Could I have damaged my paint?

[Ravi_1992]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

I think you've got your answer already about the "discoloration" but here's my two cents,
I use TW bug and tar remover all time, I remember the bottle saying something about it leaving a deep dark shine and a wax protection after your done using it. If the product did cause darker spots , then it should fade away after a while. As mentioned already, the paint under the stripes is probably non oxidized or swirled so it looks better then the rest, you have to correct the whole car to make it even

I would use something like #9 swirl remover 2.0 or UC if I really need it

[Shawn T.]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

I dont see anything damaged, but I only see the color difference where the stripes were.

You'll also notice there area under the stripes doesnt have swirls yet, also making it look darker.

+1

Thats exactly what I was thinking. it also is not discolored at all because it has not been exposed to the sun and therefore absolutely no oxidation. The TW product did the job perfectly! You have to correct the whole car now to match those areas lol.

[Murr1525]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

I dont see anything damaged, but I only see the color difference where the stripes were.

You'll also notice there area under the stripes doesnt have swirls yet, also making it look darker.

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

I'm starting to wonder if this may even be something else that got onto my car. Either liquid wax that was never wiped off or some foreign liquid that left a stain. It appears to have dripped down on the front half of the door, but I don't notice it on the rest of the car. Based on the fact the pin stripes aren't stained, I'd say it happened before removal, not after.

Maybe instead of causing this, I simply noticed it when I polished the door with the stuff.

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

One more question and then I'll wait for replies. Would it be a good idea to clay bar the area that is streaked to see if it comes up?

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

I've been staring at this picture for about 10 minutes and two thoughts are going through my head:

1. Idiot--why didn't you use an applicator
2. Why wasn't the strip with the most solution damaged.

#2 leads me to believe its something left in the wax. Especially since the bottle says it won't strip wax and there was a fresh coat. But maybe its just wishful thinking on my part.

[8k_RPM]

Re: Could I have damaged my paint?

I want to apologize to Mark for trying to post that a few times. I didn't realize until the last time that it was being moderated.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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?

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)

[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.