My '96 Mustang Cobra Newbie Debacle

[soonercivic]

Originally posted by JMHCobra
Hey soonercivic,

That would definitely be fantastic! I spend the majority of summers in Tulsa, but during the fall and spring, I'm in Norman. Since I'm approaching graduation, I'll probably be staying in Norman year round after this summer. I'll be sure to keep in touch once I get back down to there.

Since I finally have season tickets this year, I'll be spending almost every weekend in town this fall, too.

Yeah let me know whats up. Nice to have a fellow Sooner on here. Well I live in OKC so im here year round. We could work on it and get those spots out and make it shine like before. Ill be in Norman for every game too. Check out some pics of my car in my gallery and see what the PC can do and hopefully the results you can expect.

[JMHCobra]

Hi everybody,

Figured I'd give you an update on my situation. I went to Pepboys today to see what I could find. Naturally, they didn't carry #81 nor the Meguiar's Quik Clay package. They did however have the Mother's clay package, but that contained two bottles (a quick detailer and a carnuba cleaner) that I didn't think were necessary, so instead of paying the $17 for it, I went without.

The other products I bought were ScratchX, a new bottle of DC #2 Polish, NXT Gen Tech Liquid, two hi-tech applicator pads, and three ultra plush super terry cloths.

I enlisted the aid of my father in this ordeal, too. After doing a thorough washing and drying (once regularly and a couple times with the dishwashing soap, despite my fears), I gave it a good inspection. It felt smooth as glass. I couldn't feel any bumps or imperfections like the ones described in the five step outline, so rather than worrying about claying, we jumped right into the cleaning process (with ScratchX). Perhaps this was a mistake? (I don't think skipping this step would've lead to what I describe below).

We applied an absurd amount of ScratchX. We spent roughly four hours applying and removing, sometimes as many as five or more times in the heaviest portions of the hood (applying considerable amounts of elbow grease, trying to work it in as best as possible). Throughout the entire process, we didn't see much if any change in the appearance. If anything, it looked worse, as it was very hazy and foggy after whiping. At around the 3 hour mark, we decided to use our container of DC#1 cleaner that we had leftover in the haziest parts of the hood to try and complement the ScratchX. The DC#1 effectively "cleaned up" these portions.

We did this process for another hour or so, cleaning with DC#1 and applying ScratchX. I lost track of how many coats we applied at this point.

We eventually decided to try applying some DC#2 polish to the areas where we applied the most cleaner just to see what kind of results we'd have. Eventually, we ended up applying the polish to the entire hood. It looks considerably better than before, but upon close inspection and in the right angles of light, you can still see the majority of all the water spots, swirls, and bird droppings. The cleaning process certainly helped, but it didn't eliminate them. The areas where we only applied 2 or 3 coatings of the ScratchX still look visibly bad, unfortunately. And almost if not all of the scratches and swirls can still be seen. I've decided that I'm going to resume cleaning those areas more tomorrow to see if I can work them out, but I don't know if it's worth it. Will I see any better results past 3 or 4 coatings?

No NXT has been applied since we still plan on cleaning it. If I get the hood prepped to how I want it, then I will do a final polish and apply the NXT.

So, I guess this means either A,) foregoing the claying process lead to the inability to clean (I don't think is likely since it felt smooth?), or B,) ScratchX and elbow grease simply weren't a powerful enough combo to cut deep enough. I'm thinking the latter, but I'm not sure. The damage done to my hood might not even be fixable by hand, which is another likely scenario, in which case I may have to venture down other avenues.

At this point, I'm looking to try either another cleaner or simply more applications of ScratchX and DC#1. If I can't get it to my liking with the current process, I may move up to something like Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner.

(On a side note, I also discovered, after the application of DC#2, that I might need/want a slightly higher grade polish, like the #81 I was originally looking at. I'll have to judge the final look after the application of NXT, I guess.)

[soonercivic]

If you have an Oreillys they can order from the warehouse in OKC and they usually have the Quick Clay package in stock. If you can find one with a paint center then they can get you whatever you need. You may need part numbers so they can look it up if they dont have a catalog but if you call the one on N. May in OKC they have a catalog and will be able to tell you. For the size area your working with and the defects you have, ScratchX will be hard to use to your likeing. You need to work a small area for 2-3 minutes to let the diminishing abrasives break down first then wipe off and inspect. For the cloudiness i would say try using #80, you can use it by hand and its got abrasives in it but a high concentration of polishing oils as well so it will shine while it works. It will always come down to technique and working it long enough. Like i said before, it will be hard to achieve the results you desire by hand. You will most likely need a PC but that is an investment with all the pads and such. The polishes like #81 contain no abrasives and will not remove the haze, however #80 would probably do it. DC#1 is a chemical cleaner and contains no abrasives so it will not remove all the haze but will improve it. If you cant get #81 polish then try #7, i use that and love it.

[JMHCobra]

Ahh, wow, 2-3 minutes working it in? I see. When I'd apply, it'd be thorough, but probably no more than a minute on a single spot, if that. I'll have to try that out.

Concerning the clay kit, there's an O'Reilly's a couple miles south of where I live, so I'll check them out. That was about the only auto store I didn't go to, thinking they wouldn't stock anything more than Pepboys or Autozone.

Pepboys sold #7, but I wasn't too familiar with it so I didn't pick it up. I read some reviews online that said it can gum up and be a pain to use sometimes. If I can't get ScratchX to work to my liking with this new technique, I may need to move over to something like #80.

I might just give #7 a whirl if I can get the damage out! Thanks for the input.

[JeffM]

Try only doing a small area, and try using some cloth applicators.

The cloth will give you alittle more bite, but only work a small area until it meets your satisfaction. It really makes no sense doing a whole car, when none of it is going to make you happy.

I would try using like a dime sized drop on the pad, if you use too much, you might be there awhile rubbing .

Press firmly, but dont bear down on the paint.

Make sure you are in a very clean work enviorment. Nothing ever touches my pads(on my pc) or i change the pad.

My towels never touch the ground or a tire, or anything except sometihng that meets my dust free approval.

[JMHCobra]

Well, I definitely had more success today. Spent another 3 hours or so with the time I had working a small area for 2-3 minutes. Per the recommendation of the how-to guide for removing scratches w/ ScratchX, I'd apply more product after thoroughly working all of the first application in. I did this several times on the toughest spots, and it lifted out many of the waterspots. The worst spots are still slightly visibly, but only under close scrutiny. I imagine with a coat of polish and a couple layers of NXT, they will no longer be visible.

Unfortunately, I got a little less than half of the hood done. Hopefully by tomorrow I can finish it up and get it to my liking, then finish it up with a polish and a wax.

In the future, I'm certainly not going this route again, hah. Of course, I doubt I'll ever let any part of my cars ever get this bad again.

I'll post some pictures of the final results then, unless I run into any more problems.

[JMHCobra]

Well, I think I've got it about as clean as I'm going to get it. The large majority of the most visible waterspots and scratches are either gone or dulled down to the point where you can barely see them.

I had one more question, though. I just applied a fairly liberal layer of DC#2 polish to the hood, and I'm wondering if it's worth it to apply a second coating. If not, I'm going to leave it as is and pick up some #7 tomorrow, apply that on top, and finish it all up.

It definitely looks better then when I started. It's not perfect, but that's fine ... it'll get me through the summer months.

[Murr1525]

Glad you got better results. I am not sure what you mean by applied a liberal layer of polish? It shouldnt be spread too thick, and wiped off before drying for best results. If you were happy, I guess you were close to that.

As far as #7, you can apply it, and I think some people will say it may look a little better. It will really just rub off the DC Polish, no big deal if you dont mind removing what you already did. Or just pick some up and save it till next time.

By finishing up, I assume you mean a layer or two of wax, possibly Nxt, or #21, etc? Polish wont offer any protection to the elements, so need to finish up with the wax.

[JMHCobra]

By liberal I meant the whole process was pretty thorough ... polished it and whiped it before it dried. As it stands, it looks pretty good, but I'm going to try the #7 just to see if it improves the look. Couldn't hurt.

Yes indeed, by finishing it up, I'm going to be using NXT. Will misting something like NXT Speed Detailer before applying make the NXT go on easier?

[soonercivic]

No, it will actually make it streaky and uneven. NXT applies and removes very easily by hand. Its a great formula. Cant wait to see some pics.

[Murr1525]

As Soonercivic said, do not apply any mister beforehand.

What you may have heard is that a quick detailer type of product can help with the removal of wax. Sometimes, if a hot day, or humid, or wax was applied to thick, etc, it may not wipe off as easily, leaving some smearing behind. A mist of Quick Detailer, etc on a smear can help remove the smear more easily.

[JMHCobra]

Ah, yes, and misting during the claying process ...

I just got my techniques all mixed up.

If I get done with some sun left tomorrow, I'll try and get some better shots outside. I may end up polishing and waxing the rest of the car, though (the remainder is surprisingly free of scratches and waterspots, and it's been several months since I last applied any wax).

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

Just to chime in here...

First, Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze is a pure polish with no ingredients with the intended purpose of cleaning the paint. As such, you can apply it before your Last Step Product (wax or sealant), like most of us do; or, you can apply it over top of the wax right before a car show. If you apply it before the wax, it will help to lock in the richness that #7 can provide. If you apply it after the wax, the #7 will not last very long, but long enough for a car show.

Also, when it comes to applying and removing any Meguiar's wax or sealant, you need to apply a thin, even coat. If you apply it too thick, it may make it more difficult to remove. However, you should not use a QD or any liquid to help remove a Meguiar's Wax or Sealant. It is better to apply a little more of the product on the thick area and the immediately wipe off. The old saying... "like will disolve like"...holds true in this case. Moreover, no water or QD should be used on the waxed/sealed finish for 24 hours if at all possible. Again, this would be ideal, but not always possible.

Please keep us posted!

Tim