Have I scratched the car paint, or just deep dirt?

[Magyarman]

Originally Posted by dinfern22

Damn, this forum is helpful!

Thanks for the advice guys, I think ill first try buying an actual car wash soap and clay bar the car afterwards for the first time and wax it again using a paste instead of a spray. Ill see if the clay bar would remove the dirt and hopefully it isn't scratch.

If i'm correct, which i'm hoping I am, this was caused by using a wash mit that had some dirt and stuck to the car while washing/drying, which was also waxed on sticking it to the paint.

I am familiar with wax is suppose to protect the paint, but what is the purpose of a car polish? Also is it applied after waxing or prior after the wash? Any tips?

I am new to the whole waxing/polishing thing, so any help will do!

1) Wash is to remove dirt from the paint,"rinse well". then dry.

2) Polish is to make the paint shine.

3) wax/sealer is to preserve the shine and protect the paint,

So do 1,then 2 then 3!

Hang in there ,it's not really hard to do.

I'm in Baltimore are you close? I'm retired and I find the wife likes it better when I'm gone. If you're within 75 miles I could give you a hand.

[radroach]

Originally Posted by dinfern22

JESUS, $120 for a polisher!?
I think ill use this for a last resort if all fails. Thanks for the recommendation, ill check it out!

Well if you look at it from a professional standpoint, its a tool that you can easily turn that cost around on with detailing a couple cars for friends / neighbors. Polishing jobs on an entire car usually run over $100 so its nice to own quality tools so you can DIY.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by radroach

Well if you look at it from a professional standpoint, its a tool that you can easily turn that cost around on with detailing a couple cars for friends / neighbors. Polishing jobs on an entire car usually run over $100 so its nice to own quality tools so you can DIY.

I've been meaning to get that one for a while. This summer is looking good for it.

[blackhawkdown]

Totaled.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Impureclient]

Originally Posted by dinfern22

JESUS, $120 for a polisher!?
I think ill use this for a last resort if all fails. Thanks for the recommendation, ill check it out!

$60 at Harbor Freight plus the 20% off coupon and you're at $48 and it will be good enough to last any polishing you'll do at home on your own cars.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-57...her-69924.html

[radroach]

Originally Posted by Impureclient

$60 at Harbor Freight plus the 20% off coupon and you're at $48 and it will be good enough to last any polishing you'll do at home on your own cars.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-57...her-69924.html

Looks like a chinese knockoff of the porter cable but if it gets the job done, well.. Don't cry when you can't warranty it when the power cord frays off. Also I'd ditch the 6 inch backing plate and use a 5" because they're better for getting in the smaller spaces / panels on this car.

[Impureclient]

Originally Posted by radroach

Looks like a chinese knockoff of the porter cable but if it gets the job done, well.. Don't cry when you can't warranty it when the power cord frays off. Also I'd ditch the 6 inch backing plate and use a 5" because they're better for getting in the smaller spaces / panels on this car.

When it comes to using a tool everyday and beating it up I'd only buy Ridgid since they have a lifetime warranty or any other big name brand
like Dewalt, Milwaukee, etc if you trust it since they only usually have a few years in the warranty.
For something that will be used a few times ever, I would go with a Harbor Freight one. The Harbor Freight tools aren't that bad though.
I have a rotary hammer that I've had for at least 5 years from there that gets heavy use every other week and it's fine.

You can pay a few bucks more for an 1 or 2 year extended warranty from HF and still be half the price of a big name brand tool.
If it goes bad they swap the tool out on the spot too rather than try to repair it. Trust me I like better quality tools
but Harbor Freight carries many things that are comparable to name brand stuff for a fraction of the price.
The handheld electric tools aren't usually what I would recommend though and I never thought that rotary hammer drill would last that long.
In this case with it being used probably only a few times ever, I think it's the way to go.

[dinfern22]

Guys, I wanted to know if those rubbing compound products like scratch out are safe on paint? I wanted to try thiese products of clay barring doesn't work. I mean not in small sections either but using it on a whole panel like the hood? And does it remove the current wax, needing a new waxing?

[Magyarman]

Originally Posted by dinfern22

Guys, I wanted to know if those rubbing compound products like scratch out are safe on paint? I wanted to try thiese products of clay barring doesn't work. I mean not in small sections either but using it on a whole panel like the hood? And does it remove the current wax, needing a new waxing?

You've got to be very careful when considering any "compound". the white stuff is usually the lightweight stuff,the red is the heavy duty stuff. either one will remove your clearcoat ASAP as they are very abrasive.



First take little steps to solve your problem. You don't know what will do the trick at this point. Do a real wash with Dawn or regular car soap,and a good rinse and dry ,see what you've got and go step by step until it's all gone.

Don't anticipate problems that may never happen!

[dinfern22]

Originally Posted by Magyarman

You've got to be very careful when considering any "compound". the white stuff is usually the lightweight stuff,the red is the heavy duty stuff. either one will remove your clearcoat ASAP as they are very abrasive.



First take little steps to solve your problem. You don't know what will do the trick at this point. Do a real wash with Dawn or regular car soap,and a good rinse and dry ,see what you've got and go step by step until it's all gone.

Don't anticipate problems that may never happen!

Good point man! I'll post an update of the results after a full wash/wax, thanks for your previous advice!

[dinfern22]

Guys I'm curious, when you guys are about to wash your car, do you check the weather on the upcoming week to see if it'll rain? Would you still wash/wax your car if it'll rain in another few days?

I've been checking last couple weeks, trying to wash my car when the whole week is sunny, but at this rate ill never be able to wash my car, damn crazy weather every few days!

[86geek]

Yuh, I check but think of it as once you wash n wax your car it will be protected. Otherwise you'll be waiting forever!
Last time I washed n detailed my car was Dec 2016. I had shoulder surgery a month ago. A few days ago I got my car done by a detail shop.

[sodjer]

Originally Posted by dinfern22

Guys I'm curious, when you guys are about to wash your car, do you check the weather on the upcoming week to see if it'll rain? Would you still wash/wax your car if it'll rain in another few days?

Rain forecasted for the same or next day likely not. Or I'll just rinse it removing large particles and clean the glass if needed (dirty glass is my kryptonite lol). Anything beyond that and I'll do a full wash as needed.

Also as stated above this damage looks like it could be from a wash mitt or drying towel. Inspect your mitt, towels and anything else that would touch the paint very closely. Does the mitt or towel have a tag? If so rip that sucker off or fold the towel in a way it won't touch the paint. Microfiber grabs and holds onto dirt/debris by design so if you get something embedded in it and then rub it all over your car you end up with swirl marks. To help minimize swirls always wipe the paint with plenty of lubricant (wash solution, quick detailer, spray wax, etc.), and always in a single direction (generally front to back).

[dinfern22]

Thanks for all the advice guys, really appreciate it.

The weather finally cleared up! So after searching for hours on end(OCD, not really), I finally found and bought a wax and a polish along with a clay bar kit. Have any of you guys heard of these products, will these help? Any experiences or info on them? Iv'e read many reviews saying their great for white cars, ones like my Halo!
-Thanks!

Polish

https://www.amazon.com/473ml-16oz-Wh.../dp/B004ZLAQRM

Wax

https://www.amazon.com/Dodo-Juice-Di.../dp/B002OHN6CG