Could I have damaged my paint?

[8k_RPM]

Hi,

I had a quick question that was already answered on the Civic forum, but I thought I'd double check with the experts.

I've been removing pinstripes from a three year old Civic SI and used Turtle Wax Bug and Tar to remove the residue (I usually use Meguire's products, but my dad uses Turtle, so its what I had around).

I followed the directions to the letter and at first I thought the results looked great. But when the sun caught it, I realized there was some discoloration where I sprayed the remover. Upon further examination, I think the sprayed areas are a deeper black than the rest of the car.

So my question is, is it more likely that the sprayed areas are now cleaner than the rest of the car (and if so, how do I get the rest of the car to look like that), or did the Turtle Wax do something to the paint?

Thanks in advance for any help.

8K_RPM

[Murr1525]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

The rest of the car faded in the sun, and the black under the stripes is closer to the original color.

The best you can do is perform a good detail, and hope they match. Although the darker area will likely catch up/fade more quickly, seems ot work that way.

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

Its actually not the lines I was concerned about. I probably should have been more clear. The lines I understand, but where the spray went on, and where it dripped a little while I let it sit for a minute and slightly discolored.

The car lives outside, so I'm hoping that it just pulled out the dirt and exposed the clearcoat, as opposed to causing damage. The marks are roughly the same color as the lines that were covered by the stripes.

Edit: Oh, also. I purchased the Meguire package that came with a clay bar, a wax, and a quick detailer. Is this a good one to use or are there better products for detailing? (I'm a beginner, in case you can't tell)

[cnfowler]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

It's probably the oils in the bug and tar remover acting like a polish to darken the paint. Have you thoroughly washed the area with soap and water?

Colin

[Murr1525]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

Problems usually wouldnt make the paint look darker/richer.

And yes, that is a good kit to start with.

A good wash, clay, cleaner/wax is a nice quick detail. Of course we can get fancier depending on your goals.

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

Yeah. It was washed and had a coat of wax on it. I only did three panels (out of 8), because I saw the discoloration.

The dealer actually needs to fix my bumper (again), so I thought I might ask them to finish up, or switch to the Meguire version if it might be better. Is there a difference or is it pretty much the same product?

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

Problems usually wouldnt make the paint look darker/richer.

And yes, that is a good kit to start with.

A good wash, clay, cleaner/wax is a nice quick detail. Of course we can get fancier depending on your goals.

I'm not entering it into a contest or anything. I'm planning to add a couple performance parts and new rims so I just wanted it to look better than the average Civic. I'm going into surgery next Friday, so most this will have to wait a few weeks at least.

I would like to get the pinstripe off through, so I'm not driving around with half a stripe for too long.

[Junkman2008]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

What has most likely happened is the stuff you used to remove the residue polished your paint. It removed some oxidation from your paint due to the rubbing you did to remove the residue.

A big misconception that people have is that wax is what makes paint shine (I'm talking professional grade products here, not over the counter stuff). Wax does not make paint shine, polishing does. Polishing is the correction of paint. When you correct paint, you remove all of the damage and oxidation from the top of the paint, revealing the shine that lies below. Wax is then used to protect that shine.

If you where to take some M205 on a PC with a medium cutting pad and buff a panel that you have already done, the entire panel will look as black (if not blacker) as the areas that appear darker now. The fact that you see darker "areas" shows just how dirty the surface of your paint really is.

Here is a picture of a trunk that I have begun to polish. Notice the area where I have worked compared to the rest of the trunk. Night and day.

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

Thanks for the reply. I've probably never actually seen the car shine since it was delivered with a layer of dirt they had to wash off. I'm going to try that polisher after I use the clay bar. Do I have to wait for the current coat of wax to wear off before doing all this, or will the clay bar just strip that off? (probably a moot question since I think most of the wax will be off by the time I recover)

[Murr1525]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

The clay and cleaner/wax would remove it.

However, if you are going to be trying ot do the best job with a polisher, you may want to consider something like:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. ColorX
4. Nxt Wax

or

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. SwirlX
4. Nxt
5. Nxt - 2 coats is best, but not required.

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

So the SwirlX, I assume, would help with those micro scratches that I've noticed most Civics have.

Will it also act as a polisher, or should I add a step with a polisher, like the one recommended earlier in the thread.

Also, the car lives outside...once I do all this work and want to keep it looking nice, should a cover go over it.

And how do you wash it during the winter? Should I just use an automatic touchless wash and then fix it up in the Spring?

BTW, thanks for all this help. I've really neglected the Si since I got it (I did wash and wax, but no detailing)...I originally didn't think I'd be keeping it long because of my hip issues (and its lack of torque)...But its grown on me and I couldn't imagine getting rid of it now.

I'll post pictures after I detail it, but unless I do it next week, it'll be a while...plus I think I should probably not do anything strenuous before the surgery.

[gmitch23]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

I would reccommend using some M07 after claying, followed by the wax. I will make the entire car look great since it is black.

[Murr1525]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

So the SwirlX, I assume, would help with those micro scratches that I've noticed most Civics have.

The Cleaner/Wax in the kit is very mild, SwirlX is a bit stronger, so can help with the dirt/grime more, and if worked in a bit, yes, can help with swirls and small scratches.

Will it also act as a polisher, or should I add a step with a polisher, like the one recommended earlier in the thread.

SwirlX is a cleaner/polish, so it does both. It will not have as much polishing oils as a pure polish, so thats kind of up to you.

Also, the car lives outside...once I do all this work and want to keep it looking nice, should a cover go over it.

Touch call.. can cause as many scratches as you prevent with a cover unless you are very carefull and the car is clean all the time.

And how do you wash it during the winter? Should I just use an automatic touchless wash and then fix it up in the Spring?

Also a tough call. The automatic washes use a strong soap, so can strip the wax. Just have to try and do what you can, and what works for you.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

Some model year Civics have extremely delicate paint so make sure you stay away from anything too aggressive when working on it. Also, if working by hand, it is important to stay away from terry cloth as an applicator material as it, too, is very aggressive and can easily haze the paint.

We recently did a write up on The Challenge of Delicate Paint using a 2009 black Civic as our demo car. That article should give you some pointers when working on your car.

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

Picture is worth 1000 words:


This is what I was talking about, but I was wrong the discoloration is where the solution was.

A couple things...there was a fresh coat of wax on the car (about 2 days old). Also, the paint under the pinstripe appears unaffected by this. So whats the verdict...did I ruin the paint or did I just ruin the coat of wax. Also what should I do about it.

I feel pretty bad about this whole thing.

Thanks for your help.