I have a 97 Honda Accord coupe, and i have noticed that when you run your hand across the paint it feels like little bits of sand are embedded in the paint. I'm just curious if i could buff it out and make it smooth again, or if i need to sand it down and paint the whole. I would post pics but you cant see it you can only feel it. Any help or suggestions welcome!!

 

Try wet sanding 2000 if its really bad, or if its not that bad like orange peel try buffing it out. Do a search on buffing paint theres products that will cut the roughness

 

u sure its not oxidation? if it is u can just claybar it.

 

97 accord?? does it have fresh paint?? If its that old and never painted again you sure there not just pits

 

Yes its the original paint. The hood and front end have a few pits in them, but this "sandpaper" is on the entire surface of the vehicle. Literally every inch is like this. I'm wondering id i should try and wet sand and then buff it out.

 

yea might need some 1500, then some 3m rubbing compound and some polish

 

Before you try buffing it with a rotary, you'll have to claybar the car to get most of the contaminants out of the paint... but i guarantee you'll be surprised with how smooth the paint is after you spend $18 and an hour of your time claying the car

 

Which brand of clay bar should i get? Also what is the purpose of rubbing compound?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crispynuggets &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Which brand of clay bar should i get? Also what is the purpose of rubbing compound?</TD></TR></TABLE>
rubbing compound is basically an abrasive paste (think toothpaste for your teeth). different grades have different effects on paint when used correctly, but first things first, do the clay bar. compounds are generally to take out swirls, not to take away rough texture. As for clays, mothers and mequires have clay bar kits you can pick up at the local pep boys or kragen for under $20. wash the car thoroughly and just follow the directions.

 

Why are you people telling him to wetsand his car..?? For one that is completely unnecessary and for two he doesn't even know what rubbing compound is! (No offense, Crispy).

What you need to do is start out with a BLUE clay bar and some sort of lubricant. Most bars are sold in packs with the lubricant. Spray a spot on the vehicle and run the clay against the paint. Use a little bit of elbow grease and then dry it away. Run a dry hand over the paint and then let us know what it feels like.

Good luck.

 

Why a BLUE clay bar specifically? I do know what rubbing compound is, i just dont know what its purpose is! so i guess im gonna try a clay bar then see where im at from there! Thanks for all the help guys

 

sounds like your car has overspray all over it. are you sure its all original paint?

 

Ya its original paint. I've had the car for 3+ years and i noticed this about a month ago. prior to this the paint was in really nice condition for its age.

 

hmmmm. then i would go with the clay. you want to use the blue clay because its made by dupont. then use some good 3m buffing comppund

 

There are two different color clay bars: Red and Blue.

Blue is used for mild applications and Red is used for medium to heavy overspray.

I recommended blue because it does far less damage to the paint (scratch wise) than red does. Red should only be used if the car is to be buffed afterwards.

For example my roommates car had overspray all over it when the county came by and marked propery lines with a can of spraypaint. Yours could have happened anywhere.. :/

 

Clay bar is not some super advanced material. You don't need to buy the most expensive brand name. The 3M, and Meguires that I've used works as well as the cheap stuff. I've "heard" that the Mothers brand sucks, or doesn't last long.

Their is more than 2 colors of clay bar, right now I think I have purple and gray.

Clay is the way to go.

 

The other colors are the same things but with different producers.

 

It could be overspray or industrial fallout or a number of things depending on where you live and where you store your vehicle.

Meguiar's blue claybar. I've had the same can of clay for about a year since getting it for free from a vendor. Just remember that the bar will pick up a lot of contaminants from your paint job so its important to fold it frequently.

I use a mild soapy solution with the claybar immediately after washing it and rinse it clean after I'm done. Oh, don't forget, if the clay bar gets dropped on the ground, throw it away. It could pick up debris that will harm your paint job if you were to reuse it. I divide my new bars into thirds in case this happens. Good luck!

 

So i went and got a clay bar kit yesterday. got home washed a little spot on the hood and went to work! Turns out it is overspray, its turning the white clay bar red, and now i have a nice smooth little spot on my hood I'll be finishing up the rest of the car tonight when i get home!

Thanks for all your help!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by z395civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">sounds like your car has overspray all over it. are you sure its all original paint?</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crispynuggets &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ya its original paint. I've had the car for 3+ years and i noticed this about a month ago. prior to this the paint was in really nice condition for its age.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crispynuggets &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So i went and got a clay bar kit yesterday. got home washed a little spot on the hood and went to work! Turns out it is overspray, its turning the white clay bar red, and now i have a nice smooth little spot on my hood I'll be finishing up the rest of the car tonight when i get home!

Thanks for all your help!! </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Overspay, as in someone was spray painting near my car. It was probably me considering all the painting I do in my garage, as it is sitting in my driveway.

 

Come on people, it most likely DOES NOT need to be wetsanded at all. Go pick up a claybar kit and all the roughness will go away. You will then need to top the car with a wax afterwards. I wouldnt touch your car with sandpaper unless you know what your doing and are equipped with the products/tools to do the job.

EDIT: just noticed OP tried the claybar with good results. Now do the whole car and wax and you will be extremely happy with the results!