Author Topic: Paintwork  (Read 8696 times)

Jocko

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Paintwork
« on: April 02, 2017, 04:42:23 PM »
Is Honda paintwork a bit on the soft side? I took the advantage of a lovely spring day to give the car a thorough wash and it is amazing how many scratches are all over the bodywork. I never put it through a car wash but still it is scratched. Some are obviously due to me squeezing between the car and the garage wall, but it is not as if I wear metal zips or metal buttons. On buying the car, last July, I waxed it with Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax and I am very pleased at how well the wax has lasted. Once the weather is a bit more predictable I will go over the paintwork with a Clay bar before having a go at the scratches with Blue T-Cut. Once that is done, another treatment with Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax should see it well for another year.

jazzway

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2017, 05:17:13 PM »
Yes, most Honda paint is soft. I am not sure how you wash the car, but to minimize damaging the paint you best work like this:

- Rinse your car thoroughly, or use a pre-wash prior and rinse then after a few minutes
- 2 buckets, 1 with water and car shampoo, 1 with clean plain water.
Wash your car from top to bottom with a microfibre wash mitt after each part rinse the wash mitt in the clean water bucket before you take soapy water again. Doing it like this you keep your bucket with car shampoo clean and it prevents taking dirt into the wash mitt onto your car.
- Rinse off thoroughly
- Dry with soft and clean microfibre drying towel

Tips:
- Use a 3rd bucket for your wheels and start cleaning these after pre-wash. Doing it as last can bring dirt on your already cleaned car. ;)
- Use a second wash mitt for the lower parts of your car and keep them separate for each wash. Never use the same wash mitts for both wheels and paint!
- Use a grit guard in the buckets - keeps the dirt on the bottom.
- Clean your wash mitts and microfiber towels and cloths after each wash. Wash them separate from other fabrics and never use fabric softeners.

As for the scratches start with the least aggressive method. When you have DA polisher use a finishing compound onto a white foam pad (light polishing pad) will easily remove swirls and light scratches from the soft Honda paint.

VicW

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2017, 07:11:32 PM »
Where facilities permit I still reckon the best way to wash a car is with a long car brush attached to a hose so that you have running water all the time the car is being washed, washing away the dirt and the water acts as a lubricant preventing scratching.
First of all pre wash the car with running water to wash off the loose grit.

Vic.

Jocko

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2017, 08:49:11 PM »
Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of running water. I live in a top floor flat, and have to carry buckets of water down to where I garage my car.

jazzway

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2017, 09:38:57 PM »
Where facilities permit I still reckon the best way to wash a car is with a long car brush attached to a hose so that you have running water all the time the car is being washed, washing away the dirt and the water acts as a lubricant preventing scratching.
First of all pre wash the car with running water to wash off the loose grit.

Vic.
The best way to scratch your car is wash it with a brush! Even the softest bristles on a brush are not paint safe.


Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of running water. I live in a top floor flat, and have to carry buckets of water down to where I garage my car.
Are you doing rinse-less washes?

Jocko

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2017, 10:09:56 PM »
I never allow the car to get too dirty. I wash it with warm soapy water (a splash of Autoglym Car Shampoo to the bucket, so as not to remove wax), using one sponge down to the door handle line, another sponge for the bottom half, and a third for the sills, wheel arches and wheels. I carry water to rinse soap off, then use fresh water and a chamois to dry car off. I take the sponges back to the house and they are well washed with running water between uses. Scratches show up white, as if they are down to the primer. Car is not being vandalised. It is garaged. I even put it in garage between uses, as parking is at a premium around the flats.

jazzway

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Paintwork
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2017, 03:16:33 AM »
First i would replace the sponges and chamois with microfibre- wash mitts and drying towel. With a sponge you are moving (and scratching) the dirt over the paint and a chamois is doing the same - with its flat surface it has to come across one tiny particle and the chamois drags (and scratch) it over the paint. With microfibre you lift it up into the fabric of the wash-mitt or towel.
I use the Microfiber Madness Incredimitt and Incredipad and thick soft Carpro drying towels. 

But i realy think you should try rinse-less washing, it is perfect and safe for light dirty cars plus more safe than the washing method you do now. Rinseless: You use 1 bucket with about 2 gallon water with the rinse-less wash shampoo and a 2nd bucket with clean water to rinse the wash-mitt between cleaning parts of the car. Also make a mix water/rinse-less shampoo in a spray bottle for pre-wash on more dirty parts. Soak the wash-mitt in the shampoo bucket and gently wash a part of the car (not the whole roof at once, but smaller areas at a time). Dry that part with a soft, clean and slightly damp microfiber - rinse your wash-mitt in the clean water bucket (use your fingers through the fibers) and soak it in the shampoo bucket for the next part.

You can't wash the whole car first and then dry afterwards, it goes in parts. And you might think it takes forever, but a rinse-less wash cost you actually less time than a regular one. ;)
For rinse-less wash you need a wash-mitt (or pad) with longer fibers (Microfiber Maddness Incredi- (-mitt, -sponge, -pad), Gtechniq WM2 Microfibre Wash Mitt or Chenille Microfiber), a few soft quality microfiber towels and special rinse-less wash shampoo (Wolf's Chemicals - Wash & Wipe Shampoo - Mean Green cleans very good, is wax safe, and with 1:500 is very economical).
You can't use regular car shampoo for this method and also a rinse-less wash is different from a waterless wash. ;)

As for the scratches, i don't think washing scratches goes as far as onto the primer, then they would be very deep. Can you make a photo (with led light) to show?

Below you see a photo i took (iphone) of our daughters black VW Polo with washing scratches/swirls. Most German cars have hard paint. They look white but are just scratches in the top clear coat. These kind of scratches can be removed with a DA polishing machine.

« Last Edit: April 03, 2017, 03:29:00 AM by jazzway »

Jocko

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2017, 03:31:42 PM »
Here are a couple of photos of the scratches and marks I am referring to. They look a lot worse in the photos than on the car!



I have now bought myself a couple of microfibre mitts, a large microfibre towel and a pack of smaller ones along with Meguair’s Ultimate Compound. I struggled to find rinseless wash but eventually managed to get some Dodo Juice Rinseless wash. It is ordered and should be here in a couple of weeks.

I would love a DA polisher but the same problem as with the running water. I live in a top floor flat!

jazzway

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2017, 04:45:37 PM »
Wow, those look worse than washing swirls! I am glad they look worse on the photo only, but i can't see/judge if the white is the primer or just whiter because of the light. Those scratches look like there was sand or something scratched over the paint while washing or drying...

When you feel the scratch with your finger nail you won't be able to hand polish it away, you then have to fill the scratch with either clearcoat (if it's in the clearcoat only) or lacquer + clearcoat (if the white you IS the primer) and the polish flat. There are several DIYs with photos at the Detailing World forum.

When you can not feel the scratches with your nail, you can polish them away, or at least less visible. It will be a hard job by hand and will be more perfect (and easier) with a DA polisher, maybe a friend, neighbor, family have such a machine and the place to help you out with this?

Great news you start with rinseless washing! And Dodo Juice rinseless will be fine, i have some stuff from them as well and all are very good. :)

guest5876

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2017, 03:41:54 PM »
Yes, most Honda paint is soft. I am not sure how you wash the car, but to minimize damaging the paint you best work like this:

- Rinse your car thoroughly, or use a pre-wash prior and rinse then after a few minutes
- 2 buckets, 1 with water and car shampoo, 1 with clean plain water.
Wash your car from top to bottom with a microfibre wash mitt after each part rinse the wash mitt in the clean water bucket before you take soapy water again. Doing it like this you keep your bucket with car shampoo clean and it prevents taking dirt into the wash mitt onto your car.
- Rinse off thoroughly
- Dry with soft and clean microfibre drying towel

Tips:
- Use a 3rd bucket for your wheels and start cleaning these after pre-wash. Doing it as last can bring dirt on your already cleaned car. ;)
- Use a second wash mitt for the lower parts of your car and keep them separate for each wash. Never use the same wash mitts for both wheels and paint!
- Use a grit guard in the buckets - keeps the dirt on the bottom.
- Clean your wash mitts and microfiber towels and cloths after each wash. Wash them separate from other fabrics and never use fabric softeners.

As for the scratches start with the least aggressive method. When you have DA polisher use a finishing compound onto a white foam pad (light polishing pad) will easily remove swirls and light scratches from the soft Honda paint.
In second this and I do this process on all my cars and other people's too. Honda paint is very soft. I plan on using a ceramic coating on mine (Gtechniq) when I get around to machining it.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk


Jocko

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2017, 04:52:51 PM »
Gave the car its first rinseless wash today, using the Dodo juice. I was impressed with the results. It was a bit strange after doing it "the old way", with a sponge and a chamois, for the last 57 years! It didn't take any longer than normal, and I will continue to wash my cars this way in future.

peteo48

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2017, 06:17:33 PM »
I think rinseless washes are better for the environment as well - less water used and less run off into storm drains etc. I keep meaning to give them a try but when you go on to youtube and detailing websites there are so many different takes on the best way to do it.

Am I right in thinking that some of them actually have a bit of wax in them and can top up protection?

jazzway

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Paintwork
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2017, 10:11:43 PM »
@Jocko — Wonderfull!! Yes, rinseless products are doing the job very well. :) And especially for you, living in a flat, it is much easier washing without the need to rinse it off.


@peteo48 — Yes, you use much less (good drinking) water on a car, which is a good thing! But a rinseless wash is only advised on not too dirty cars, for too dirty cars with caked mud or road salt i would never use a rinseless wash!

I know one brand that contains a wax and that's Surf City Garage Water Save Rinse-Free Wash & Wax (a verrrrry long name, hahaha). I myself just use a detailer spray as top up after a wash (Serious Performance Ultra Gloss Show Detailer or FK #425).

I keep meaning to give them a try but when you go on to youtube and detailing websites there are so many different takes on the best way to do it.

Start like described above, take your time and find the way you like. It is not rocket science! ;)
« Last Edit: April 09, 2017, 10:15:04 PM by jazzway »

jazzway

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2017, 10:20:52 PM »
Btw... is this topic not more suited in the 'Car care & Detailing' section? @RichardA

Jocko

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Re: Paintwork
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2017, 10:29:02 PM »
Didn't start off as a detailing topic but ended up that way. As for drinking water, here in Scotland we have a surfeit of the stuff. It falls from the sky almost every day!

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