Bought a used black car with awful paint

[lunakki]

I just bought a `95 Miata that`s mostly black with some flames on the sides:



http://imageshack.us/a/img18/1582/miatag.png



Doesn`t look too bad in that picture, right? It`s dirty, for sure (damn pollen), and could use some shining up, but it looks salvageable. But then look closer:



http://imageshack.us/a/img594/4323/miatadamage02.png



It`s covered in these swirl marks, scuffs, etc. Even worse is the front bumper:



http://imageshack.us/a/img856/4723/miatadamage01.png



It`s got more rock chips and cracks than actual paint.



Is there anything I can do to make the cracks and rock chips look better short of repainting the car? I don`t know if the black is the factory paint or not. Even if it is, with as old as the car is, I have no idea if touch-up paint would match the existing paint. Also, if you look in the middle picture, on the right edge, there`s a big white spot. Is this worn through the black paint or just oxidation of the clear coat?



Anyway, this is a forum about products, and that`s my main question. I never did anything but wash and wax my other car, and it never looked as nice as I wanted. I`d like to get some high quality products and do it right, but I`m not sure what to get. Part of the problem is that I`m short on money, but I have a few hundred bucks worth of Amazon gift cards, so I`d like to limit my shopping to there as much as possible.



So far I`ve found these towels:

Cobra Gold Plush MF (http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Gold-Plush-Microfiber-Towels/dp/B004V9I9W2/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1368048160&sr=1-1&keywords=cobra)

Cobra Super Deluxe MF (http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Super-Deluxe-Microfiber-inches/dp/B001LTTNNE/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1368048160&sr=1-5&keywords=cobra)



I`ve seen people here say good things about Cobra, and they get really good reviews. Do they look good? I figured I`d get one 3pk of each.



For wash mitts, I know a lot of people here swear by sheepskin, but I`m having trouble finding one with good reviews. This one has some people that swear it works exactly as advertised and others that say it leaves lint everywhere: Mothers Genuine Lambswool Wash Mitt (http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Genuine-Lambswool-Wash-Mitt/dp/B001UJB9AU/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1368050236&sr=1-3&keywords=mitt+wash)



Here is a microfiber one with only four reviews but with all five stars, including a person that uses it on a dark car with no scratches:

ArmorAll MF Wash Mitt (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NXYDMS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A18GOTPZXJ4GOE)



Then there`s this one, which is another brand you all seem fond of: Meguiar`s MF Wash Mitt (http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-X3002-Microfiber-Wash-Mitt/dp/B000RXKR6M/ref=pd_sim_auto_3)





Soap: Meguiars` car wash (http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Class-Shampoo-Conditioner-64oz/dp/B0009IQXFO/ref=pd_luc_bxgy_01_03_t_lh?ie=UTF8&psc=1) ? Or do you suggest ONR (http://www.amazon.com/32oz-Optimum-Rinse-Wash-Shine/dp/B000E9TS6O/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1368054470&sr=1-1&keywords=optimum+no+rinse) instead?



Is there any point in using those "wash and wax" products? It seems gimmicky to me, and I imagine you would end up with a product that works less well than using two products designed for their specific purpose. Is this intuition right?



I know I`m going to have to put a lot of work into polishing the car to get all those awful marks out. I saw this thread (http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/144779-%24100-paint-correction-kit.html) which gave a bunch of products all on Amazon, except the actual polisher. Is there anything comparable in price and quality on Amazon, or should I just break down and buy that one in the store?



Clay: Clay Magic (blue) with lube spray (http://www.amazon.com/Simoniz-S56-Perfect-Finish-Detailing/dp/B0081OSRT8/ref=sr_1_8?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1368055375&sr=1-8&keywords=clay+magic). I do want the blue one, right?



How about wax? I know they make wax specifically for black cars, but this car is not completely black. Suggestions there?



Anything else I`m missing to help get this car looking all shiny and pretty? I`m not worried about the tires and interior and all that for the moment, just the paint. That`s going to be a big enough project in of itself.

[Richard Grasa]

No way to fix those cracks in the bumper short of a repaint. The chips can be made to look better, but chances are they will never look close to perfect. The swirls, most scratches and scuffs can most likely be compounded and polished but that thing is beyond hammered and is going to take ALOT of work to make it look better. That white spot you`re asking about, from the pic anyway, appears to be clear coat failure, but hard to tell in that pic. For a polisher, look at the HD available on this site, the Griot`s 6 inch, the PC 7424XP or the Harbor Freight 6" DA.



Are those flames under or on top of the clear? If on top and the paint is in that condition in the flamed area, the compounding it`s going to take to bring that paint back to decent condition is most likely going to destroy them.

[Dan]

Wow....ummmm.. that looks like a lot of work. A few thoughts... as much as I love Amazon, prime member 4lyfe...etc...don`t believe the reviews, especially the detailing product ones. You have to realize those reviews are by people who vary from complete dolt to people here.



I don`t think you are going to get the paint anywhere near perfect, and frankly the time spent would be better spent flipping burgers to pay for a new paint job. Maybe I just can`t get past the flames. I love Miatas, but it looks like someone tried to make the car more manly.



Grab some ONR, maybe something like NXT or Megs ultimate wax (conceal moderately) and just enjoy driving the car. Any plans to take her to the track?

[lunakki]

There are a bunch of spots like that white one on the car, but I wasn`t sure if trying to polish them out would just take off the black paint and make it worse. My husband was the one taking pictures because his phone has a much nicer camera than mine, and I don`t see any better pictures. I can bug him to take more pictures later if you want me to.



I think the flames are under the clear coat but I`m not totally sure. They don`t feel raised up at the edges or anything. Is there a way to tell without doing damage? I`m not overly attached to them being there, and I`d much rather have a plain black car with paint in good condition than a car with flames in bad condition. I just don`t want to mess them up so that they`re half worn off and look awful.



Why would somebody custom paint their car and then not bother to take care of the paint? It boggles the mind.

[lunakki]

I will definitely get it repainted eventually, but I`d like it to look like I at least try to take care of my car while I get the money to do so. Plus I`d rather learn how to perfect my detailing process on a car that it`s not such a big deal to make a mistake on than to wait until it`s freshly painted. Plus if I learn how to do it well, I can detail my friends` cars to earn money to paint my own. Seems like a more satisfying way to make extra money than flipping burgers, anyway.



I know not everybody that leaves a review knows what they are talking about, but I wanted to narrow it down to a few products to get an opinion on instead of just asking "please help me make a list of everything I need." I figure you all probably get that enough, and it gets old helping people that aren`t willing to do any research on their own at all.



I don`t have any immediate plans to take it to the track, but I`ve only had it about a week, so we`ll see.

[brownbob06]

I vote respray... No flames...



I`m super cereal about that too...

[brownbob06]

I do like that you`re wanting to learn and honestly with the condition that paint is in it`s a perfect car to learn a lot on.



And to answer your question about who would get a custom paint job and not take care of it. My guess would be either A- the same person who thought flames would look good on a Miata or B- the person who let it go to crap bough it already custom painted.



Opinions of the custom paint job aside, (since this is a detailing forum) I really think a respray is what`s needed, mainly on the bumper. Take your time on it and make sure to get plenty of before pictures. If you work hard at it I bet you`ll be amazed at what products can do these days.

[brownbob06]

One other thing, if you`re ok with spending a little more in order to use your amazon card instead of cash:

Griot`s Garage 10765STDCRD 6" Random Orbital with 10` Cord:Amazon:Automotive (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0042KHPJS/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1368065582&sr=8-1&pi=SL75)

[tom p.]

Luna, welcome aboard!



I see this as a project car!! Very exciting!! How is the car mechanically? Also looks like an excellent candidate for Dr Colorchip for the interim.



Live with the car for a bit. See how deep ($$$) you want to go with it.

[Scottwax]

Meguiars #205 and NXT wax. Remove/fill what you can, then save up for a paint job.

[Dan]

And to answer your question about who would get a custom paint job and not take care of it. My guess would be either A- the same person who thought flames would look good on a Miata or B- the person who let it go to crap bough it already custom painted.



C- someone that thought they could make it more manly with flames, and then realized it was a total fail.



Here`s how you do it:



http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/252/2001/25628500013_large.jpg



YUM!

[E-Jag]

Lunakki, I truly do not mean to come across as snarky, but virtually every product you might read about on this site will help that car (except brillo pads, which apparently the previous owner already tried). You, my friend, are about to find out why car people say that black isn`t a color, it`s a part-time job. Might be fun, though, to see what you can do with it. Good luck!

[lunakki]

Opinions of the custom paint job aside, (since this is a detailing forum) I really think a respray is what`s needed, mainly on the bumper. Take your time on it and make sure to get plenty of before pictures. If you work hard at it I bet you`ll be amazed at what products can do these days.



You`re right, no doubt. I`ll see how good I can get it to look without respraying first. If it ends up being a lot that I can`t fix without repainting, then I`ll just wait until I can do the whole thing in a different color. If I can get the rest to look good, then I might just repaint the bumper black and leave it that way for awhile.




One other thing, if you`re ok with spending a little more in order to use your amazon card instead of cash:

Griot`s Garage 10765STDCRD 6" Random Orbital with 10` Cord:Amazon:Automotive (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0042KHPJS/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1368065582&sr=8-1&pi=SL75)



Hmm, the HF DA is less than half that price. Is it worth paying that much more for the Griot`s?




Luna, welcome aboard!



I see this as a project car!! Very exciting!! How is the car mechanically? Also looks like an excellent candidate for Dr Colorchip for the interim.



Live with the car for a bit. See how deep ($$$) you want to go with it.



Amazingly the car runs great and doesn`t have any major issues, in spite of the paint and interior being totally thrashed. (You guys do not want to see pictures of the interior. Trust me.)



I checked out the website for Dr. ColorChip and it looks like it`d be a great short term solution. I`ll have to see if there are any threads on that in this forum, and if people have gotten the results it says it gives. I know nothing short of repainting will make it look perfect, but it would at least make it look better, and help prevent further damage. It has a lot of big, deep chips, though. I wonder how well it would work on the cracks? It might be worth it for that alone.



I have enough in Amazon gift cards to get everything I listed, plus the Griot`s random orbital (and pads, polishing compounds, etc.), so it won`t really cost me anything. I`ve been trying to find something to use them on anyway.




C- someone that thought they could make it more manly with flames, and then realized it was a total fail.



Here`s how you do it:



[image]



YUM!



Yeah, I wanted a red or yellow Miata, but they are hard to find! Especially a bright red like that. Yellow Miatas cost about twice as much as any other color.




Lunakki, I truly do not mean to come across as snarky, but virtually every product you might read about on this site will help that car (except brillo pads, which apparently the previous owner already tried). You, my friend, are about to find out why car people say that black isn`t a color, it`s a part-time job. Might be fun, though, to see what you can do with it. Good luck!

Hahaha, you can be snarky, it`s okay. I won`t be offended; it`s not like I`m the one that destroyed the paint.



My other car is also black. I must be sadistic or something. Everybody needs a hobby, right?



Anybody have thoughts on the wash mitts I posted links to? Should I get the sheepskin one, or settle for MF, or just get one somewhere else entirely?

[tom p.]

Luna, for the price of admission, Dr Colorchip is going to freshen things up nicely. A bit of patience and time are required to bring out the best.



It`s e-z to use. I suspect there are videos on Youtube.



Good luck!!

[Dan]

Mother`s makes a very nice sheepskin mitt. I have had two for a couple of years now, they have held up incredibly well. Trouble is they are expensive on Amazon now. Check camelcamelcamel.com to see how much they have varied, its crazy. You might also want to look up the Garry Dean wash method. Great way to wash a car FAST.