Tech Request

[maveRick]

I was washing my car the other day (I was SO!) and did a horrible job on it. No matter what I tried (yes, I bought some cheap brand of car-wash), I couldn't get a 'worfashit' shine.

BTW, the black paint is 6 y/o now and fading fast (literally).

It occured to me that there's at least ONE special someone who visits this site and has become a PoMoFo Ho at the last CCB. She (oops - a clue) had a LOT of detailing 'stuff' in her trunk o' tricks.

I'll bet she could do a great job of helping us detailing-challenged mofo's out by writing a tech article on detailing.

It'd be nice to learn from someone we know (screw all the commercials - they seem biased towards their OWn product!).


How bout it Nancy? (oops - another clue)

;)

[Bubstang]

Yo Rick, what's up. I gots two werds fo ya.....kry lon :blue:

ps...my avatar in in your honor :glasses:

[maveRick]

Originally posted by Bubstang
Yo Rick, what's up. I gots two werds fo ya.....kry lon :blue:

ps...my avatar in in your honor :glasses:

Bubba, I noticed that - and was speachless.

I'm a little vaklept (sp?)

What's the story on the car in the pic?



/me gives Bubba virtual hugs and gropes

[Bubstang]

oooohhhhh....feels ssssooooo gooooooodd.....

oops, where was I; Oh yeah...
not sure how I got there, but stumbled upon this...

http://www.maverickracing.co.uk/


Later,
Bubba

[maveRick]

TTT

("Tsk Tsk Tsk", Zinc) ;)

(how does one 'safely' remove old wax? ie, compound, grinder, bastard file, other?, all?)

[Shaggy]

Originally posted by maveRick
(how does one 'safely' remove old wax? ie, compound, grinder, bastard file, other?, all?)

I like to use walnut shells in my sand blaster That way it won' warp the sheet metal..........oops that is to remove old paint sorry can't help you on the wax thing never even put any on isn't that what clearcoat is for??? :razz: and doesn't hurt when you pull it off and the hair comes with it???:blue:

[89LX306]

Originally posted by maveRick

(how does one 'safely' remove old wax? ie, compound, grinder, bastard file, other?, all?)

Rick,

From what I understand...regular dish soap is supposed to remove old wax. That is one reason they say not to use it regularly. I generally use Mothers car wash on the truck and the vert (the only cars worth washing, LOL!). The Mothers Clay Bar also does a heck of a job removing contaminants from the paint. It takes time, but is well worth it IMO. Not sure what wax might bring back the shine. Probably a multi-step system and stick to one brand. I like Mothers and Meguiars. Both have done well for me in the past.

Just my $.02.

[Traceman]

Well when I am serious about removing wax and road tar I use PPG DX 440 wax and grease remover. I find it works very well and should be safe for all finishes. I have used it for years.

[red95gts]

Well, my prior "profession" (if you can call it that) was auto detail and dish soap will remove it, although a purpose-made substance like what Tracey mentioned will work better.

If you really want to get serious do this:

-Strip the paint of wax and contaminants (the clay bar works awesome and will not scratch the paint)

-If you want that mirror-like shine, wet sand with 2000 grit, a pliable pad (3M makes a good one) and plenty of water. Obviously if you're going to do this, no need to use the clay bar mentioned above.

-Buff with a good compound (I like 3M rubbing compound)

-Polish (I like 3M Finesse-It followed with 3M hand glaze - can you tell what product line I'm used to? LOL)

-Wax....something pure Caranuba. I've been using Mother's "Caranuba Cleaner Wax" in the paste form for the last few years with good results.

One thing to keep in mind is that black will show swirls (aka buff marks) VERY easily. We did a bunch of experimenting back in the day and found that a wool buff pad for the compound and a foam for the polish seems to keep that to a minimum. Although it was rare we did this full treatment on a car since it's expensive when you are paying someone else to do it. Maybe someone here has some auto-body experience and can add some more..

[maveRick]

Thanks guys,

That's all I was asking for as I really have had no 'good' luck with my own experimentations.


Thx again,

Rick

[Bubstang]

Rick, I got a gallon of the DX440 Wax/Grease remover, want some?
Let me know and I can bring to CCB.

Later,
Bubba

[kmdracer]

Hey maverick, I have a black car too. I've tried the color wax. Not worht the $ imo. I've heard of some multi step stuff called ZAINO (sp?) Haven't tried it yet, but am going to soon. I know you use a clay bar with it and I've had good results with that in the past. I have to wash the car fri before heading to sealy. See ya there. BTW, I'm 6'1, thin, and in a black 99 Z28. I wont be racing this time though. Gonna wait for cooler weather. Don't think I can improve my times as I'm still stock:( Later dude.

[Rusman]

Zaino is the shit!
Though, I've heard from some people that other waxes (Mothers, etc) give simlar results for less money.

[ZincYellowCobra]

Originally posted by Rusman
Zaino is the shit!
Though, I've heard from some people that other waxes (Mothers, etc) give simlar results for less money.

I heard that Zaino was great.. I have thought about trying it out. Personally, I get great results with the Meguiars professional line- in the beige bottles. I have used Meguiars (and Zymol) products for over a decade - and would definitely recommend without batting an eye...

89LX306 is right regarding the removal of old wax - dish soap will pull all of that off. Just be careful, you can damage the paint too - dish soap is some harsh shit.

Washing the car with dish soap, following w/ a clay bar to remove any contaminants remaining in the paint, followed by a polish to "feed" the paint and a wax to coat and protect.

I had black cars for 12 or so years. I learned not to use any sort of terry cloth applicator - that only creates more swirl marks... (I learned that the hard way). I use polishing cloths instead to apply and remove.

I am sure that there are different opinions regarding this but.... I always apply and remove the polish/wax with a straight back and forth motion, not circular.

Oh - and right now I am back to using Zymol - and I really like the shine I get from that. Looks great. It can be difficult to remove if you are not careful. I do small sections at a time and make sure to apply a moderate amount. (Smells yummy too - kinda fruity).


....and pRick, I can't believe you called me a HO! I charge for that sort of thing! :angel: