New Guy Here, Need A Little Help!

[mako22]

Hi - I`ve learned a lot about cars from LS1Tech and other forums, now I figured it`s time to get serious about detailing. I`ve spend thousands on "appearance mods", and I plan on entering a lot of shows this season - but it seems like every day I see a new scratch on my car....



I have two questions about these multiplying scratches:



1. I have used products like Zymol and 3M light rubbing compound (by hand) to take out these scratches but they appear to be too deep. I don`t have a porter-cable and am not sure I want to learn how to use it on my car. Am I using the wrong products or do I need to take my car to a professional?



2. What can be causing these scratches? I feel like I`m so careful with the car but every time I give the car a once over I see another scratch and I want to puke. Is using a California Water Blade a bad idea to dry the car? I suspect this must be the culprit of many of the scratches. I also got a new cover which I think is contributing...



I am convinced my next car will have to be white or silver - is there no way to keep a dark car scratch free???

http://www.mako22.homestead.com/appearancemods2.jpg



:nixweiss

[imported_Burlyq]

Dude stay dark, that ride is beautiful. Waterblade bad idea, waffle weave microfiber towel, chamois, or absorber = good idea. Learn about claying, when to and how, this will avoid most scratches. Also sheepskin mitt for washing. I`d avoid carnubas, they tend to attract grit more than high quality sealants like Zaino or klasse. Take it to a pro, that car is WAY to nice to try to learn polishing on, ask him if you can watch though. There are many low level abrasives that are safe to use, but for scratches you need some experience. Best way to keep away from scratches is wash correctly and often. If grit is stuck on your car, try a watered down degreaser like simple green and mix 6 to 1 with water and let it sit on the car. Then hose off, then wash with high quality wash, then clay. I can`t get over how sweet that ride is, if you go with a light color you`ll regret it forever. Let me know if that goes up for sale, peace Q.



Also some car covers will trap dirt between cover and the car and it will make minced meat out of your surface. As wind blows it, it goes back and forth, like sandpaper. I don`t know how to avoid this, you might want to research car covers. I detail a lady`s black firebird and her car cover swirled her paint terribly.

[imported_Burlyq]

Man that car is ripping, what do use on the leather?

[JeffM]

That is the nicest look camaro i have ever seen :)



Like Burly said, no waterblade.



I dont agree that you cant learn how to use a PC with that car though. Try the PC out on your washer, use a polishing pad and something like AIO= pretty harmless.



If the car has never been clayed i would start there, after a very good washing. There are lots of "how to" articles under the "learn" burtton up top.



Once again, awesome car !!

[imported_Burlyq]

I agree AIO isn`t going to hurt anything, but if his products didn`t help surely AIO wouldn`t either, it`s just a cleaner. If he is describing it correctly I don`t even think a low level polish will help. He might need at a minimun IP, DACP, or SFX2 or equivelant. At least get a pros opinion on what it`s going to take before deciding to spend the money. One mistake with that car wouldn`t be worth it to me. Having said that if you use a PC instead of a rotary, it is pretty safe (least chance of doing damage). Some people have even hurt their paint jobs with a PC and some polishes, do a search, but it is rare. Even though it`s rare, with a car like that and having no PC experience, I`d rather shell out the money to a pro and do my best in the future to avoid scratches. Maybe you can take close-ups of the damage and we`d get a better idea on what we`re dealing with. Also, there`s no way to keep any car, light or dark, scratch free.



Another option is paying a pro to polish it, but do all of the cleaning and sealing yourself. It is probably better this way because you can put multiple coats and most pro`s wont be able to do that. It is also easy to use all of these super sealants and no chance of harming anything.

[mako22]

thanks for all the compliments guys- and the advice. I really need to read up some more on the proper care - I`ve come a long way (from using old t-shirts and palmolive on my previous black camaro!) but I still have a lot to learn. I`ve seen a few regimens on here, (and downloaded the Autopia guide, that thing is great) anyone want to point me to what is the "gold standard" from start to finish? I know, use the SEARCH button :)



One more question - I have black "hockey sticks" (decals) down the sides of the car (subtle, may be hard to see in that pic) and wax always gets caught in the edges and looks like crap - any suggestions? I started to use some detail spray and a toothbrush but the bristles were leaving some light swirls and I can`t see doing that again....



oh and for the leather - my entire interior used to be the stock tan/safari pattern cloth believe it or not. I ripped an ebony leather interior out of a 2001 Trans Am (carpet, door panels, headliner, everything) and I`m glad I did. Any recommendations for the leather care/preservation???

[scottabir]

for the graphics I would wax starting on the graphic and move the pad off onto the paint therefore not forcing wax under the vinyl.

Gold standard:

Souveran for dark paint after you properly prep the surface will look smokin. As to prep the paint...if you are not comfortable polishing yourself have a pro do it for you...I would ask on autopia for referances first before the yellow pages ;)



Leather I LOVE pinnacle products. Woolite is common here for cleaning leather too. Leatherique is great too though.



If you thought mods for your car are expensive just wait till you see how many products to keep em looking good there are to try. :D

[Accumulator]

Mako22- Welcome to Autopia.



If you can find a *good* pro in your area, then yeah, let him take care of the marring. Trouble is finding a good pro. The caliber of professional detailers that we have *here* can be very hard to find.



It`s hard to say if your scratches are too deep to remove without seeing them. There`s only so much clear you can safely remove without causing clearcoat failure (and it`s not much, about .0003", a "third of a mil", less than the thickness of Saran wrap).



Often, if you just improve the marring and then use the right products to hide it, things can look a lot better.



You`d be fine with the PC. I`ve had people from teenagers to octogenarians up to speed with on in a matter of minutes. At a low speed it`s really no more aggressive than doing things by hand, perhaps less so. If anything, many people end up saying the PC wasn`t aggressive *enough*, quite the opposite of what they expected.



And yes, you *CAN* keep a car marring free. Several of us have done it for quite a long time; even my "beater" often goes over a year without needing any polishing (and I inspect under extreme lighting conditions, often with magnification). IMO most marring happens during the wash/dry process. You might check out my Non-Marring Wash Technique (http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35232) If you never touch the vehicle unless you`re detailing it, never touch it with anything that`s so coarse it`ll scratch, and never rub the dirt into the finish, you won`t mar the paint. Simple concept, not so simple to do.



IMO the easiest way to avoid product build-up around the hockey sticks (besides scottabir`s great advice) is to use products that wipe off cleanly and don`t use too much product. Seems most people use many times as much of everything as is really needed. A plush MF towel, perhaps dampened with a little QD, should get any excess if you use the right amount of product.