Hello everyone. I`m new to the forum, and detailing in general. I`ve been lurking for a couple of weeks (though this is my first post), and have soaked up quite a bit of knowledge so far. I, however, have a couple of questions I haven`t quite been able to answer through reading (mostly through lack of time to really dig in and read through everything as properly as I should). So I decided I should post and ask (be warned, this may be a long winded!). And since I`m not sure where to work this into the following information, I live in Nevada: hot summers, cold winters (though sub-zero Fahrenheit temps are rare), and lots of dust storms.
The car that I currently own, I am about to sell to some friends. I`m trying to make it look nice for them, without going overboard. I don`t want a temporary fix to the little blemishes it has, but I don`t really want to spend an exhaustive amount of time on it either, since I know they aren`t likely to take better care of the car than I have over the years. That being said, I didn`t exactly abuse the car, but before finding this forum, my idea of taking care of a car was semi-normal washing (normally by hand with dish soap, sometimes in an automatic car wash), and the occasional waxing. The paint isn`t in bad shape in general, though the hood isn`t pretty, and that is where I will be spending most of my time.
A little background on the car: it`s a 2005 Orange Chevy Cobalt, I forget the exact name of the color, but it`s a very bright orange. I`ve owned it since it was new (and it`s been a daily driver since then), and as mentioned above, haven`t taken the greatest care with it, but haven`t really abused it either (though occasional washes and even less frequent waxing may be considered abuse by some of you!). That being said I lived in an apartment complex for roughly half the time I`ve owned it, and often had to park next to sprinklers, which would get spray on the car. There were trees close to where I had to park as well, which means I likely had some tree sap, and definitely bird bombs. Sadly, the car didn`t get washed as often as I would have liked during this time, so a lot of that stuff stayed on the car longer than I would have liked. This has created some mottling in the paint on the hood (and to a lesser extent, the roof), and some water spots on sides. The mottling is smooth, doesn`t appear to be peeling, etc. I`m hoping it`s something superficial, that can be "fixed." My biggest question is how to "fix" the hood, if possible. If it`s not possible to truly fix it, how can I cover it up, and make it look the best I can for the longest amount of time? Attached is a picture of the hood. It`s taken with a phone camera, and not in the best light, so the color doesn`t really come through, but the mottling can be seen pretty well.
My guess would be, I need to spend some time polishing. My only concern there is I`m not really sure how to polish: IE can I do it without power tools; if so, what kind of pad/mitt/etc. would I need; and what do I use, as far as a compound?
I just did a little shopping at my local Wal-Mart, since I am a beginner to this, and they have decent pricing. I picked up a range of Meg`s products: Deep Crystal Car Wash, Smooth Surface Clay Kit, GC Carnuba Plus Paste Wax, and Hot Shine Tire Spray. Since I want to take better car of my new car, when I get it, there are a couple things I`d like to add to my collection and would like some feedback on what I should pick up for those. Mainly a synthetic wax/paint sealer (something I can use for a long lasting protection for the winter, when washing and waxing will be harder to do on a regular basis), hopefully one that won`t have any issues if I put Carnuba over the top of it (since I prefer the look of a Carnuba waxed car); something for spot cleanup between washes (bird bombs, etc; not necessarily a full wash product); and something for cleanup of minor scratches/paint rub/etc., since it`ll be a daily driver, they are bound to happen.
For the suggestions, I would prefer something I can get locally, ideally at Wal-Mart. My local Wal-Marts carry a range of products, with Meg`s being near the top end (price-wise anyway) of what they carry. At this point I just want to take care of my new car, I don`t plan to show it, or go overboard. As long as the products you suggest will keep it in good (hopefully near factory) condition, I`ll be happy, even if it takes a little more time/effort than something more expensive/harder to find would.
Thank you all for your time in reading this, and thanks in advance for your suggestions/help!
~Ryoken
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