Faded black paint...
- Thread starter Smoke Em All
- Start date
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OP
OP
Smoke Em All
Full Access Member
That is exactly what my hands looked like after I was done!! I will try to clay bar it soon it's been so hot the clay just sticks to my paint. Thanks for all the input guys!!!
2003 Tahoe LT loaded!! 3" body lift Nitto Terra Grapplers 285/70/18..
2003 Tahoe LT loaded!! 3" body lift Nitto Terra Grapplers 285/70/18..
MarkD51
Full Access Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XAqpOe9Zt4
Here's another good vid, from the Junkman. All the Junkman vids are good, lots of straightforward no BS talk about detailing.
Resorting to wet sanding, cutting-buffing on your ride will most likely as the junkman says, put you in a paint shop. You need to clarify, clean and smooth the top clear coat of your paint finish. The clearer and smoother this top coat is, the base color underneath will come though in all its glory. A clear coat is about the thickness of a postage stamp. Your vehicle is 12 years old, trust that there's not as much clear coat left like when the paint was new.
Paint shops can vary widely. The areas that been resprayed will likely have more paint, but then again only one way to truly tell, and that is with a paint gauge.
(hope you waited at least a month before waxing those freshly sprayed areas?)
A DA with mild finishing polishes, or at most a swirl remover Polish of the likes of Meguiars 205, Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover will be what you want you use to restore luster, gloss, and clarity. While Polshes like Meg's 205 can be used by hand it is a fantastic product, and works quite easily by hand, you will spend a lot more time restoring your finish in this manner. But good results can be had, by working one section-panel at a time.
Without a DA though, you will not achieve the same level of smoothness, and correction that a DA is capable of. Even the cheap $50 Harbor Freight DA with a good Backing Plate like a Lake Country 5" Urethane Plate, with some good Lake Country 5.5 flat Foam Pads will be light years better than hand polishing.
As for Clay Kits, the Mothers Clay Bar Kits sold all over the place like wally world, and comes with a pint bottle of spray lube works very well. Some now come with two bars, and the spray at about $20 or so for the kit. Remember, you drop the clay bar on the ground, you must toss it!
I'd probably wash well first with a good concentration with a decent shampoo like Duragloss, great stuff, smells like cherry, dry, clay, polish, and you will be good to go to apply a "good" sealant or wax, not that black box stuff! LOL
Let us know what happens?
PS: If all of this "DA" speak is too much for you for any reason, then yes, at least wash, clay, and perhaps try the Duragloss 501 Polish-Sealant like I suggested earlier. Keep in mind that while Clay will clean the paint (the Bar will probably be black after one section from the black box junk) a clay bar can instill fine scratches also to a finish. Many factors, the GM paint is generally hard, but still, depends on the user, adequately lubing the surface so the bar glides, not drags over the surface, what contaminants the bar can hold and be wiped across the paint. Most good detailers after they clay will then polish the paint.
Here's another good vid, from the Junkman. All the Junkman vids are good, lots of straightforward no BS talk about detailing.
Resorting to wet sanding, cutting-buffing on your ride will most likely as the junkman says, put you in a paint shop. You need to clarify, clean and smooth the top clear coat of your paint finish. The clearer and smoother this top coat is, the base color underneath will come though in all its glory. A clear coat is about the thickness of a postage stamp. Your vehicle is 12 years old, trust that there's not as much clear coat left like when the paint was new.
Paint shops can vary widely. The areas that been resprayed will likely have more paint, but then again only one way to truly tell, and that is with a paint gauge.
(hope you waited at least a month before waxing those freshly sprayed areas?)
A DA with mild finishing polishes, or at most a swirl remover Polish of the likes of Meguiars 205, Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover will be what you want you use to restore luster, gloss, and clarity. While Polshes like Meg's 205 can be used by hand it is a fantastic product, and works quite easily by hand, you will spend a lot more time restoring your finish in this manner. But good results can be had, by working one section-panel at a time.
Without a DA though, you will not achieve the same level of smoothness, and correction that a DA is capable of. Even the cheap $50 Harbor Freight DA with a good Backing Plate like a Lake Country 5" Urethane Plate, with some good Lake Country 5.5 flat Foam Pads will be light years better than hand polishing.
As for Clay Kits, the Mothers Clay Bar Kits sold all over the place like wally world, and comes with a pint bottle of spray lube works very well. Some now come with two bars, and the spray at about $20 or so for the kit. Remember, you drop the clay bar on the ground, you must toss it!
I'd probably wash well first with a good concentration with a decent shampoo like Duragloss, great stuff, smells like cherry, dry, clay, polish, and you will be good to go to apply a "good" sealant or wax, not that black box stuff! LOL
Let us know what happens?
PS: If all of this "DA" speak is too much for you for any reason, then yes, at least wash, clay, and perhaps try the Duragloss 501 Polish-Sealant like I suggested earlier. Keep in mind that while Clay will clean the paint (the Bar will probably be black after one section from the black box junk) a clay bar can instill fine scratches also to a finish. Many factors, the GM paint is generally hard, but still, depends on the user, adequately lubing the surface so the bar glides, not drags over the surface, what contaminants the bar can hold and be wiped across the paint. Most good detailers after they clay will then polish the paint.
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OP
OP
Smoke Em All
Full Access Member
I have a meg clay bar kit with lubricant and 2 bars. I was going to use it the other day but, it was too hot. The lubricant was evaporating as soon as I started rubbing and the bar would stick to my paint. I'm going to try on a cooler day.
2003 Tahoe LT loaded!! 3" body lift Nitto Terra Grapplers 285/70/18..
2003 Tahoe LT loaded!! 3" body lift Nitto Terra Grapplers 285/70/18..
MarkD51
Full Access Member
Sounded like the paint itself was hot and/or not enough adequate shade.
Once a vehicle has been out in direct sunlight it does take quite a while to cool, especially a black-dark colored vehicle.
Anything like this with lots sweat inducing rubbing, I like to start at the break of daylight if possible during summer months when temps are cooler out.
Virtually all New Mexicans (if they can help it) work (or play) this way, jogging, gardening, outside chores etc, before things get too hot here. Thermometers redline all the way here (130+F) in direct sunlight. Surprising they don't burst.
This area during summer looks pretty much just like any of the old Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns.
PS: Never used the Meg's Kit, but it is said they are good too.
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02 Burb
Full Access Member
Ive heard the meguairs clay bar sticks a little bit more than normal, try using a brand called Clay Magic
alpha5thgroup
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Check out Chemical Guys, their price via Amazon is cheaper. Their reviews is outstanding. Used to be A Maguire fan until the last two weeks. Wish I can upload my pics to show.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
This is a fantastic post. I just bought a black '07 and the paint is in need of some love. I've got a Porter Cable DA but I've never used it before so I'm a little nervous. Hopefully I don't screw anything up but I'm thinking of going the route of Wash, clay, dry, swirl remover product then a polish from griot's I have. Do you recommend any special pads for each stage?
MarkD51
Full Access Member
Hi, I'll guess that you also have something like a Lake Country 5" Backing Plate, and some standard flat 5.5" pads? (The stock PC plate with permanently attached pad is pretty much garbage)
If you do have the better backing plate, and an assortment of such pads I mention above, a good rule of thumb is always try the mildest polish and softest pads first. Object is of course to use the least aggressive methods-products to achieve the desirable results you seek, removing the least amount of paint in the process.
The professional detailing guru's guidelines, such as always doing a test spot first is a wise one. Once you find what works, repeat the process over the entire vehicle.
Within the Lake Country 5.5" flat pad lineup, I would probably start with a white pad, rather than the more aggressive orange, or even more aggressive yet yellow pads.
One can always go back, and repeat a step for areas that may have deeper swirls-scratches. Or to then switch to a slightly more aggressive polish and/or pad for such areas, then finish again with the fine finishing polish.
The plastic sandwich baggie is a great aid to use when claying. Just the bare hand, or eye will not equal what you'll feel when feeling the paint with your hand inside the plastic bag.
Speed #5 is usually a common speed with the PC DA for correction, after prepping with wash-clay then it is wise to mask all trim, be it rubber, plastic, chrome. The 3M Green masking tape available usually at all auto paint supply shops is generally what most use.
Always start-stop the machine while pad is upon the paint to reduce polish spatter. Always initially prime the pad first with product. Slow overlapping passes, side to side, then up and down, and at least have a few of each pad type. After awhile if they begin to get dirty, switch to a new pad. As for MF Towels better to have more than you need than not enough. Same with polishing pads.
Marking a yellow backing plate with a line from a black magic marker helps one keep tabs on pad rotation. This is important.
I know SUVs are a large taxing undertaking-task, and there's nothing in writing that says the entire vehicle has to be completely done within a day's time.
Have good lighting, always work in the shade, or garage if you have one and upon cool to the touch paint.
Work clean, take your time, rushing a job can sometimes cause later regrets.
Have the correct products on hand before you begin.
There must be thousands of youtube vids on polishing with the Porter Cable DA Machine. These can help you get down the basic processes-techniques.
Those featuring Mike Phillips from AutoGeek will be the best instructional videos to study and learn from.
Membership to the AutoGeek Forums is free. There's countless instructional how to vids posted there from the forum's detailing master-guru, Mike Phillips. I've been a member there about two years. Wisest thing I ever did in my life in pertinence to auto detailing!
Mark
Here's one vid from Mike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YIYfAS9vR4
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