Paint fade

barry.rs

Guest
I went along to my local body shop who have done some good work for me in the past to see how much id be looking at to have so stone chips sorted and the news wasn’t great :(

They said could fill the chips and blow the front end over for £150-£200 but the paint has faded over the whole car and this would make it look like its had a front end smash.

They could blend the colour back into the doors and roof to loose the change in shade but then im looking at £480 which is more than i want to spend.

So my question is this, have any of you guys come across a good product to restore the paint work with?
 

flashbsd

Guest
tried a pc polish mate? that should bring it back up to scratch!
 

FinerDetails

Official SCN Supporter
if the paint is swirl free, a good paint cleaner will remove any dead oxidised paint, you then want to 'feed' this with a good glaze' to add oil and depth into the paint, making it richer and deeper.

As mentioned above, a good PC will sort this, but costs and results will depend on the condition of the paint, but it wont be anywhere near the cost of the blow over and blend quote
 

barry.rs

Guest
Cheers for the response guys.

The paint is pretty poor really, it was an ex lease hire car from new and has obviously been through the car wash a fair few times in its life so has quite a few swirls and has faded on most panels.

I don’t mind spending a few quid on the car to restore the colour so if anyone knows of a person in the Somerset / Bristol area that can help i would be happy if you could give me there details.
 

paul26982

Guest
heres some info from a m8, really worx too

1) Washing: Removing the loose contaminants from the surface of your car;
2) Cleaning/Prepping: Removing bonded contaminants, stains, blemishes, scratches, chemical etching and oxidation;
3) Polishing/Glazing: An optional step for dark-coloured cars;
4) Waxing: Waxing is part of the larger category of protection, which coats the paint finish with a residual layer of waxes, polymers, silicones and resins that prevents most environmental contaminants from coming into direct contact with your paint finish for a period of time; and,
5) Maintenance: The regular use of a mist and wipe product for removing fresh contaminants.

The task of selecting which products will work the easiest and produce the best results on your specific car is greatly simplified by evaluating your paint finish. Believe it or not, the evaluation is simple and foolproof. After you wash and dry your car, rub the face of your clean hand across the top surfaces of your car. Your sense of touch will tell you what your eyes cannot see.

If your paint finish is as smooth as glass, your car wax will apply and wipe off like a dream, leaving clear reflections and long lasting protection. This makes the car waxing experience both fun and rewarding.

When you use your sense of touch to evaluate the paint finish on your car, you will usually feel bonded contaminants that your eyes cannot see. Don't be surprised if what you feel is more reminiscent of sandpaper than glass. The roughness that you feel is environmental contaminants that have bonded to your paint finish and are now trying to etch into your paint finish. No amount of car waxing will remove these contaminants.

Applying car wax on top of bonded contaminants is a laborious and worthless task. Even easy-to-use car waxes are difficult to apply and wipe off over bonded contaminants that have roughed up your paint finish. Furthermore, the mass accumulation of bonded contaminants prevents any possibility of mirror-like reflections. The paint is left lacklustre. Even worse, bonded contaminants repel the adhesion of car wax, allowing the penetration of moisture and contaminants, even if you have spent four hours applying four coats of car wax.

There is yet another disastrous consequence of not removing bonded contaminants. All of the contaminants, like dust and grime collect faster in high heat conditions and are far more difficult to remove from cars with rough paint finishes. Conversely, the adhered grit and grime is far easier to wash off paint finishes that are as slick as glass and well waxed.

This is important information for everyone who lives in areas of extreme temperatures and truly cares about the appearance of their car. While it may seem too good to be true, this advice can save you time and effort, dramatically improve the appearance of your car and genuinely protect your car's appearance.

Assuming that your car is covered with bonded contaminants, let's go through the steps that will provide optimum appearance and protection for your car this winter.

Washing
Unfortunately, more than half of all the people who wash their own car use dishwashing detergents. While wonderful for dishes(so the missus has told me), dishwashing detergents strip off all of your protection and then pull the vital oils out of the paint just like too much detergent does to your hands. This dries your paint out and accelerates the oxidation process. When you wash your car, only use water or use a car wash shampoo and conditioner, like Meguiars' Nxt Generation Car wash, that will enhance the appearance of your paint finish while flushing off loose contaminants.
When washing RINSE the car FIRST, then i like to use the 2 bucket method (one bucket of regular car wash solution, one clean water. simply rinse your wash mitt in the clean water, before reloading it with the wash solution, repeat this throughout the wash) starting at the top and working down of course, then re-rinse and dry with a Meguiars waffle drying towel.

Evaluation
After you wash and dry your car, use the face of your hand to feel the top surfaces of your car. If your paint finish is rough to your touch, you are feeling bonded contaminants that must be removed before polishing and waxing is of any value. If your paint finish is as smooth as glass, it will amaze you how easy it is to apply a coat of polish and/or wax. .

Cleaning/Prepping
Most of the time, paint finishes need to be prepped for polishing and waxing. For removing below surface paint problems like oxidation, stains, blemishes and scratches, it important to only use a non-abrasive clear coat safe paint cleaner like Meguiars' Deep Crystal Stage one, followed by Scratch X. While amazingly effective, there is a limit to the results that can be obtained by using hand applied paint cleaner. If you have serious paint problems, professional products, colour sanding, and a high speed rotary buffer can produce dramatic results in the hands of a well trained detailing technician. (PM Me! :D)
To apply these products, i work half a panel at a time applying with a Megs sponge applicator pad, and remove straight away with a plush Microfibre cloth before the product has dryed.

Removing above surface bonded contaminants and restoring a glassy smooth surface to your paint finish is easily accomplished by using Meguiars' Quick Clay Detailing System. Similar in appearance to Silly Putty, this non-abrasive ball of clay instantly removes bonded contaminants as you rub it across the surface of your car using a mist & wipe product, like Meguiars' Quick Detailer, as a lubricant.
To use this simply work half-one panel at a time again mist with QD and simply let the clay glide across your paint, repeat until the finish is as smooth as glass and wipe off any residue with a CLEAN Microfibre (do not reuse it from the previous step)

Polishing/Glazing
A pure polish or Glaze does not provide cleaning ability or protection. This is an optional step for car guys with dark-coloured (especially black) cars. If you want an absolutely flawless show car finish, if you polish your car at least once a month and wish to avoid wax build-up, or if you have re-painted your car within the past 90 days and cannot use car wax, a pure polish, like Meguiars' Deep Crystal Polish, is the perfect product for you.
To apply this simply use a clean Megs applicator pad, working one panel at a time again, and remove before dry with a clean MF.

Waxing
You will be amazed at how much easier it is to apply and wipe off car wax on a glassy smooth paint finish. If you want to optimise both appearance and durability, it makes sense to only use premium car wax products like Meguiars' NXT Generation Tech Wax. Regardless of which wax you use, applying as much as three coats of wax provides residual protection and each coat becomes increasingly easier to apply and wipe off.
I'm sure you all know by now, apply with a Megs applicator pad to the entire car. (DONT USE **** LOADS, a blob the size of a pound coin will do a panel app the same size as a Fiesta bonnet) Then wait for it to skin, or dry to a haze, and remove with a clean MF.

Maintenance
It is easy to keep your car looking like it was "just detailed" every day by frequently using a mist & wipe product like Meguiars' Quick Detailer. Regular maintenance removes contaminants before they have time to bond to or etch into your paint finish. This is the missing link between washing and waxing that dramatically extends the durability of your car wax.
To use this simply mist on a panel, and wipe straight off with a clean MF, This can also be used in windows etc!

Alloy Wheels
Ok often a step that is missed out on car detailing, To clean these correctly REMOVE them from your car, doing one at a times fine for all of you who only have a trolley jack. What i like to do is soak the wheel in Meguiars Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner, letting it soak in for a good 20-30 min's. (not forgetting the back of your alloys! Then agitate where necessary with a wheel brush (i actually got one off ebay that goes in a drill superb!) Then rinse well and let to dry. Any stubborn stains can be Quick Clayed out, then apply a coat of NXT wax, this will help washing off the brake dust and road **** so much easier in future.
Followed by Meguiars Endurance High Gloss Tyre Protection Gel, simply applied with an old piece of sponge (as it will wreck the applicators over time)

Plastic Trim
For this i like to use NXT Tech Protectant, simply apply in the same way as the tyre dressing! Simple! It is also very affective on Dashboards, gives a nice fragrance and a satin shine, not a cheap glossy silicone look that Most products do!
 

barry.rs

Guest
FinerDetails said:
Nearest I know that could tackle a carof that 'nature' would be Wiltshire area, is that too far?

Naa not too far, could make a day out of it.

Cheers Paul i shall have a read.
 

paul26982

Guest
no probs, just a guide to do good detailing, been told to use a good wax once a month too, and the results are very rewarding

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