should i try gold class??? soft paint

[steveo3002]

i have a 91 vw that seems to have very soft factory paint

when i let it sit out in the rain /sun it gets bad water marks where the beads sat while drying

i read elsewhere that goldclass doesnt bead....would it benifit me at all

the paint also seems to ...scratch? easily, probably not the best word for it...unless im very carefull it looks like i cleaned it with a filthy rag.

[rusty bumper]

Hi steveo,

I'm not up to date on the properties of Gold Class wax, but sounds like you need something that will sheet water off instead of bead it.

MPPP tends to sheet water, and it is very durable too.

#21 is getting a lot of rave reviews about how the water just rolls off of it.....

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5124&perpage=10&pagenumber=1

[JeffM]

I would start from the ground up.

I like to use good quality wash soap, like megs NXT or GC, and high quality wash mits.

Alot of people use 2 buckets to wash with, one with soapy water, another to rinse the wash mit in before dunking it into the soapy water.

High quality towels to dry the vehicle with is very important. Megs water magnet is very good.

Im not sure if GC sheets or beads, someone else can comment on that.

A QD product like NXT speed detailer and, my personal favorite, the yellow QD pad Megs makes, will clean up minor dust, finger prints, and water spots-works great after washing to get those few water spots off.

But when it rains, i tend to just re wash. I dont know what has splashed up from the pavement or driveway, better safe than sorry.

[Murr1525]

I would say its worth a try, if you can get the #21 there, or eve nthe Gold Class if it sheets, I'm not sure.

As was mentioned, I assume you are using quality products for your other steps, as that will help reduce the "filthy rag' look.

If this car is a daily driver, your best option may just be regular washing, and then regular waxing, and spray booster, etc, as it will never reach that 'show car' affect. Let the water spot a little on the wax, so it doesnt harm your paint.

[steveo3002]

yes it is a daily driver, but i like to keep it as nice as i can....it rains often here and it seems the better beads i have the more it leaves marks, they kinda etch into the clear coat

the scratchy dirty rag thing sems to come from taking off the wax...QD improves it

[Murr1525]

Yeah, go for it.. try a wax that doesnt bead as much, tell us how it works out.

How are you removing the wax? I guess you are using a good towel, or microfiber of some sort. And you can tell the scratches werent there when you started? Just want to be sure they are being removed at some point, and not just filled in along the way. Could be the paint is just that soft that it takes a lot of care.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: should i try gold class??? soft paint

Originally posted by steveo3002
i have a 91 vw that seems to have very soft factory paint

when i let it sit out in the rain /sun it gets bad water marks where the beads sat while drying

i read elsewhere that gold class doesn't bead....would it benefit me at all

the paint also seems to ...scratch? easily, probably not the best word for it...unless I'm very carefully it looks like i cleaned it with a filthy rag.

You could try Gold Class, or Medallion Premium Paint Protection if you can find it as it has been discontinued.

Is a car cover out of the question?

What's interesting is how much importance people place on water beading when if you look at water beading from an intellectual point of view its a negative feature, not a plus. When water beads-up on a painted finish and then dries, it tends to leave water spots on the paint and also in the paint depending upon what's in the water.

There are two kinds of water spots,

1) Above Surface Mineral Deposits
2) Below Surface Water Spot Etchings


Type I Water Spots

Type I Water Spots are what Meguiar's refers to as Above Surface Bonded Contaminants. A Type I water spot is some type of deposit, often times a mineral deposit that was in the water source, sitting on top of the surface.

If you have Type I water spots, you can use either a clay bar or a paint cleaner like ScratchX by hand. Clay bars are for removing above surface defects and will typically do a good job of remove Type I water spots/deposits from off the surface. Sometimes you may have to follow the claying process with a paint cleaner like ScratchX to completely remove all traces of where the mineral deposits attached to the finish.

Type I Water Spots






Type II Water Spots - Deposits on the surface
Type II Water Spots are what Meguiar's refers to as Below Surface Defects. A Type II Water Spot is actually an etching in the surface where whatever was in the water was strong enough in it's chemical composition to actually eat or dissolve the paint and thus etch into the paint.

If you Type II Water Spots, you can use a paint cleaner by hand such as ScratchX, or a machine applied product such as a compound, paint cleaner, or cleaner/polish to machine clean the finish, removing a small amount of paint in an effort to level, or smooth out the finish. The goal is to remove just enough paint to level the surface with the lowest depths of the defect.

Just to be clear, removing Type II Water Spots means removing paint. As such, you are limited as to how much paint you can remove. In some cases you may want to check with a seasoned professional for their advise before attempting to remove below surface defects like Type II Water Spots.


Type II Water Spots - Etchings below the surface


Close-up of same photo above


Click here to add your comments or ask questions about this article...

You just might try experimenting with a couple of different waxes including NXT Tech Wax to see which wax works the best on your paint type in your environment. As pointed out earlier in this thread, be sure to properly prepare the paint before applying the wax, this would include claying the paint and then using a paint cleaner like ScratchX to insure the paint is perfectly clean and prepared to accept the wax.

Best of luck to you...

[rusty bumper]

Re: Re: should i try gold class??? soft paint

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
Medallion Premium Paint Protection if you can find it, as it has been discontinued.

Really?

I still have a bottle of it.......Sorry to see it go, as it is a great wax.

[steveo3002]

mike, mine are the spots that require some paint to be removed to shift em.

im fully aware i cant keep taking more and more paint off, and im happy to live with some marks, but id like whatever i use to form a barrier between the paint and water?

its currently got zaino on there, which when it was fresh produced very high beads

and yeah i use MF towels and have no scatchy issues with my other cars, i also do use a car cover when i can

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by steveo3002
mike, mine are the spots that require some paint to be removed to shift em.

I'm fully aware i cant keep taking more and more paint off, and I'm happy to live with some marks, but id like whatever i use to form a barrier between the paint and water?

its currently got Zaino on there, which when it was fresh produced very high beads

You have Zaino on your car's finish and the water is eating through it and etching your paint?

By the way, these pictures are of water spots in a Corvette where mud puddle water ate through over a dozen layers of Zaino and then etched deeply into the paint.


Type II Water Spots - Etchings below the surface


Close-up of same photo above



I helped the owner remove the water spot etchings by machine using M83, he now sports nothing but NXT on his Corvette.

I would try claying the finish, then using a paint cleaner like ScratchX, this will remove all of the Zaino, then apply two thin coats of Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax and see how this works.

Best of luck to you...