Paint cleanser on new car?

R

rschafer

New member
Hey all,



Just bought a new 2004 VW R32 in "Reflex Silver." It had been out on the lot for a while and was pretty filthy, but I managed to persuade the dealer NOT to wash it prior to delivery and whaddyaknow, it worked!



So last weekend, I washed with Dawn and clayed - it's now feeling pretty smooth and there aren't any swirls that I can detect in normal daylight. This weekend my plan is to wash again, AIO and then top with 4*UPP (I have SG but I get the impression that UPP works especially well with silver.)



My question:



- Would it be worthwhile to polish with PPCL (by hand) before the UPP goes on? The clay and AIO should take care of any surface contamination and there isn't any oxidation/swirling to speak of - does PPCL do anything besides clean? If it'll add to the overall UPP "gleam" I don't mind putting the time in but otherwise, I'd rather not.



Thanks in advance and here's a pic (prior to washing!)



r32_2.jpg
 
The PPCL would serve the same purpose as AIO. They are both cleaners, but AIO leaves some protection behind. Applying PPCL after AIO would remove some or all of the AIO.



Good choice with 4* UPP. It's a great product, and looks great on silver.
 
Cool car, glad you were able to find an unmolested one.



I'd just choose between the two products. The PCL *is* a little abrasive, more so than the AIO but probably not enough to matter in any way on the VW clear.



I have found that some prep products, used before UPP and on silver, give unusually good results. Dunno how the PCL will do as it's been years since I used that and I wasn't topping it with UPP at the time.



AIO can sometimes darken a finish, might not be what you want.



I'd try both on small areas and see which you prefer. FWIW, I use 1Z Pro MP before UPP on silver and I'd expect the PCL to be more like that than the AIO. I dunno if the oils that PCL leaves behind will cause any trouble with the UPP or not (but I suspect not).



Be sure to clay it (and I'd even use ABC or FinishKare) as rust blooms look awful on silver and once they get too firmly established they don't always come out. Stuff you can't see now will turn into stuff you'll *always* see in a few months.
 
Accumulator,



Aggghh, rust blooms? I've been a casual Autopian for a few months and this is the first I've heard of this issue.



When I clayed the R32 I ran across a number of very minute black spots that took a fair amount of work with the clay to remove (the clay was from an Autopia Perfect Shine Kit , which is billed as "super-fine.") I thought they were normal dirt specks but they were pretty tough to remove - I mean, I really had to bear down on to get them off, which was worrisome as I didn't think that was the proper technique for clay. I'm pretty sure I got all of the spots off, but I'll reinspect this weekend.



So if I understand this correctly:



- in spite of claying I might still have surface contaminants (left over from the vehicle delivery process) that may cause rust spots down the road in spite of any AIO/LSP combination I apply in the meantime?



- to remove said contaminants I have to use a decontamination procedure in conjunction with claying, but this is a (hopefully) one-time thing.



Thanks for the responses - don't want no stinkin' rust blooms on my ride!
 
Accumulator said:
Cool car, glad you were able to find an unmolested one.
Click to expand...
:lol Funny and creative choice of words!



Newsflash!

Dealer arrested for molesting two cars delivered to new owners. The two cars were heavily swirled at the lot of ACME Auto...:rofl



Have fun with the new ride!
 
The tiny specks you removed were probably rust blooms. Those are just those tiny little spots of rust in your paint, probably caused by rail dust. If they are left there for a long time, they will "bloom" (get larger).

If you clayed the car, there should be no rust blooms left. You should clay the car at least once a year though to remove any new contaminants.
 
I was of the understanding that clay only grinds down or removes what is above the surface. Hence, the contamination is still lodged below the surface after the paint is smoothed. Am I incorrect?
 
shaw said:
I was of the understanding that clay only grinds down or removes what is above the surface. Hence, the contamination is still lodged below the surface after the paint is smoothed. Am I incorrect?
Click to expand...





Partially correct, yes. Depending on the particle, it may be pulled our or sheared off. Use a paint cleaner after clay to get more contamination out of the paint pores.
 
rschafer- What David *and* Shaw said, I don't see them as being contradictory.



Hard to say if the black specs were ferrous contamination or not, but it's good that you got rid of them.



Clay and paint cleaners go a long way. I just take it a step further and use the decontamination systems to make sure I've done everything I can to start with a (literally) clean slate. I've been plagued by rust blooms that always came back enough to find the decontamination process worth doing.



One time thing? It can be, to some extent, if you keep enough LSP on the vehicle that future ferrous contamination (from brakes, snowplow blades, etc.) don't get a toehold in the paint. Future "rust specks" will show up, but they'll be new ones, and should clay off and not come back. This has been my experience.



No question about it, I have far fewer, less recurring, rust blooms on the vehicles that I decontaminated with ABC. I clayed while the "B" (acid) was dwelling. Safe? I first used it on my new S8 and it turned out fine. I *did* keep it off the glass and aluminum trim as best I could.
 
Great advice - I wasn't aware that AIO could darken my finish. I think I'll try the PPCL and 1Z MPP by hand on small sections, PC the entire car with whatever looks/feels best, and top with a few layers of 4*UPP.



The decontamination is tempting and at $45 for the FinishKare kit doesn't sound too unreasonable (especially considering what I've spent so far!) I want this car to get the best possible treatment, after all.



In any event, I'll follow up with pics. Thanks again for the great feedback!
 
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