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Lamar Smith R-TX posted:what wheel cleaning product(s) do you guys like? I had some extremely dusty (stock) pads for the last 4 months and it exhausted my stash. I'm ready to try something new. Have you tried using whatever soap you use to wash your car? If you are using an entire bottle of wheel cleaner in 4 months, the wheels cannot possibly be so filled with crap that normal soap will be unable to clean them. You should be using a separate bucket and brush for wheels anyways, so you might as well try it out.
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Aug 1, 2014 05:26
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Also tried sonax, not perfect but they are actually shiny now. 
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Aug 3, 2014 02:52
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Earlier this spring, I was walking out of my garage after arriving home from a business trip and heard a huge crash from the garage. I had one of those compartmentalized parts bins full of random stuff fall onto my car and put several dents in the front quarter-panel. It had never been secured to the wall, so this is 100% my fault for being lazy. I managed to buff out most of the scratching and remove the paint damage, but there are still a few dents and I'm wondering what my chances are of fixing them.  Yes I know my car is dirty as hell, it's been parked outside this week. They all have a crease in the middle and that's the worst of them. Would one of those suction cup dent pullers pop them out? If I can get the dents out, I'm pretty sure I can manage a passable paint correction.
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Aug 3, 2014 15:19
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LordOfThePants posted:
Can't really tell from the picture, but that looks like it's right on the curve of the fender and has cracked the paint. It can be repaired with PDR if it is on the curve of the fender, the crease part is the most difficult part of the dent to remove, but the cracking of the paint is a deal-killer. There's a chance of the paint chipping off with either regular (behind-the-panel) PDR or one of the suction/glue methods. Sorry. 
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Aug 3, 2014 16:31
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EVERYWHERE 
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puberty worked me over fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Jun 24, 2019 |
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Aug 3, 2014 19:21
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It really depends on how "good" you want the end result to be, it's pretty easy to get a touch up to look good from anything over a foot away without a crazy amount of effort. Experience is probably key to get it looking good without excessive effort so I'd still agree with the suggestion to pay someone to do it.
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Aug 3, 2014 20:42
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Thanks - I'll see about getting it professionally repaired. I definitely don't want to botch the repair and have a total paint failure there in the future. The Forester is primarily my winter car, although I drive it to the airport when I'm going to leave my car in long term parking the rest of the year. It's actually in pretty good shape and I'd like to keep it that way for at least another 5 years if I can.
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Aug 3, 2014 21:52
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Google Butt fucked around with this message at 09:38 on Aug 12, 2014 |
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Aug 4, 2014 03:26
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Going for my first ever machine detail this weekend and here's my plan: Car: 2008.5 Mazdaspeed3 in black mica Condition: moderate to heavy swirls with a few scratches Products: menzerna fg400, HD polish and megs ultimate liquid wax 1. Wash the car (with ONR or the foam gun & chemical guys honeydew, haven't decided), pull it into the garage for drying 2. Clay the whole car 3. Tape all trim and grooves 4. Tape off a few 16x16 sections on the hood and do a test spot using the hd polish and white pad, wipe with ipa solution and check for adequate correction 5. If swirls remain, step up to fg400/white pad and finally fg400/Orange if I have to. 6. compound or polish the rest hood, roof, hatch, sides and fenders 7. Follow up with polish if I had to compound (although I've read that fg 400 can finish last step ready) 8. Wipe car down with ipa solution 9. Wax and final wipe Am I missing anything? I'm ready to dedicate 12 hours on Saturday, but I don't want to feel rushed. If it looks like I'm going to have compound and polish, I might wash/clay/compound on Saturday and cover it with some sheets in garage. Sunday, prep the compounded panels with ONR/ipa, polish and wax. Is splitting up my first detail into two days a good idea? Google Butt fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Aug 12, 2014 |
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Aug 12, 2014 19:51
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I had to clean up some tail lights that are being shipped off tonight and decided to hit up one of the headlights with the same pad + compound combo. Just a quick 30 second pass with Ultimate Compound and a green Uber pad (polish, not very abrasive). Basically magic.   Going to hit them with a yellow pad, do a polish AND a super fine polish before I sell the headlights.
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Aug 14, 2014 02:53
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I'm looking for a good pair of waterproof work gloves of some type that I can use while I'm detailing. Not winter gloves, I want to be able to use these year round. The various chemicals and water I use aggravates my skin and using nitrile gloves doesn't seem to do the trick. Any suggestions?
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Aug 16, 2014 03:36
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Elbow long solvex gloves? Although I usually end up with a nice bit of sweat in them after some time working in them. Not the prettiest but water proof and chemical resistant so they should fit the bill
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Aug 16, 2014 03:43
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Applied a decal to my car today, and found out the masking tape I used doesn't like my paint. No paint came off on the tape itself, just left these nasty looking marks where the tape was. Any ideas on what could remove the marks beyond wetsanding? The most abrasive ultra-cut I have didn't even phase it. 
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Aug 17, 2014 19:13
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What is a pulsar nx? Maybe rubbing compound?
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Aug 17, 2014 19:17
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hunter x az posted:What is a pulsar nx? The most amazing 80's car ever designed  Flip-up lights, t-tops, and interchangeable hatches, all in one 2-door car. Managed to get it off with lots of alcohol and lots of rubbing. Thankfully the paint underneath wasn't stained, looks like it was just stubborn glue.
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Aug 17, 2014 19:34
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PhoenixWing posted:Applied a decal to my car today, and found out the masking tape I used doesn't like my paint. No paint came off on the tape itself, just left these nasty looking marks where the tape was. Any ideas on what could remove the marks beyond wetsanding? The most abrasive ultra-cut I have didn't even phase it. Don't use masking tape. It will often leave some of its adhesive behind. I'd use some Goof Off (though others would say Goo Gone). Be VERY careful around the lettering, which is probably a decal of some sort. PhoenixWing posted:The most amazing 80's car ever designed Cool late '80s Convertible of sorts.
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Aug 17, 2014 19:36
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PhoenixWing posted:The most amazing 80's car ever designed Sweet man. Good to hear. Nice alignment on the sticker too. Good work.
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Aug 17, 2014 19:38
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meatpimp posted:Don't use masking tape. It will often leave some of its adhesive behind.
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Aug 17, 2014 19:39
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InitialDave posted:Note that 3M's 3434 blue tape is pretty good for coming away cleanly, and is ideal for detailing work. I don't consider any of the 3M Blue tape to be "masking" tape, I think of it more as "painter's" tape and it's use is acceptable.
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Aug 17, 2014 19:40
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+1 on the blue tape. Used it on the other side and it came off without leaving any marks 
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Aug 17, 2014 19:47
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Here are the results of my first all in detail:    1. Washed with a foam gun and CG's Honeydew 2. Clayed (twice, because I made my ONR mixture too slick ) 3. Compounded with a HF polisher, LC white flat pads and Menzerna fg400 4. I was going to follow up with HD Polish but I ran out of time and I thought it looked good enough. Wiped it down with Carpro Eraser and applied Ultimate Liquid Wax with a black pad. There's a bit of micro-marring in spots, I'm thinking that I will end up using the HD Polish this weekend and maybe pick up some carnuba to add a little depth on top of the ULW (actually a sealant). Took me 14 hours total to do a full 1 step, my back is ruined. I have gained a ton of respect for people who do this for a living, because god drat is it a lot of work.
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Aug 19, 2014 09:07
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^ Beautiful work, that black pearliness is really shining through. I hope the car didn't get dirty after 15 minutes!
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Aug 19, 2014 12:08
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BoyBlunder posted:^ Beautiful work, that black pearliness is really shining through. Thanks. I'm actually having second thoughts about the carnauba, as it attracts dust. Sealants create a slick surface. Ordered some Blackfire Crystal Seal to try out, apparently the ULW doesn't last very long.
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Aug 19, 2014 19:05
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Ive been way too busy this week to wash my cars and Im about to put another 400-500 highway miles on it. They paint is beautifully swirl free right now but I dont want to leave the bugs on it and dont have time to wash it properly before I leave. How dangerous are the touch less car washes? I live in the south if that matters.
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Aug 22, 2014 21:11
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Find a car wash bay where you spray the water and soap yourself with a hose. My local "touchless" still has some things drag along the car.
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Aug 22, 2014 22:14
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A true touchless won't scratch the car, but it also likely won't do poo poo to remove splattered bugs.
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Aug 22, 2014 22:16
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Yeah if I dont have time to do a proper wash on the weekends I hit a pay-n-spray and do the high pressure soap/rinse/spotless and get on the freeway and floor it. Also the Mobil stations around me have automated touchless carwashes that cost like 5-6 bux so thats another option. Those are nice because they have the blowers at the end.
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Aug 23, 2014 04:43
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Any tips for removing dried polish splatter off plastic trim pieces? I didn't think to completely tape off the trim next to the side mirrors like an idiot. Carpro Eraser isn't really working that well, I've read peanut butter might work?
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Aug 25, 2014 21:09
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meatpimp posted:Holy shitsnacks, that's awesome. I'll be doing that, let it dry for a few weeks, then 3M Spray clearing it: http://www.amazon.com/3M-90000-Paint-Defender-Spray/dp/B00BSKYM82
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Sep 2, 2014 04:46
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Google Butt posted:Any tips for removing dried polish splatter off plastic trim pieces? I didn't think to completely tape off the trim next to the side mirrors like an idiot. Carpro Eraser isn't really working that well, I've read peanut butter might work? Have you tried dish soap, warm water, and rag? It should be more than enough to break down a little bit of polish. Edit: you can also try diluted isopropyl alcohol, but it may destroy your plastic trim finish. McSpatula fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Sep 2, 2014 |
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Sep 2, 2014 05:54
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I've got a few marks on my car from shoveling snow off of it last winter and I'm finally getting off my rear end to do something about them. But since I know nothing about detailing, here I am. So: 1) They don't appear to be scratches and I've been told they could be buffed off. Were I to do it myself, what would I need to get? 2) Considering my lack of experience would I be better off getting a pro to do it? How much  should I expect?2a) I've got some paint chips I'm considering also taking care of, could I kill two birds with one stone with a body shop?  
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Sep 6, 2014 23:17
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Can you feel the blemish with your finger nail?
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Sep 6, 2014 23:20
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Google Butt posted:Can you feel the blemish with your finger nail? There is a small consistency change, kinda feels like the nail is catching on the edge. My finger slides smoother on it than the paint.
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Sep 6, 2014 23:51
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TheGoatTrick posted:Hey meatpimp, did you ever get around to using the 3M spray? I'm hearing mostly good things about it, but a few reviews that it's a nightmare to get right. No, I've been lazy. The first two rounds of Dr.Color Chip did such a good job, I don't notice the front, even when washing it... before I'd put the 3M spray on, I'd do one more round of Dr.Color Chip to make everything fully flush. It may happen before Winter, but I've got a shitload of stuff to do before then, so we'll see...
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Sep 7, 2014 00:06
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dupersaurus posted:I've got a few marks on my car from shoveling snow off of it last winter and I'm finally getting off my rear end to do something about them. But since I know nothing about detailing, here I am. So: It just looks like surface contaminant. If I'm right, you'll be able to get it out with a clay bar / prep polish, but if you don't want to do any work, other than forking over goondar monies, treat your whip to a proper detailing with a machine polish. If those chips are small enough, chances are, you won't notice them after a good glaze, coat, seal. Prices vary based on location, check yelp for mobile detailers.
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Sep 7, 2014 00:19
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McSpatula posted:It just looks like surface contaminant. If I'm right, you'll be able to get it out with a clay bar / prep polish, but if you don't want to do any work, other than forking over goondar monies, treat your whip to a proper detailing with a machine polish. If those chips are small enough, chances are, you won't notice them after a good glaze, coat, seal. Prices vary based on location, check yelp for mobile detailers. The clay was a partial success: some marks went away completely, but a few stubborn ones remain, albeit diminished. I presume this means deeper damage?
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Sep 7, 2014 18:46
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dupersaurus posted:The clay was a partial success: some marks went away completely, but a few stubborn ones remain, albeit diminished. I presume this means deeper damage? All clay does is remove surface contaminants, a proper machine polish will probably do the trick. If you're interested in doing it yourself, it'll cost you a few hundred to get everything you need, depending on how deep down the rabbit hole you're willing to go. It's pretty hard to gently caress up using a da polisher, but it is hard work and will take 8-12 hours your first time. Add more if you're doing a full two stage detail. What's the rest of the paint look like? Good news is that if you do it right, and then use proper technique when maintenance washing and drying, in theory you should only have do this once. It's all about not inducing marring after you correct the paint. Correcting paint removes clear coat. The more clear you remove (again, it's hard to burn through clear with a da unless it's already bad), the paint becomes more susceptible to UV damage and clear coat failure. This can be avoided using least aggressive method required to achieve your desired level of correction, finishing off with a nice sealant or wax and a quick maintenance wash once a week. I'll mention that you pretty much need a garage to do this in. Unrelated, this blackfire Crystal seal is sweet stuff. 15 minutes to apply a finishing sealant on an entire car by hand? Yes please. Google Butt fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Sep 7, 2014 |
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Sep 7, 2014 19:05
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Yeah that's probably further down the rabbit hole than I want to go...
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Sep 7, 2014 20:43
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dupersaurus posted:Yeah that's probably further down the rabbit hole than I want to go... Just buy some polish and do it by hand if it's small areas. Yes it'll take a little bit but the $ investment is pretty small. He's talking about polishing your whole car (8-12hrs). If you just want to correct those little scratches, just go to work with a microfiber and a couple different levels of polish.
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Sep 7, 2014 23:48
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Larrymer posted:Just buy some polish and do it by hand if it's small areas. Yes it'll take a little bit but the $ investment is pretty small. He's talking about polishing your whole car (8-12hrs). If you just want to correct those little scratches, just go to work with a microfiber and a couple different levels of polish. What products would I need to do this?
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Sep 8, 2014 00:59
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