Paint care tips.. check this out

[Graham_A_M]

A few paint care tips.



The one thing that Bird crap and Pine needles (also LOTS of other of "leaves") : have in common?


They're both incredibly acidic. Not nearly as bad as brake fuild... but it'll ruin your paint in to time if you leave them on.

If you have a pine tree outside.. you'll probably notice there is no grass that grows directly beneth where most of the needles fall. The reason for that is because the needles makes the dirt so very acidic that grass or other plants can't grow there since the PH level of the soil is much too high.

(On an incredibly un-related topic... if you want to make grass grow under your pine-trees... put lots of baking soda on the soil.. since baking soda is very basic: it'll neutrilize the soil so grass and plants can grow there again. This also works if you have dogs that like to piss on trees... urine is also very acidic... so you can have perfectly healthy grass and plants if you sprinkle a fair bit baking soda on the grass or soil.. then wash it in with a garden hose..
just so you know.... I know thats incredibly un-related to the post)

But back to the pine needles and paint... If you've ever parked your car under a pine tree and had some needles fall on your car.. the sap will eventually burn a whole right through your paint.. (you've probably seen this happen sooner or later... especially if you've been camping).

Well hopefully that analogy of the pine needle sap burning holes: says it right there. Thats exactly what it does.. it burns right through your paint.. through the primer and then through to the bare metal.. which is now fully exposed to the elements. (If you've ever wondered why there is these rusty little dots all over a persons roof, hood and trunk: now you know.

Bird crap isn't as bad as pine needle sap.. but its still very harmful to the car.

So make sure your wash off your car asap if you have any bird crap on it.. also if you have pine needles on your hood or whatever after visiting a friends house: Brush them off asap. After a week they'll already have burned a hole right through the paint. If you have tar or sap on your car.. get it professionally removed at a Detailing studio.

If not go to the local autostore and get some sap/tar remover. Mothers makes some *OKAY* stuff. ITs not great.. if you want good stuff. Buy this stuff if you have a persistant problem with pine needles.. or maybe your friends would. I always used this stuff.. its great. Works amazingly well
http://www.carbrite.com/servlet/net....c/F003&lb=none


ANYTHING by CarBrite (^ check out the link) is great. Its as good as it gets.. literally!

When using this.. use a wax applicator pad.. but wash it when your done so its good to go next time you wax your car.

Now for waxing. Here:
http://www.carbrite.com/servlet/com....20and%20Glazes


Otherwise "Zymol" makes great stuff.

Wax your car at least every 6 months for best results. Use an ACTUAL wax applicating pad.. not something you find under your sink!!!!
Anyway..

any questions.. just ask or PM me.. I'd love to help.

Best wishes with your car and God Bless


-Graham

[zythum24]

Botany and car car all in one!
Woohoo!
When I can Karma you again, I will!

[MX6_VTECH]

Nice post Graham


Karma to you wait I cant have to spread it around first but its coming

[EmX6eR]

i got sap on my hood, it never ate through, but it wont come off. millions of tiny little tabs of it all over the place. its gonna need a good sanding and painting to fix this little issue. haha.

[Kenzie]

Just a few quick tips I'd like to add: (correct me if I'm wrong...info collected from several sorces)
~ Bug splats are also acidic.

~ Be aware that wax does not do much as far as protecting your paint from bird poo and other acids...it just makes it easier to remove.

~ Always carry a small spray bottle of a general purpose cleaner (paint safe) or detailing spray and a paint safe cloth in your trunk. When you notice the bird poo or bugs on your car wipe them off immediately.

~ For small areas of sap, hand rubbing with mineral spirits will dissolve and remove the sap without scratching paint. If the sap has been sitting it may require more work.

~ Remember, most chemicals that remove tar, sap and bugs will also remove your wax. Always wash and rewax after using these products.

~ Never let water sit on your paint. Even if you're in a parking lot and you get hit with the sprinklers...if you have time...stop and dry the car off. (Happened to me and I had to spend and entire Sat polishing the water spots out) (Another good thing to keep in the trunk is a high quality towel for drying)

Here's the best tips and how-to's I've seen so far on caring for your paint:
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-p...sh-clinic.html
However, Graham_A_M has recommended using Car Brite and other high quality products as opposed to the Sonus brand that Autopia recommends. (I've yet to try either)
I highly recommend downloading the Autopia Guide to Detailing (just takes a few min):
http://autopia-carcare.com/freeguide.html


Now my question...
What happens if you don't get all the sap specs off your paint before you clay your paint? Will it scratch the paint or remove the sap cleanly?

Also, my boyfriend just bought me a black '93 MX6 with 107k miles on the body. For the past 7-8 months it's been sitting under a tree. It's very dusty but from what I can tell (don't want to wipe it off for fear of scratching) there's no sap on the car and the guy we bought it from said the paint is in VERY good condition. We'll be picking it up sometime next month so I'll get a better idea of the condition of the is paint then.
What is the first thing I should do after hand washing it? Clay? Should I have it polished? Is there anything special that needs to be done or applied to the paint after it's been sitting untouched that long?

Thanks and Karma for you...

[Graham_A_M]

wow.. thanks for clearing that up Kenzie. Karma for you.

I always forget to mention some things.. after a LONG post with gobs of typing.. I usually forget the details. But thanks for clearing that up about the wax.


EDIT: Sorry for forgetting to answer your question Kenzie.

You wont need a clay bar for really anything. Usually when a car is new.. it has "Fall-out" on the paint which is from the transport process. Quite often the paint will feel rough and have little yellow dots on it. Thats when the clay bar come in handy. Most times though there are chemicals out there that work better for removing the fall out.. then a clay bar. Not only that but clay bars are a pain in the ass, and then some. If the paint isn't VERY wet ( car soap helps lots) then you can leave some BAD streaks on the paint using the bar. Only then do you have to use some WICKED chemicals to remove the dried clay streaks. Those chemicals aren't normally available. The one I used to use was called "Eradicator" by Car Brite. But that is some ultra-strong stuff. Actually it'll eat through a styro-foam cup within about two seconds if you stray it on and leave it. It'll make paint bubble in about three minutes and eat through leather in a minute or less usually. needless to say its pretty wild stuff... and is REALLY NOT recommended. Thats why its best to avoid the clay bars and stuff.

If that black car your picking up has no sap or whatever on it. Dont worry about any chemical stuff.
Give it a very good wash.. and go from there. If it has some tar and sap on it: there are lots of stuff you can get at a local automotive store that will work great.


But give it a good comprehensive was and go from there... any problems: ask me.. then I'll ask this master detailer that I used to work with.


Worst case scenario: the car will need a "Cut and Polish" which should only be done by a proffessional. That means they'll take a power polisher and use this slightly abrasive wax (called a "Cutting compound") to remove a very small layer of the clear coat. As scary as it sounds.. it works amazingly well... and will eliminate about 99% of the scratches on your paint. You can typically do this about 2-3 times (usually) before you'll have to repaint the clear coat.. So you can get away doing this through-out the life of the car.. without ever (really) having to worry about re-painting it. Which is really cool.
Expect to pay about $120 +++ for this "Cut and polish"