It's confirmed... I'm an idiot !

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01GTCOUPE

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My 3-month old Ford Bullitt GT is Dark Highland Green. When the light is right (or wrong!) I see scratches and water spots. There is no wax on it at all. It's a garage queen - never seen rain.



I've tried straight white vinegar to no avail on the water spots. My glass shows them too. It didn't work. I'm sure that a clay bar is next.



But I have to wonder, would 3M SMR #39009 be the right polish for me to try after claying? I'm new to this and I'll work by hand. I want something that I suppose will cut a bit, but be forgiving.



Thanks, in advance for your assistance.
 
I'm assuming that these "scratches" you are speaking of are swirls. If so, try SMR, and see what it does for you. The general rule is to go from least to most abrasive. SMR is the least abrasive in the 3m family. That should hopefully resolve the water spots issue as well. If your paint is smoothe, then there is no need to clay to it. Use your best judgement. SMR is very mild, so you shouldn't have any problems.
 
Well firstly I would suggest you protect your cars paint with a quality synthetic or natural wax, irregardless of whether it's a garage queen or not. this would put a barrier between the water and the paint; which would help reduce water etching the paint.



PS i'm a 10 minute walk from where the chase scene in Bullitt was filmed; Russian Hill here in SF. :-)
 
Thanks, fellow detailers. I'm going to give the 3M SMR a try. It's actually more for water spots and towel scratches. I'm headed for quality towels next also.



I'll get a couple good coats of wax on after it's better than factory fresh. I had the sense to tell the dealer not to detail it before delivery. I was sure they'd give me a car with tons of swirls. So that never happened and swirls are not a problem.



Thanks again. Your help is sincerely appreciated.

Bob G.
 
Confession's supposed to be good for the soul...

I finished giving the GF's Hyundai an ONR wash this morning and while I was putting stuff away I decided to give the wheels on my truck a quick wipe with the damp MFs.. The roads were clear and dry on the way to work yesterday but there was a light dusting of snow on the way home last night. A little spray on the wheels and tires and just a bit of splatter around the wheel wells. Other than that the truck was still gleaming from the last wash and QD.

After the wheels and tires were looking better, naturally, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I grabbed a couple of fresh MFs and the bottle of PB's Spray & Wipe and proceeded to do the sides of the truck. LOVE that stuff! It wipes off mild dirt with no marring and leaves a slick, shiney finish. :clap: I layed it on a bit heavy around the wheel well flares and the tailgate where most of the dirt had planted itself. Right about then the bottle's about empty so I sit it in the basin and grab the gallon for a refill. I've found the stuff to work just as well so I mix it 50/50 and stretch it out a bit.

So I hang the spray bottle on the side of the basin while I put the gallon away and grab another couple of fresh MFs, the spray bottle and head back to my task with the passenger side still remaining. Another 5 or 10 minutes and I'll be done.

So I'm wiping off the side of the bed and the stuff isn't coming off worth crap. It's kinda smeary and draggy and I'm scratching my head. So I grab a bottle of UQD sitting within reach and give it a spray and things improve. Still, I'm not sufficiently inquisitive enough to wonder WHY this is happening after a usual quick n easy wipe down on the other side. I've got 3/4s of the side of the truck done with similar perplexing results before my mouth drops open.

I keep a spray bottle hanging on the side of the basin all the time. In it is Shout laundry pre-wash (you can see where this is going, huh?) and just enough water for the thick stuff to go through the sprayer. I use it on my crummy MFs that get really grimey just before tossing 'em in the wash bag and much of the really bad crud comes out in the washer.

Yep, I sprayed down the better part of the side of the truck with Shout. No wonder it was dragging as it's obvious I stripped any wax or sealant that was there. :::sigh::: Finished up the rest of the chore with the correct bottle and gave the rest a spritz with UQW. Slick and glossy again but I know what I'm gonna be doing this weekend. :toetap05:

Some folks will go to extraordinary measures just so they can rewax their vehicle. :redface:

TL <---- duh!
 
Haha LOL! Hey TL! That's a great story!

At a car show a few years go, I accidently grabbed a bottle of Tire Dressing and started to "QD" the car with it!

Same effect as yours! What an IDIOT!!!:rofl:

Live and learn. Wash and re-wax!:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

(P.S. I'll bet there's not a detailer here who hasn't done something like this!):)
 
Welcome to the club. I am King Idiot :o



***On a side note. I think I have figured out the ONR wash. I mean, the chemicals that make ONR work. I discovered this by doing an IDIOT Expierment and was amazed at the results. On top of that, the cost per wash would be pennies. Maybe 1 day I'll have a method named after me :wizard:

**** Side note two. Will PAC ever get together with PB :partaaay2:
 
Flash Gordon said:
Welcome to the club. I am King Idiot :o

***On a side note. I think I have figured out the ONR wash. I mean, the chemicals that make ONR work. I discovered this by doing an IDIOT Expierment...
Click to expand...

Were there explosions involved?

Flash Gordon said:
Maybe 1 day I'll have a method named after me :wizard:
Click to expand...

Or an accident. He "flashed" himself to oblivion. Might be a Darwin Award in it for you if you apply yourself. :devil:

TL
 
Luster said:
At a car show a few years go, I accidently grabbed a bottle of Tire Dressing and started to "QD" the car with it!
Click to expand...

Shoulda continued, you might have been on the verge of a 'discovery'! Some day in the future someone could start a thread discussing your "old school" technique :biggrin:

I could understand this if the bottles were similar. Like grabbing UQD instead of UQW, they're both black with similar labels and about the same size. But my two bottles in question aren't the same size, shape or color and the sprayers are completely different. Coulda been worse, I coulda grabbed the Wheel Brightener. :doh:

TL
 
A few years back, while detailing a Bentley, I coated the roof with Hyper Dressing thinking it was Last Touch (I was on the claying stage, Last Touch being my clay lube). All I can say is, I'm happy Hyper Dressing is water based! It only took a minute to clean off, but it was still a really dumb move on my part. :out:
 
TL - don't judge yourself too harshly. I suspect we've all been there. I know I have...


I am anal about keeping my windows clean so I grabbed my spray bottle and sprayed the windshield. I had a lot of trouble getting it to dry without streaks and thought my MF towel might have a residue so switched towels and finished up. Later that day as I put some things away in the garage I realized I had been trying to "clean" my windows with my diluted carpet cleaner rather than my diluted IPA. I now keep different colored spray bottles to help my weak brain remember what goes with what! :o
 
I've been there, TL, however it didn't take me half a truck to figure it out! Let me get this straight, you separate airplanes for a livin' right? :rofl:

Just kidding man and I've grabbed many a wrong bottle of something. I've even applied it to the vehicle before realizing the mistake. I agree with MBFan in that we've all done it at some point. I'm thinking a wash and rewax ought to be fun this weekend. I hope the weather cooperates for you.
 
TLMitchell said:
Were there explosions involved?



Or an accident. He "flashed" himself to oblivion. Might be a Darwin Award in it for you if you apply yourself. :devil:

TL
Click to expand...

No explosives were involved..........This time :soldier:

Darwin Award.... I'm aiming much higher then that garbage :angel:





Puckman said:
I've been there, TL, however it didn't take me half a truck to figure it out! Let me get this straight, you seperate airplanes for a living, right? :rofl:
Click to expand...

^ :scared:

Retirements only a year away :wink:
 
MB Fan said:
TL - don't judge yourself too harshly. I suspect we've all been there. I know I have...
Click to expand...

Contrary to the possible tone of my posts, I'm not whomping myself too badly. Just posted cuz I thought someone might get a snicker out of the story. Luster's got a low threshold of humor though. :D

Can't hardly see what's next on the hard-knocks learning curve. :scared:

TL
 
I entertain myself with my own comedy routine sometimes. Like placing the 4 oz. bottle of M105 on top of the rear tire and then decide I need to back it out of the garage! Or leaving the hatch open on a VW Beetle and (again) decide I need to pull this out into the sun!
 
Some good laughs here, We've all been down that road to "Mistake-ville." Oh well, chalk it up to humanity.

I've sometimes confused the water bottle with the IPA bottle, nothing like IPA on a polishing pad;) I finally got the totally bright idea to put the two products in different colored bottles.:wizard: Total genius on my part.:doh:

I think the dumbest automotive-related move I've made, historically, was to Armor All... my whole car.
I had just discovered this amazing product after getting my license in the '70's and figured, "Hey, it's good for the tires... it's gotta be GREAT for the paint, the seats, the steering wheel, floorboards, the rubber pedals... EVERYTHING!!:D

Man, it's a wonder I didn't kill myself (or anyone else!!) the first time I drove that car after soaking the whole thing in Armor All.:toetap05:
My foot slipped off the brake pedal and I almost rear-ended someone in front of me. First time I went around a sharp turn, at some speed, I slid clear across the bench seat to the passenger side. The paint on my car became an instant dust magnet. The steering wheel was so slick it was hard to grip. Total disaster.:eek::eek:

Since I was 16, every time I go in an automotive store and see Armor All, I think about that little incident and laugh at myself.
 
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