here's one more in the daylight around 430pm today, just missed the sun, I could only imagine what I could get to with 40-50 hours. Thanks again for all the help and keeping the thread going!

 

Any idea how I can restore the head light lens on my car? Or should I just buy new ones?

 

GoFast.. i have a c5 vette and many people know that their clear coats are horribly hard i did test spots with both my pc and Flex D/A and am not happy with the amount of time i have to spend in one particular area. im thinking about buying a rotary and i know the consequences of using it incorrectly.

so my question is what do i need to do different with the rotary compared to a PC/Flex? what technique works best in your eyes. i use adams polishes fwiw

 

Are you sure the stripper took it down to bare aluminum? What you have there looks exactly like Filiform corrosion. This is a typical type of corrosion for polished alum wheels that normally starts at edges. It is underneath clear coat. Reason I ask if its to bare alum... some wheel companies use a clear primer.... so, I'd try buying some aircraft stripper and doing it again.

 

Just wondering a few things:
1- have you ever used "Refinish Restorer" on exterior plastic? If you read Avalanche forums, you'll see a lot of talk. I Have used it on a set of old nasty looking Avalanche BED COVERS... they look like new now (except for a ton of scratches) and have for a year.
2- Engine compartment... is there a product that can be used to make stuff look clean without having to scrub or add any 303/etc? Don't care if its shiny.
2.5... Engine compartment/undercarriage painted parts... my car has dirt/grime on the painted parts and seems anything I use to clean it REMOVES PAINT. What do I do?

Thanks in advance.

 

How do I clean up my inner front fender wells. I have a little bit of over spray from when I had my front bumper cover repainted years ago. Thanks for your help!

 

Got a question for you... Can I use Meguiars #7 on top of (or below) Autoglym SRP? I have an extra bottle of the stuff being unused. Would I want to use it with SRP at all? Currently when I wash the car, I do a 2 bucket wash, then a layer of SRP, then a layer of NXT 2.0 paste w/foam applicator. All of this is by hand, since I don't have an orbital/rotary.

Additionally, should I be using NXT 2.0 paste on top of SRP, since it is a cleaner wax?

Edit: I just looked into it a bit more, and found that Collinite #845 works well with SRP. Think I'll buy some of that and ditch the NXT 2.0.

Try scrubbing it with a stiff nylon brush and Simple Green, then try a claybar, first. If that fails, I would recommend soaking them in a plastic safe paint stripper, like Super Clean Degreaser. You're gonna need A LOT of it though for something the size of a front wheel well liner. It'd be more cost[/time] effective to simply replace it with a used non-painted one from here in the Parts Classifieds.

 

I'm glad autogeek is extending their sale through today! I couldn't order yesterday because I was too busy. Will be getting my pc tonight! Bye bye swirls lol

 

how do you polish a severly oxidized truck tool box with a pc?

 

The M7 is a glaze, so it would go below you wax or sealant. Technically nxt shouldnt be layered on op, but the cleaners are pretty mild and would probably be ok. 845 is a great wax, I just used some yesterday

 

........whats the trick in getting polish/wax off....in south Florida where its humid. The **** stays on and stays gummy. No matter how thin it goes on.

.

 

Some questions, when you have some time of course Jeff!

What 5.5" LC Flat pad is suggested for Menzerna 85RD? (I've heard both white + blk suggested)

Any suggested products I could apply AFTER the 85RD to preserve the nice new finish?

 

I have had very good luck using Menzerna SIP or the Meg's 105/205 combo with a Flex on the hard GM clears. I will suggest trying that before stepping up to a rotary.

 

Believe me when I say this.

Look into the Meguiars Microfiber Cutting disks and Meguiars Correction Compound (D300). These things eat through GM clear with ease. I've also found cleaning the pads with compressed air after each section not only cleans the pad better removing all traces of dust and build up, but fluffs the fibers up better to provide better cut. This is using compressed air over the brush method. I have done both and the results were the same, but once that pad got loaded up, it didn't cut as well.

I have no problems with GM Vette clears or any for that matter really. If the D300 doesn't provide the bite I'm looking for, I'll add a drop or two of M105 or just use 105 by itself.

This system really REALLY lives by the old saying, "LESS IS MORE". Two drops at the most is what I'll use after the pad is primed.

 

Hopefully my problem can be helped, if not Im close friends with a body guy who can help me out... regardless here we go

after years of neglect my front bumper has what appears to be permanent bug marks on the front bumper, and its dull...

what would the best method be to look it as good as possible without repainting it?

Second.... the owner that had the car before the guy I bought it from, let the car sit under a tree... and some sap go onto the paint

well where the sap sat for a period of time, the paint appears to be grey, if i rub it with my hand though, it doesnt appear that it ate through the clear/paint....

is there any way to get rid of these as well?

thanks again for the great thread

 

Ok guys I just got back from a week in Vegas for the SEMA show. I've got a long 10hr day tomorrow and on sunday I will get to everyones questions. Thanks for being patient guys!

 

***Sorry for the late replies guys! Its been crazy all the way up till SEMA, then the show itself and getting back home and answering dozens of emails, PMs, and voicemails. But I'm back.***


Speed 6 on the PC is where its at. Almost never use it below that speed. It really comes down to the technique, which you'll learn as you go. If the 105 is drying up you're working it a bit too long. You can keep working it but you'll need to mist it with some water to reactivate the abrasives. Don't use too much water and keep it in a small section.



Thank you for reading through the whole thing, I admire that. There is a LOT in here and I'm glad it was a help to you!

Don't think I have time to be a sales rep (although I seem to be an unofficial one lol), but I'm down for the hookup on some free stuff! Maybe an email to Porter Cable is in the cards....

A Lake Country Purple Foamed Wool would be the next step up. M105 on that will cut VERY well, but I'd recommend it on the rotary. It will cause a lot of micromarring on the PC. Beyond that, you'd need to wetsand then compound out with a twisted ply wool pad, but thats not for beginners.

You were working it too long and it dried up. Spritz it very lightly with water to reactivate it. I typically will work a 1'x1' section or maybe 18"x18" section. Good progress so far!

 

Want to petition them on my behalf? I'm cool with that.

I will check out your thread again Conrad and give my thoughts on it.

Got your PM, but for everyone else I really like Mothers Chrome Polish (but most chrome polish is about the same). The real key is to use #0000 steel wool to remove heavier deposits. Works wonders.

Never painted an engine block so not sure on that one...


Thank you and keep up the good work!

Camaro lenses suck to restore. The plastic does not polish easily. I wetsand with 1500 grit then 3000 grit. Compound with the 3" Gloss-It white wool pad on the rotary with the GI 3" Evo backing plate with M105, then finish with LC (Lake Country) 4" white pad and M205. I seal it with Optimum Opti-Guard to permanently seal them. You can get Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 (the commercially available version) at Autogeek. Its not quite as strong as the pro version (Opti-Guard) but its a great product and lasts a LONG time.

The OEM lenses I believe are $200+. Cheap ebay crap ones are < $150 for a pair, but usually have alignment issues. I charge less than 1 OEM light to repair and seal the factory ones.

 

GoFast,

Thank you for this thread. I have been hand detailing my cars for 10 years and my elbow isn't what it used to be. I have wanted to get a buffer for some time but was very confused about the options until I read this thread. I read the entire thread and took notes, so hopefully you don't feel like you've answered these questions already.

Question #1
For plastic/vinyl trim outside the car you recommended Black WOW, 303 Aerospace, or Zaino Z18. What do you recommend for plastic/vinyl on the interior of the car? I noticed that Zaino Z14 is for plastics but "Not for use on porous or textured plastic surfaces, or any vinyl". Is there a product that can do it all?

Question #2:
Iron X comes in many sizes, from 50 ml to 5 liter. How much do I need to decontaminate a Nissan Pathfinder? Should I use the Iron X soap, paste, or spray?
UPDATE: I used one 500 ml spray bottle to decontaminate the entire Nissan Pathfinder. I'm not sure if I will be told I wasted product, but it seemed like the right amount.

Question #3:
What is your definition of "paint correction"?

Thanks for all of your help.

 

I was looking at an ebay set. Are you recommending I don't get some then? How serious are the alignment issues?