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**Murr1525** · Sep 27, 2005, 10:06 AM

It is possible for a color to change dramaticaly after a good cleaning and polishing and waxing. Are you certain some fo the pearl/metalic isnt reflections of swirls? Its been known to happen. Nxt usualy does well on metalic flakes in paints, not sure about pearl though.

Could try a different polish, like #7, but not sure it will change much. Different polishes and waxes give different looks, maybe someone with a similar color can mention what they use.

With enough work, swirls can come out by hand with ScratchX. But is 7, or 8, or whatever applications per smal lsection on the whole car worth your time? Might be time for a PC...

I'll leave the old sap up to someone else... not sure myself.

**MB///HRV** · Sep 27, 2005, 10:18 AM

Re: Problems and Questions!

Originally posted by DieBaterista
And, he also has two huge granite like drops of sap on his hood that laugh at my bug/tar remover. How do I get rid of these?

I use 3M Adhesive Cleaner, however the other day there was some on the window and I used Rain-X. By far the easiest I haven ever taken sap off a window. *READ LABEL FIRST*

3M Adhesive Cleaner

**DieBaterista** · Sep 27, 2005, 10:22 AM

Thanks for the reply Murr. Actually the pearl I'm refering to is in the paint definately not reflections of the swirl. Maybe it is flake, but it looks a little smaller though.

I guess I'll experiment with different stuff.

Yeah I think I'd break both my arms getting the scratches out like this!

And PC = ?

**Murr1525** · Sep 27, 2005, 10:26 AM

I have heard of rainX working... maybe try that.

And PC = Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher. Great machine, perfectly safe for a beginer to learn with, and a pro can get incredible results with it.

**DieBaterista** · Sep 27, 2005, 10:42 AM

Thanks MB I'll look into that.

**DieBaterista** · Sep 27, 2005, 10:44 AM

And PC = Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher

I see, thanks!

**Mike Phillips** · Sep 27, 2005, 11:09 AM

Re: Problems and Questions!

Originally posted by DieBaterista
Hey Gang,

This place rocks! I've a couple 'o questions for y'all.

I worked on a friends car for the fun of it, and am somewhat confused with the results. I guess I'm not sure what I'm looking for. It's a 2005 Honda Accord with Royal Blue Pearl finish.

I only finished the roof, because he parks under a tree and it took forever...

When I finished, the roof is mostly smooth to the touch, however the color is a lot deeper/darker than the rest of the car and the pearl doesn't jump out like it does on the rest of the car that I haven't done yet. Does that sound right? I think the deeper/darker is cool, but it's not as brilliant as the rest of the car which concerns me.

When you cleaned, polished and waxed the roof you restored the original clarity and thus the original look whatever that might be.

Here's the steps I used. All by hand.

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Scratch X 3 coats per small section
4. Deep Crystal Polish 1 coat.
5 NXT Tech Wax 2 coats

I tried to follow the instructions on the thread "How to remove swirls by hand" as close as I could. Should I expect not to get out all the swirls/scratches by hand?

In the how-to article I applied the ScratchX 3 time using a lot of passion in that one small area.

During our Saturday clinics, when I show how to apply and work the ScratchX against the finish I usually here the same comment by different people with every club that attends, it goes something like this...

"Oh... that's what I'm doing wrong!"

By this they mean they didn't know you had to work the product as hard as I show working it, as thorough as I show working it and for as long as I show working it. Most people have a tendency to apply the product and wipe it off, if you do this, you won't remove any paint and the only way to remove a scratch, or hundreds of thousands of swirls is to remove a little paint.

It's also very important that you shrink your work area down, you cannot remove scratches out of clear coat paints by apply a product like ScratchX to large areas and expect to be able to focus enough dedicated attention to the paint to affect it.

**DieBaterista** · Sep 27, 2005, 11:47 AM

Mike, thanks for clearing up my concerns about the paint color. It does look closer to the color of the same car on the Honda website. I'll try to post some pictures.

I probably wasn't totally disciplined with Scratch X. I hit each section 3 times, pretty hard, however the sections did seem to get bigger and bigger as I worked it in! I wondered if I was using too much product too.

I'll keep working at it. Hopefully I can make it down to one of the Saturday classes.

Any suggestions regarding the hardcore sap on the hood? Is an adhesive remover the way to go? I mean this stuff is nasty!

Thanks again

**rusty bumper** · Sep 27, 2005, 02:50 PM

Originally posted by DieBaterista
Any suggestions regarding the hardcore sap on the hood? Is an adhesive remover the way to go? I mean this stuff is nasty!

Thanks again

Not speaking for Mike, but some have used rubbing alcohol to remove old sap with. Just place a piece of gauze, cotton, small piece of cloth, etc. over the sap and soak it with the alcohol for maybe 15 to 30 minutes or so.

This should allow enough time for it to soak into the sap and help to loosen or dissolve it......If not, then try repeating the process.

**DieBaterista** · Sep 27, 2005, 09:39 PM

R.B. Thanks I'll give that a shot since I have it on hand.

**rusty bumper** · Sep 27, 2005, 10:01 PM

Originally posted by DieBaterista
R.B. Thanks I'll give that a shot since I have it on hand.

You're welcome!

One of the pro's here recommended it a while back.

**mikkl** · Sep 28, 2005, 01:49 AM

Originally posted by DieBaterista

Any suggestions regarding the hardcore sap on the hood? Is an adhesive remover the way to go? I mean this stuff is nasty!

Thanks again

I haven't tried this yet, but the detailer at my new car dealer recommended undiluted car soap soaked into a cloth and held against the sap, giving it time to dissolve.

This is the same guy who told me about Meguiar's.

mikkl

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