<StevieG>

40 year old paint coming to life....

98civdx

List of what you used?

I have minimal experience with lacquer and it's kicked my *** each time. I hate that ****.

98civdx

Long over due update. Haven't really been able to do much with anything since i really have no time, but I do have some pictures to post whenever I get a chance.

I've been using CarPro Hydro 2 on the civic lately, I do have to say I'm impressed. Great gloss, great beading, even when the car was filthy. Longevity is pretty good too.
I last sprayed it 2.5-3 months ago, and really neglected the car after that. It stayed dirty for a long time. I washed it today and while the beading is starting to go away, you can still see some beading/ sheeting.

for the price, and how simple it is to use, it's a winner in my book!

TypeRfit

iTrader: (6)

Same with Matt haven't updated in awhile. Correction was used will all Wolfgang products. Took about 6-7hrs but the paint came back to life really well.

98civdx

I wish I got to spend 6-7 hours on the paint alone more often. :/

It sucks because most people aren't willing to spend that kind of money on just the paint, let alone the whole car.

had a escalade ( I will post pictures) come in not to long ago that I was basically told "do whatever you want, I'll pay it, just get my paint back". Spent 9 hours on it. 3 steps total.

918TastyGarage

iTrader: (2)

recent purchase for new car

TypeRfit

iTrader: (6)

^^Good stuff. That swirl remover is awesome^^

redboost10

Has anyone use optimum poliseal?

builthatch

me, tons.

what do you want to know?

nowadays, i mostly use it to clean up lightly etched water spots on coated things (paint and glass). i know there are acidic products specifically for that now, wipe on products from CarPro and even OPT, as announced at SEMA...but poli-seal works great for that.

redboost10

You kinda answered what I wanted to know...just seeing how much cut it has. Got some light swirls on a white truck. Excited to give it a go.

builthatch

it's one of those products that definitely has to be played with to see what the limits are on certain finishes. for instance, on my wife's old Si, it would work wonderfully as an all in one. it would clean very light marring up wonderfully without causing any additional issues, so, it would finish up super nice. i would use a very light cut pad for that. but on some other finishes it doesn't have quite enough cut to clean up even light swirls.

the key to poli-seal no matter what is that you use very little. on a 4" pad, i'd use three peas, on a 5.5" pad, four peas! that's all you need.

redboost10

Awesome, thank you for the info. Trying to sprout out from menzerna and megs 105/205 for a chang .

builthatch

yo if you are going that route, check out the two sprays, Hyper polish and compound. they are bonkers. really flexible and so clean that you can wipe after polishing with just a damp MF, assure the surface is dry and apply coating.

they are expensive but you have full control over application and they work forever, so, i feel like they are pretty affordable in light of that.

i swear there isn't anything i can't do in terms of correction or finishing with just those two products. if i had to choose one, i'd say Hyper polish. i can use that with a yellow or orange Buff & Shine pad and it will finish down like you wouldn't believe but still remove pretty decent wet sanding scratches. if you take Hyper polish and work it with with a no cut pad, it will break down and finish amazingly. so flexible.

another tidbit is...when you get Opti-Coat, as a pro...it now ships with primer polish. it's basically Hyper but with an added adhesion promoter for the coating. i like how they are able to use basically the same product for so many things.

cathcart96

holy s&!* what a transformation , do you have steps on how this was done ? cause my milano red looks terrible

98civdx

I need to find a good trim restorer for my grandma's escalade.

Thinking about CarPro Dlux, but I don't know. What is everyone using/used?

builthatch

for the rubber trim around windows, etc.?

have you tried scrubbing with an alkaline APC and old short nap microfiber towel? i do that first to assess the true condition of it.

i use Optimum Power Clean at full strength or 1:1. the only downside to doing it like this is you need to keep any areas that might get APC on them wet to keep the APC from drying in any way on the paint, glass, etc.

interestingly...that technique also works for removing DLux if you end up using it and have any issues!

traditionally, if the trim is really beat where cleaning won't make it look good enough to just coat or apply sealant, i have used a product called MEDS ReNu. used to be called ReNu Finish...it's called ReNu Pro now (i think). anyway, it works pretty well as long as you really clean the trim first. it also works really well on hard bare plastic trim that has been beaten down. and it seems to take well to spray wax, sealants, etc. i don't know about coating it.

if the trim is in good shape to start, i was using Opti-Lens after cleaning it thoroughly with APC. i wanted to try DLux too, just to see what it was like, so in June while i had clear film done by this dude on my wife's Q5, i had him do a new car prep and he messed everything up, including the DLux installation. he is a CQ installer but also a lunatic. so, i have no real assessment for it yet. i removed it because it was done so poorly. it was pretty hard to remove but not impossible. hence, "semi-permanent".

i haven't yet put Opti-Lens on it as i normally would because i am going to be trying out a new product from OPT. they released two new trim products at SEMA - Trim Restore/Protect and Trim Protect.

98civdx

I love when you post

Actually more looking for the bed cover/running boards. It's damn near white, and it's really ugly.
From what I'm told Dlux is safe for running boards, which is a HUGE plus. I don't want to go breaking grandma.

I did hear about the OPT trim products, but I was told they were Pro only...


I have also considered Black WOW, but I don't how long it will last.

builthatch

haha, thanks. i'm not around that much but i'm glad i checked in here.

ok, i see, it's hard plastic.

the OPT trim stuff is pro only, so you'd have to have it installed. i know that probably doesn't interest you. though i think it's an attractive option because it's a real coating in the vein of the other OPT pro coatings, so we are talking years of durability if it works as promised. that's pretty serious.

if i recall correctly, Black Wow is the orangish transparent stuff which i think has silicones. not a fan of that one bit.

DLux is weird. i don't know why they call it a wheel coating too. yeah, the specs say it's got a high silica content but imo the finished product is almost rubbery. it's not hard like most other stuff that's out there and called a "coating".

honestly....i think you have nothing to lose in trying DLux. as with anything, i'd imagine the most important aspect with this or anything you try where you want longevity is prep. it has to be super duper clean and stripped of anything that could screw with it attaching itself when curing, which could hamper longevity and a consistent appearance. you know that though, haha - i'm just covering my bases.

i'd scrub the hell out of it with a short medium-stiffness bristle brush (if a side handle brush doesn't fit, you can wrap a rubber band tightly midway around a long bristle lug nut brush to stiffen it up) and strong alkaline APC like Power Clean, clean it and check for residue, IPA wipe, still checking for residue and if it's clear, coat it. i know some people go acidic, clean, alkaline, clean and then IPA wipe. you could probably use prep solvent and get away with it, like someone would do if they were going to paint that material. who knows.

let me know what you do and how it works out.

98civdx

Yeah, I'd prefer to do it myself. Mainly for the experience. However I'm not really a fan of doing things multiple times, and possibly even making it harder on myself/someone else if we go with the OPT product after I put a bunch of stuff on it.

Yeah, this stuff, although I have heard a LOT of positive things about it.
Black WOW Professional Trim Restorer, black wow pro, plastic trim restorer

Power clean is definitely on the list, and I have tons of IPA.

I have used the Griots garage product ( I can't find the link) but it's kind of a pain to use, and there's a LOT of area on that truck. I see it be very difficult to keep the coats even. It works decently, but the longevity just isn't there. Few hours to apply, for a few months just isn't worth it to me.

TypeRfit

iTrader: (6)

Wash the car really well with Dawn(dishwasher soap) to make sure all previous waxes are removed.

Clay bar vehicle to remove any particles still on the paint

Use Pre_wax cleaner

I personally used the Wolfgang Total Swirl remover with a more aggressive pad to do the cutting, it does take a little longer but since I use a rotary I don't mind taking the extra time to ensure I don't burn through.

After the swirl remover I used the Wolfgang Polish and sealant.

98civdx

Scott did you ever buy a DA?

builthatch

i had to do a small chip repair, the first chip that has occurred during my time with the car...such a bummer, but life goes on. anyway, i waited a few days because i kept adding clear to finish filling the chip. i cleaned the whole panel, polished the entire thing with a Buff & Shine green foam pad and Optimum Hyper Polish until it was perfect (though it has been coated with Opti-Coat Pro for a couple years and treated like a Faberge egg, it still had some random light scratches here and there) and then went back with a Buff & Shine black foam pad and Opti-Coat primer polish. i am in such a habit of using isopropyl alcohol solution that i ALMOST went to grab it instead of just trusting the chemistry with primer. but, i controlled myself, wiped it down thoroughly with just a fresh Microfiber Madness Yellow Fellow II, nothing else, and coated the hood with Opti-Coat. then i coated it with OPT's new consumer coating, Gloss-Coat, just to see what happens.









after i let the Opti-Coat cure about 24 hours, i applied Gloss-Coat. stupid easy, as expected. i believe i'll be able to see how long it lasts on top by how slick the finish is over time, since OCP when bare is squeaky, not slick.

the finish is perfect. i love a perfect hood, haha. any discoloration you might see is a reflection of something in my work area.

TypeRfit

iTrader: (6)

No sir, still haven't. My $$ is either going to the hatch or the wedding.




BuiltHatch, that looks really good.

vpaopaw

how do I fix this paint peeling on my roof?

98civdx

Vpaopaw, sanding it down and repainting is the only option.