Newly repainted car, need your wisdom.

A

accordmaniac

New member
Hey guys, my mom's 2004 Camry finally got out of the bodyshop today. I just have a few questions (I'm others have asked questions about new paint, and someone is going to tell me to use the search option but I would like answers specific to my questions).

1st) the bodyshop did a fairly decent job except they left some rotary holograms. I was wondering if a PC and some ssr 2.5 cantake care of it? If so how long do I have to wait to clay and polish the car, I know I can't wax or seal for at least 60-90 days.



2nd) since you shouldn't wax a newly painted car then should you avoid using car wash with wax in it? If I should use a bodyshop safe wash then what do you recommend? How about quick detailer sprays?



3rd) Since I can't wax for so long then I was planning on using some Megs #7 since I have two bottles that I never use but I was wondering is it worth it since it doesn't provide that much protection? How long will #7 stay on the paint to act as a sacrificial barrier?
 
Have your mom take this vehicle back and insist that they finish the after-paint work on the car, remove all the swirls. That is what they were paid to do.



1) If the swirls were induces using a rotary (heat), then rotary is the most effective way to REMOVE, not fill.



2) Address this after the body shop finishes the job they were paid to do. Just for laughs, ask the BSM what they recommend, see what he says.



3) See 1) and 2).



BTW, I'm in Ft. Myers and will be working all day tomorrow in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. If you'd like me to look at the vehicle and help in which direction to go with this issue, email or call me anytime.



Regards,



Mike Robbins

SticKars, Inc.

RG Enterprises, Inc.

flastickars@swfla.rr.com

239-822-7821
 
I feel your pain. had the same problem with my bodyshop. They did a fine job on painting the car but there were numerous swirls. I took it back and they got some of it out but there are still swirls and holograms, particularly in direct sunlight. I'm just wondering if they know how to buff. They can paint but can they buff? :confused:



Since the car looks good 99% of the time they just look at me like I'm nuts when I try and explain what I'm talking about and to honest, I'm not inclined to take it back to them at this point. Obviously someone over there doesn't know how to use a rotary. :( At this point, I just don't want them to make it worse.



I don't own a PC but plan to buy one and eventually address this myself. In the meantime I'm going to wash the car with Dawn, try and fix what I can by hand and put a protective coat of Zaino on it for the time being. I'm taking the car on a trip in May so I right now I just want to protect the paint and will address the swirls later.



I'd give them a shot at fixing it but if they can't get it right then you might want to consider other options.
 
stainbuster said:
Have your mom take this vehicle back and insist that they finish the after-paint work on the car, remove all the swirls. That is what they were paid to do...

BTW, I'm in Ft. Myers and will be working all day tomorrow in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. If you'd like me to look at the vehicle and help in which direction to go with this issue, email or call me anytime.



Regards,



Mike Robbins

SticKars, Inc.

RG Enterprises, Inc.

flastickars@swfla.rr.com

239-822-7821
Click to expand...



Thanks for your offer Mike. The hologram isn't that bad. It's not noticeable to the non autopian eye (aka my mom lol). I'm sure the body shop did the best they could cause there was a couple of things that needed to be corrected and they were cooperative plus I don't believe detailing is their area of work so I jus don't want them to make it worse.
 
Today I was checking over the swirl mark/slight scratches on my car. There were some that looked pretty bad on the rear bumper, near the license plate. The lighting in the garage was conducive to seeing them quite well. I QDed the area, applied some 3M Imperial Hand Glaze and took out a few of the more prominent ones with Scratch X. Most of it was taken out with the glaze. I was really impressed. The section of paint I worked on looks just as it should!



I'm convinced that I can easily take care of this in time. I know the glaze just filled the swirls in but at least it gave me an idea of what I'm up against. A PC buffer is on my list and I think that will easily fix things. In the meantime I think just a good detailing with Zaino will do a lot to clean things up.



BTW, it's been 4 months since my car was painted. You'll want to wait to wax but I think glaze is just fine. In fact, the Imperial Hand Glaze is specified for new paint.



In the meantime try the #7. It should make things look a lot better until you can wax. It doesn't offer much in the way of protection but it's better than nothing.
 
Not quite on topic, but I just picked up my wife's car at a local body shop and was amazed at the quality of work done, absolutely perfect, is there a place here to post feedback on shops here for the benefit of local folks who may need repairs?
 
RJJ- Glad to hear you fund a good shop! I'd just start a new post in the Detailing or Pro forum. With so few good shops people need to know about the ones that *do* deliver.



accordmaniac- Would've responded sooner but I'be been busy doing a rent-a-Suburban (black, what a job!).



You might want to tackle the marring now, before the paint reaches full hardness. Yeah, you can polish right away, just remember that the paint might be a little softer than normal. You could try the SSR 2.5 but you might need a milder follow-up.



I'd try Meg's #80- its abrasives might get it all out, and it'll leave some fresh-paint-safe protection behind.



And I'd order some Meg's #5 New Car Glaze to use while it's curing. I just *love* this stuff for fresh paint! SO much more user-friendly than the #7 you can't imagine. Worth the hassle of ordering if you can't find it locally. So much better than IHG I can hardly imagine comparing them.



Shampoos you can use include Griot's (my fave) or Meg's #00 and #62.
 
Accumulator or anyone that is knowledgeable, how fast should I set the PC for polishing the paint and what pad (cutting or polishing) should I use? Would the speed be the same as normal polishing?
 
For bad swirls, you need a more aggressive (cutting) pad on a higher speed.



If you don't have any swirls, and are just using a light polish to produce a clean, smooth finish, just use a light polishing pad on speed 3 or 4.
 
Yeah, I use the #80 at 5 or 6 but I use #5 at 4. Since there's no cutting with the #5 there's no real point in using a faster speed.
 
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