• If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

    OK, please be gentle, first detailing related post in the forum

    A couple of years ago, I picked up a used 7th-gen Accord as a winter-beater. The car was in great shape (1 owner), and in what I thought was a lovely shade of Nighthawk Black Pearl (i.e. black w/ metallic blue flecks).

    This is my first black car, and I had no idea of what that entails to someone who likes to keep their cars clean!

    Anyhow, fast fwd to today...

    I've never been completely happy with the way the car looked after washing/waxing. Sure, it looked great from a distance, but up close, besides a few stone chips here and there, the paint isn't as shiny as it could be, and I can readily see what I've read are called swirls and holograms leading to hazy reflections.

    I've used Megs Endurance, Scratch-X and Plast-X for a few years, and figured that the first step to improving the finish should be to upgrade my arsenal of cleaning products.

    Once purchased, I recently completed the whole Meg's consumer regime on the car; GC wash; clay; GC wash; UC by hand and NXT TW2.0 by hand.

    After spending what seemed like ~3hrs on the car, it looked WAY better, but I'm still left with this on the trunk lid, along with some residual swirls etc.;



    The defect was there when I purchased the car, and I'm wondering if it's the residue of a bird bomb or something It doesn't seem to have changed much, after two hand applications of UC.

    Anyhow, I'm not sure what to do next. Despite the Megs vids on Youtube, I've subsequently been told that UC is best applied by a DA. Would that solve it, or do I have to move up to something stronger, like M105 and M205 to get rid of this once and for all?

    I certainly don't mind investing in a DA, since realistically, I'd be happy to use it to keep my other cars looking spiffy.

  • #2
    Re: Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

    First of all, welcome to MOL!

    Secondly, I have some bad news... that is cracked paint, or clear coat to be more specific, and is likely the result of a nasty bird dropping or some other substance that etched deep into the paint.

    The result is irreparable little "crow's feet" cracks in the paint. Sadly, there is nothing you can do aside from repainting.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

      Thanks for the quick response, Mark.

      Darn, that's not the news I was hoping for. At least on the positive side, it's not a large defect - maybe 1" by 1" and just left of center at the back of the trunk lid.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

        Maybe since it is just your winter beater, take it to a body shop and have them re spray just the trunk.

        Sorry about the bad news of clear coat failure.
        quality creates its own demand

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

          Appreciate the suggestion, but since it is a winter-beater, I'll pass on a paint job since the blemish really isn't much bigger than a quarter (coin).

          However, I reserve the right to change my mind once the rest of the paint's looking spiffy and if the annoyance factor goes up

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

            Some people have had success using pure polish like M07 or Deep Crystal Polish on the areas of clear coat failure to reduce their appearance. You would put this down before your wax or sealant.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

              This is exactly what I was hoping for, Mary; some kind of filler or polish that might reduce the appearance of the blemish.

              I couldn't find DCP on my last shopping trip (WM, Advance, AutoZone. PepBoys), so I missed that step. I'm definetely thinking about getting some or using one of the many M03/5/7/9/M80/82/83/M205 "glaze" products to deepen the shine.

              Thanks for the tip.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

                Another shot;

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Pesky problem on black Accord (pic)

                  Unfortunately, there isn't much you're going to be able to do for this. While it looks like etching from a bird dropping, your close up shot sure seems to indicate that your clear coat has been very, very deeply compromised with some very wide and deep cracking.

                  The good news is that at least this is on your winter beater, and not your Z4 M. Cover it the best you can and try not to let it get to you too much - hey, that's what winter beaters are for, after all!!
                  Michael Stoops
                  Senior Global Product & Training Specialist | Meguiar's Inc.

                  Remember, this hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need therapy.

                  Comment

                  Your Privacy Choices
                  Working...
                  X