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TECHNICAL Thug posted:I took off the dealer emblem and there's a little mark where the adhesive was. Will compound get rid of that? It's hardly noticable but it drives me nuts. Try decal remover or WD40.
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Mar 31, 2012 03:19
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TECHNICAL Thug posted:
Clay bar, all purpose cleaner, goo gone, MAYBE last resort mr clean magic eraser... g-foam blaster is at home depot
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Mar 31, 2012 03:26
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coolskillrex remix posted:Clay bar, all purpose cleaner, goo gone, MAYBE last resort mr clean magic eraser... Thanks, I will probably pick one up in the morning. Can this only be used with a pressure washer, and if so, should I pony up for a gas one?
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Mar 31, 2012 03:47
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TECHNICAL Thug posted:Thanks, I will probably pick one up in the morning. Can this only be used with a pressure washer, and if so, should I pony up for a gas one? Gas pressure washers are nice, just keep it as far away from your car as you can. Exhaust gasses on your car and all that.
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Mar 31, 2012 03:49
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TECHNICAL Thug posted:Thanks, I will probably pick one up in the morning. Can this only be used with a pressure washer, and if so, should I pony up for a gas one? $99 for an electric at HD, unless you're doing some heavy duty pressure washing it's all you will need.
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Mar 31, 2012 04:59
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TECHNICAL Thug posted:Thanks, I will probably pick one up in the morning. Can this only be used with a pressure washer, and if so, should I pony up for a gas one? $200 is prob the max id pay for one and electric should be fine. I think even a low powered one would displace a lot of the dirt on the first "rinse" cycle, then you would attach and spray the foamer, foam the car, let foam sit, then spray it off. I think that would do a pretty good job without ever having to really touch the car. Detailing theorizing usually never pans out, so do it and report back to us on how clean it does or doesnt get your car without ever taking a sponge to it.
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Mar 31, 2012 05:14
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I've tried cleaning at the coin washes with just water and spray on soap but it didn't really do a good job. The soap wasn't nearly as foamy as what those guns look like though. Might have to see if they have a better foam option.
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Mar 31, 2012 05:21
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 The WD-40 didn't seem to help. maybe a clay bar will though. I didn't have much luck convincing the fiance that we need a pressure washer though.
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Mar 31, 2012 05:56
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3M makes adhesive remover specifically for automotive finishes. Any auto body supply house will have it for sale.
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Mar 31, 2012 16:06
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Any tips on how to make this look a bit better? 27 year old paint, no clearcoat. It's long, around 20", and I'm sick of looking at it. I know it needs a complete respray but I need to hold of for another couple years before going that far.
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Mar 31, 2012 17:13
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two_beer_bishes posted:Any tips on how to make this look a bit better? 27 year old paint, no clearcoat. It's long, around 20", and I'm sick of looking at it. I know it needs a complete respray but I need to hold of for another couple years before going that far. Any auto paint shop will have some touchup paint. But be warned, if you go the touchup paint route be prepared to buff and plish the rest of the car, as it will look awful around dull paint. Heck, if its single stage and you worked at it enogh you *could* blend it enough to were it wasn't even noticable at all.
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Mar 31, 2012 17:39
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ratbert90 posted:Any auto paint shop will have some touchup paint. But be warned, if you go the touchup paint route be prepared to buff and plish the rest of the car, as it will look awful around dull paint. I'm working on getting some Meguiers #7 glaze on the car right now and after clay barring it really makes the lovely paint look nice. I don't need it to look perfect, just better than the huge gouge. edit: Is it worth it to buy the paint directly from BMW? It's only $30 for a Touch-Up Paint Stick two_beer_bishes fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Mar 31, 2012 |
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Mar 31, 2012 19:31
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My windshield has terrible swirlmark-like scratches from the windshield wipers wiping dirt and grime all over the glass. Any tips on polishing auto glass?
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Apr 1, 2012 08:10
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Washed my car today because the pollen has finally died down a bit and it was filthy. I tried the final wash trick where you don't use a nozzle on the hose and just let the water come off as a sheet after you're done washing the car. Result? No water spots!! Now I can drive my black car in peace.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:15
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Hummer Driving human being posted:My windshield has terrible swirlmark-like scratches from the windshield wipers wiping dirt and grime all over the glass. Any tips on polishing auto glass? http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/diamondite/40436-how-remove-tiny-pinhole-pits-glass-windows-using-rotary-buffer.html Enjoy, but doing so is going to take some time, (a few hours.) And make sure the windshield is SPOTLESS when you polish it. Also do what Mike does and tape EVERYTHING off.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:21
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Good thread OP, but the DA recommendation in the OP should be a 6" GG instead of the PC xp.
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Apr 2, 2012 13:59
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ratbert90 posted:Look at your paint, now look at the automatic car wash. Those giant bristles in the automatic car wash are full of grit, dirt, and grime from other cars, and they are spinning really REALLY fast. Revisiting this topic, thoughts on touchless automatics? I've never taken any of my nice cars through a brushed automatic, but in winter or when traveling if it gets washed it's in a touchless. Obviously they can't really get any better results than you would trying to wash the car solely with a pressure washer, but I assume it's still a lot better than nothing and as long as their water filters don't suck shouldn't have any ability to cause damage, right?
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Apr 2, 2012 16:21
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wolrah posted:Revisiting this topic, thoughts on touchless automatics? I would go with a waterless carwash in your own garage personally. Even if it does get a bit messy on the ground, harbor freight sells floor squeegees for like 12$. Winter sucks for OCD people like me. There is salt, grime, water, and dirt on the roads almost 24/7, and to top it all off, ice that can stick to your paint and scratch it. The best thing I have found for the winter is to prepare your car before it hits (October/November.) I usually wash, buff (if needed,) polish, wax, and most importantly throw on a coat of Opticoat 2.0. It lasts all year and protects the paint very VERY well in my experience.
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Apr 2, 2012 16:54
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UK guys! Car cleaning stuff (anything in a tub/bottle, not hardware) is buy-one-get-one-free at Halfords over the Easter weekend, and if you spend £50 you get a £10 voucher for next week.
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Apr 6, 2012 15:58
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foundtomorrow posted:Good thread OP, but the DA recommendation in the OP should be a 6" GG instead of the PC xp.
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Apr 6, 2012 18:50
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Lowclock posted:Why's that? I'm looking to buy one soon. PC is typically thought of as being underpowered, dont think its truly dual action. Its impossible to damage your paint with it as a result. However if youre not an idiot and dont have razor thin paint (i think infiniti is notorious for that), then even with a GG you can go to town and unless you just hold the thing in place for 10 seconds can you actually burn through the paint. I have a PC, i probably wish i had just bought a meguiars/griot/whatever because i imagine i could do the job faster AND get more of the swirls out.
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Apr 6, 2012 23:56
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coolskillrex remix posted:PC is typically thought of as being underpowered, dont think its truly dual action. Its impossible to damage your paint with it as a result. Here's a question from a retard: if I'm looking to basically do light polishing (removing light-to-medium swirls and scratches, barely perceptible when you run your fingernail across) as well as the usual waxing/buffing thing, would the GG unit still be a good choice? Or is that way too much power for this sort of thing? My dad just bought a used car with some ugly scratches in it (dealership made up a bunch of excuses as to why they wouldn't repair it but whatever) and another person in my family's looking to sell his Wrangler that's seen its fair share of bushes. I'm trying to find a "one size fits all" unit but I'm not sure if that's possible at this point. I was actually considering that Flex XC 3401 thing since everyone claims it has massive balls and corrective ability compared to the other DAs out there (although more expensive, but as someone on their forum correctly put it "buy one, cry once") but I can't find any information about waxing with the thing. I imagine it's probably an answer of "DON'T EVEN loving TRY IT YOU IDIOT" but since nobody has made a forum post directly addressing it and I'm ignorant of these things I was hoping someone here would have some input.
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Apr 8, 2012 14:30
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I have the PC7424 as well as the Flex. The Flex is a great polisher and will correct any defects in the paint quicker than a PC, but there if you have no prior experience with machine buffing than it would definitely be wiser to pick up the PC, especially if the defects are fairly light. You could however learn on the Flex, just make sure you look up the proper technique on how to use it before going to the paint with it. It's a powerful machine and you can run the risk of damaging your clear coat if used improperly. I use the Flex almost all the time now because of how much quicker it corrects paint, but I do use the PC with 4" pads in tighter areas of the car. So if you want to buy the PC and get your technique down and then buy the Flex later, you won't have to worry about your PC being useless.
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Apr 8, 2012 14:46
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Washed my car today, and used the nozzle off the hose let the water roll down for the final rinse method - wooo no water spots! The paint could really use a clay + wax, based on all the stuff I could feel that was left on the surface, but that will have to wait as I ran out of time in the shade.
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Apr 8, 2012 17:40
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TrueChaos posted:Washed my car today, and used the nozzle off the hose let the water roll down for the final rinse method - wooo no water spots! The paint could really use a clay + wax, based on all the stuff I could feel that was left on the surface, but that will have to wait as I ran out of time in the shade. If you want a horrible feeling put your hand in a plastic bag and rub it on the paint. 
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Apr 8, 2012 17:43
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ratbert90 posted:If you want a horrible feeling put your hand in a plastic bag and rub it on the paint. I could feel a few things through the microfiber I was drying with, I don't even want to know how bad the plastic bag would feel. 
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Apr 8, 2012 17:49
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Stultus posted:I have the PC7424 as well as the Flex. The Flex is a great polisher and will correct any defects in the paint quicker than a PC, but there if you have no prior experience with machine buffing than it would definitely be wiser to pick up the PC, especially if the defects are fairly light. Thanks for the advice. I'll place an order for the PC tonight, and I think I'll go through that Autogeek site since they have a ton of good information and free tutorials. I think I'll go for one of their multi-pad kits with the cutting and waxing pads and see how good I can get before I go with anything more powerful. ...and if it goes wrong I'll be posting a thread asking for reputable local painters.
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Apr 8, 2012 19:08
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My "Easter basket" for the year. It also had some car wash soap in it, but I left that at my parents' house since I can't really use it here. The microfiber sponge thing and "The Absorber" will come in handy when I order Optimum No Rinse. My car gets built tomorrow! 
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Apr 8, 2012 21:30
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Ripoff posted:Thanks for the advice. I'll place an order for the PC tonight, and I think I'll go through that Autogeek site since they have a ton of good information and free tutorials. I think I'll go for one of their multi-pad kits with the cutting and waxing pads and see how good I can get before I go with anything more powerful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XAqpOe9Zt4 - Proof that you would have to screw up on a massive scale to need a repaint after using the PC. Should give you some comfort in using the PC as well!
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Apr 9, 2012 00:12
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Yesterday I bought a 10" orbital buffer and some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound to try and take the oxidation off of my hood and rear spoiler; it helped, but I think I'm going to have to go with something a little stronger next time around. I included the "mid-compound" shot so you can really see the difference. Pre-compound:  Mid-compound:  Post-compound and wax:  You can see in the final picture that there's still quite a bit to be removed. All in all, it took me about 3 and a half hours to wash, clay bar, compound, and wax the car.
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Apr 9, 2012 00:39
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I clayed my car for the very first time today and it did what it was supposed to. Is the same type of clay available somewhere like an art supply place or something? I'd like to avoid paying a 10,000% markup on a supply if I could.
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Apr 9, 2012 05:28
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Well per everyone's advice here I ended up buying the Porter Cable 7424XP and all I have to say is GODDAMN I LOVE THIS TOOL. I bought it from Autogeek with the Lake Country orange, white, black and blue pads. I scored some of the Meguiars Mirror Glaze 105 and 205, along with all the other suggested detailing stuff. After clay barring the entire Fit (gently caress clay barring, worst job ever) I got to the polishing aspect. I used the 205 on the orange pad and watched the scratches on the Fit's side just disappear. The PC took a little while getting used to compared to the orbital buffers I currently own, but after I got used to the right amount of pressure and had the pad spinning consistently in a circle it really started kicking some major rear end in the scratch department. Then I decided to try to knock some nasty battle scars off my brother's Wrangler. I went down to the 105 on the orange pad and took it to the nasty spots. After about 10 minutes of buffing I was able to knock down every. goddamned. scratch. on the hood of the Jeep. Some of these were pretty healthy, and even with the curvature of the hood and all of about 3 hours of practice with the PC I was able to knock it all down without damaging the paint at all. I'm really kicking myself in the rear end right now for not taking before/after pictures, but to be honest I never imagined in my wildest dreams that this thing would do it. It did. I really love this thing, if you can't tell already. If you are at all serious about making your car look nice, don't buy an orbital buffer. Spend the extra $100 and get the dual-action. Hell, get any dual action. I, a bona-fide self-admitted idiot incapable of operating a can of spray paint properly can make a car look like loving new. The bonus is that you have already paid for the tool when you have pulled the light scratches out of the side of your car. Except now you own a kick-rear end tool.
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Apr 18, 2012 23:15
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Hummer Driving human being posted:I clayed my car for the very first time today and it did what it was supposed to. Is the same type of clay available somewhere like an art supply place or something? I'd like to avoid paying a 10,000% markup on a supply if I could. Clay should last you a really long time, $20 clay from chemical guys should last you 2 years if you clayed your car every 3-4 months. Why bother loving around with finding a clay at some art store. Clay is the cheapest part of detailing by far already.
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Apr 18, 2012 23:39
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Does anyone have a good method to remove dirty tire dressing? When I got my car back from the body shop in November, they put shiny tire dressing on my summer tires when they detailed the car. After being stored for a few months, the tires are all dull and brown, having picked up every last bit of dirt and dust in the air. I tried scrubbing the sidewalls with dish soap and a firm bristle brush, but it didn't make much of a difference. I'm not a fan of how the tires looked with that stuff on them, so I'm not going to be renewing it, if that makes a difference.
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Apr 18, 2012 23:49
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MrChips posted:Does anyone have a good method to remove dirty tire dressing? When I got my car back from the body shop in November, they put shiny tire dressing on my summer tires when they detailed the car. After being stored for a few months, the tires are all dull and brown, having picked up every last bit of dirt and dust in the air. I tried scrubbing the sidewalls with dish soap and a firm bristle brush, but it didn't make much of a difference.
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Apr 18, 2012 23:57
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I'd do that, clean with washing-up liquid or similar, but maybe try Armor All's aerosol foam tyre dressing. I find it has a good "clean new tyre" look rather than  shininess.Also, cross posting from the toolbox thread - No-one made exactly what I wanted for a toolchest to hold all my detailing gear (and most of the bigger stuff was way more pricey/overbuilt than necessary for such a simple job), so I built my own mutant one from a couple of basic Halfords ones and some cunning hidden fasteners, along with much better wheels and door pulls for manoeuvering the thing:  For reference, it's a little under six foot to the top of the open lid. No way I'd trust it for heavy work, but to carry cleaning stuff, cloths and all that gubbins it's perfect. Now all my stuff is in one place, and I can roll it out onto the drive easily instead of going in and out the garage every two minutes.
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Apr 18, 2012 23:59
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MrChips posted:Does anyone have a good method to remove dirty tire dressing? When I got my car back from the body shop in November, they put shiny tire dressing on my summer tires when they detailed the car. After being stored for a few months, the tires are all dull and brown, having picked up every last bit of dirt and dust in the air. I tried scrubbing the sidewalls with dish soap and a firm bristle brush, but it didn't make much of a difference. How old are your tires? The tire dressing probably wore off a long time ago, and the reason your tires look dull and brown is the same reason that 99% of tires look dull and brown, theyre old (as in not installed 1-2 months ago). Ive never heard of tire dressing that picks up dirt and then somehow embeds it into the tire on top of that. I use this stuff all the time and dont have a garage, my tires only look dull and brown several months after it wears off http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-512-adams-super-vrt-tire-trim-dressing.aspx ^^^ i find tire foams are completely useless. Almost all poo poo you can buy from autozone and stuff typically IS useless with the exception of meguiars.
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Apr 19, 2012 00:02
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InitialDave posted:I need that sticker.
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Apr 19, 2012 00:06
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coolskillrex remix posted:How old are your tires? The tire dressing probably wore off a long time ago, and the reason your tires look dull and brown is the same reason that 99% of tires look dull and brown, theyre old (as in not installed 1-2 months ago). Ive never heard of tire dressing that picks up dirt and then somehow embeds it into the tire on top of that. It's definitely crappy tire dressing. Before the body shop put that crap on my summer tires, the sidewalls were still black. I swapped my summer tires back on a couple of weeks ago and in that short time, they've turned brown.
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Apr 19, 2012 00:19
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MrChips posted:It's definitely crappy tire dressing. Before the body shop put that crap on my summer tires, the sidewalls were still black. I swapped my summer tires back on a couple of weeks ago and in that short time, they've turned brown. It seems that some of the cheap stuff actually dries the rubber out and makes them turn brown. You can do the same thing by wiping some acetone or similar solvent on a tire and leaving it there for a while. Then let it dry for a few weeks....the rubber dries out along with it and you're left with brown crap unless you keep dressing it. I assume the cheap stuff contains incorrect/cheap solvents.
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Apr 19, 2012 00:29
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