or have they even banned rinseless washes?
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2013 14:29
|
|
|
"Residential car washing" is prohibited. Commercial car washes are okay, so I may just use the nearest self-wash place until the ban is lifted, hopefully by winter (since fall doesn't exist in Texas). If I did a rinseless wash inside my garage though, I don't think anyone would notice.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2013 20:11
|
|
|
Is there a point with paint damage that it's better to just repaint the vehicle rather than attempt to detail / wetsand? I had left for work for a span of a month and my now ex-girlfriend decided it would be OK to park my car under a tree. In March. In Texas. Sap and bird droppings all over the hood / roof / front quarter panels. After an e/n period of time I finally have enough dough / free time to invest in some products but the paint is terrible. It's a black car so it shows up even worse. The ghosts of the sap / bird droppings can be seen even after wash / clay / wax; a friend suggested some paint thinner to try to get rid of it and then wax but they are still there. Should I try to wet sand / polish it, or just repaint? The fenders only have a spot or two which isn't bad, but the hood is glaring and if anything that can be fixed alone and I'd be happy (for now). Hell, if there are some SoCal people that wouldn't mind showing me the ropes I'd repay in beer and we could at least give it a shot? (false edit: I know I don't have any pics, I'll take some tomorrow)
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2013 05:18
|
|
|
Try the polish, and if that doesn't work, then at that point repaint. No point in just skipping a step that might just work and save you a lot of money.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2013 06:58
|
|
|
Good lord. http://lifehacker.com/restore-dirty-messy-plastics-with-olive-oil-952466792?autoplay=1
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 06:51
|
|
|
Chinatown posted:Good lord. Just one simple trick! Detailers hate him! EDIT: Just realized that's gonna go rancid in the summer and be impossible to totally remove.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 13:11
|
|
|
The other red flags were his mentions of using alcohol and Windex. That said, I stumbled upon a professional detailing supply store last weekend and got a bottle of water-based tire dressing and water-based interior cleaner spray. The difference from store bought poo poo is astounding.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 04:54
|
|
|
Does anyone have any good advice for removing road tar from painted surfaces? When I say road tar in this case I don't mean a spot or two; I'm talking about big, thick splashes of the stuff. I was driving on a road getting resealed and of course I ended up kicking up a bunch of fresh tar all over my rocker panels.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2013 03:22
|
|
|
MrChips posted:Does anyone have any good advice for removing road tar from painted surfaces? I've used a dish-soap along with a dash of vinegar to remove tar from plastic panels, i haven't removed road tar from paint but i have used it before applying vinyl, the acidity helps remove anything greasy, also great for removing exploded insects from windshields. Keep it away from wipers/rubber. A professional solution would probably work better, but i don't know of any.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2013 12:19
|
|
|
MrChips posted:Does anyone have any good advice for removing road tar from painted surfaces? Auto Finesse Oblitarate Stoner's Tarminator Autosmart Tardis CarPro TarX Or the cheap version - xylene and mineral spirits from the hardware store. Xylene and mineral spirits are in probably all the detailing products for such a purpose.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2013 12:29
|
|
|
WD-40. I know, it sounds insane. I have used this with a microfiber towel and removed the most glued on adhesive residue when removing a clear bra. If its not insanely stuck on something less will probably work. You have to rewax after though as it strips any wax or sealant away completely. By the way, NEVER get a clear bra. gently caress those things.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2013 12:32
|
|
|
I've had this random "half circle" thing on my hood (Alfa alert) for a while. It came back from a mechanic like this a long time ago. You cannot feel it if you run your finger over it. For the most part I haven't done anything about it except put wax over it and claybar a while ago. Any bright ideas on if its possible to remove and if so, how? lovely photo: 
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2013 17:32
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 23, 2024 23:43 |
|
|
Not sure if this should go here or the random questions thread, yell at me to take it there if needed. My boyfriend and I just got back from a two-week road trip through southern Canada and the middle US, and we've got about an inch-thick layer of insect viscera on the front grille/bumper of his car. We took it through a car wash and it barely touched it. What would be the recommended product/method of getting rid of this? His car is a brand-new 2013 Honda Civic, bought in late June, so he's trying to baby it as much as possible.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2013 01:52
|
|
