How do I protect the clearcoat in my paint?
01-07-02, 12:47 AM
#1
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How do I protect the clearcoat in my paint?
I have a '91 with base/clear (Brave Blue 5N).
I really baby the paint on this car, because it is dark blue I keep it clean and waxed (pure carnuba).
Problem is the clear coat seems VERY soft, I wash it scratches, I look at it and it scratches, a bird ***** on it and the clear coat gets eatin' away!
Is this normal for the stock Mazda paint, I have the polisher and the supplies to really get the baby to shine, problem is it only lasts for about 6 washings and the paint looks dull and faded again.
Help!
I really baby the paint on this car, because it is dark blue I keep it clean and waxed (pure carnuba).
Problem is the clear coat seems VERY soft, I wash it scratches, I look at it and it scratches, a bird ***** on it and the clear coat gets eatin' away!
Is this normal for the stock Mazda paint, I have the polisher and the supplies to really get the baby to shine, problem is it only lasts for about 6 washings and the paint looks dull and faded again.
Help!
01-07-02, 12:52 AM
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Just had my Rex painted. Unfortunalty there is really nothing you can do but wax the car to protect it. 3M makes some good wax. Or a good carnuba wax will protect the clear coat.
01-07-02, 11:22 AM
#3
Former Moderator. RIP Icemark.
It tough to keep paint looking good after 10+ years on any car, but if the clear coat is dieing it points to the paint is drying out.
A couple of things based on your post that you may or may not know about the maintaning car paint:
#1 Carnuba wax is only a sealer, you will need to polish from time to time to get the oils back into the paint in the first place.
#2 Avoid harsh detergents. I recommend Ivory dishwashing detergent or a good brand car wash detergent as found in most auto stores. You really want to avoid using any dish detergent (other than Ivory brand), or soaps other than a good car wash soap. Dish soaps are made to get rid of oils like what your paint wants and needs.
#3 Avoid sun and acid rain.
#4 Wash an dry the car in the shade, and as soon as it get dirty. Never ever wash and dry your car in the sun on a hot day.
#5 To dry Do not use a Chamois! They pull the oils from the paint (even the sythetic ones). Its safe to only use one when you plan of waxing that day. Use soft 100% cotton towels, that you wash with liquied soap (powdered soaps often have Borax and other harsh abrasive ingredents that don't always get removed when washed) in the clothes washer after every car dry.
You may need to get the car repainted if the clear coat is flaking. That means the paint has already been very abused or not taken care of.
A couple of things based on your post that you may or may not know about the maintaning car paint:
#1 Carnuba wax is only a sealer, you will need to polish from time to time to get the oils back into the paint in the first place.
#2 Avoid harsh detergents. I recommend Ivory dishwashing detergent or a good brand car wash detergent as found in most auto stores. You really want to avoid using any dish detergent (other than Ivory brand), or soaps other than a good car wash soap. Dish soaps are made to get rid of oils like what your paint wants and needs.
#3 Avoid sun and acid rain.
#4 Wash an dry the car in the shade, and as soon as it get dirty. Never ever wash and dry your car in the sun on a hot day.
#5 To dry Do not use a Chamois! They pull the oils from the paint (even the sythetic ones). Its safe to only use one when you plan of waxing that day. Use soft 100% cotton towels, that you wash with liquied soap (powdered soaps often have Borax and other harsh abrasive ingredents that don't always get removed when washed) in the clothes washer after every car dry.
You may need to get the car repainted if the clear coat is flaking. That means the paint has already been very abused or not taken care of.
Last edited by Icemark; 01-07-02 at 11:27 AM.
01-07-02, 05:20 PM
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Mark, please elaborate
1) Carnuba as a sealer, is there something better, the birds around hear must be eating nuclear waste because their **** eats right through the carnuba into the clearcoat, once right through the paint! (within 24hrs.)
2) I always wash it with proper car wash soap, never detergent.
3) I live in the pacific northwest, what sun?
4) I wash my car whenever it's noticably dirty, usually early morning so it look purdy for the girls
5) I DO use a microfiber chamois, hard to believe that it could pull oils from the paint through all the wax I put on?
Here is the way I bath the beast:
I don't take the car through an automatic car wash, I wash it by hand. I begin by hosing the car down to loosen as much dirt as possible. Using car wash soap (Simoniz)and beginning on the top surfaces I wash the hood, then the windshield, the roof and finally the rear hatch, each time I move to a different area as noted above I rinse the wash mit (wool) in the bucket of suds before continuing then rinse. Next I do one side of the car and rinse, then the other and rinse. Finally I wash the front nose and the rear fascia and rinse. I use a completely different mit for the wheels and tires and keep it especially for that. I usually dry the surfaces with a micro fiber synthetic chamois.
I have never used cleaning clay or speed shine, recently I bought some Mequier's Quick detail, but I do not use it to clean recently soiled areas only as a fast fix up right after the entire car has been cleaned and dried.
The previous owner may have taken the car through automated washes as there is numerous scratches on the top surface that travel along the car, front to rear. There is also what appears to be scratches below the clearcoat that remind me of how china looks when the glaze gets old and cracked, almost like a paint or clear coat defect. I don't think that these are wash related because they are 'behind' the windshield washer squirters and most prevalent on the edges of the sheet metal where the hood and fenders meet (heat related?, the rotary engine develops a lot of heat and the under hood insulation does not extend right to the edges).
When I use glaze, the surface almost seems to suck up the chemicals and look wet and darker then the surrounding area, but as I said after a few washes the paint looks dull and scratched. Also, if when a bird does hit the car on a bombing mission, and I rinse the affected area with running water as I gently pass my fingers over the mess, I'm left with noticeable scratches from my bare fingers and a mottled pattern left etched in the clear coat requiring a polishing to remove!
Suggestions and comments welcomed...
2) I always wash it with proper car wash soap, never detergent.
3) I live in the pacific northwest, what sun?
4) I wash my car whenever it's noticably dirty, usually early morning so it look purdy for the girls
5) I DO use a microfiber chamois, hard to believe that it could pull oils from the paint through all the wax I put on?
Here is the way I bath the beast:
I don't take the car through an automatic car wash, I wash it by hand. I begin by hosing the car down to loosen as much dirt as possible. Using car wash soap (Simoniz)and beginning on the top surfaces I wash the hood, then the windshield, the roof and finally the rear hatch, each time I move to a different area as noted above I rinse the wash mit (wool) in the bucket of suds before continuing then rinse. Next I do one side of the car and rinse, then the other and rinse. Finally I wash the front nose and the rear fascia and rinse. I use a completely different mit for the wheels and tires and keep it especially for that. I usually dry the surfaces with a micro fiber synthetic chamois.
I have never used cleaning clay or speed shine, recently I bought some Mequier's Quick detail, but I do not use it to clean recently soiled areas only as a fast fix up right after the entire car has been cleaned and dried.
The previous owner may have taken the car through automated washes as there is numerous scratches on the top surface that travel along the car, front to rear. There is also what appears to be scratches below the clearcoat that remind me of how china looks when the glaze gets old and cracked, almost like a paint or clear coat defect. I don't think that these are wash related because they are 'behind' the windshield washer squirters and most prevalent on the edges of the sheet metal where the hood and fenders meet (heat related?, the rotary engine develops a lot of heat and the under hood insulation does not extend right to the edges).
When I use glaze, the surface almost seems to suck up the chemicals and look wet and darker then the surrounding area, but as I said after a few washes the paint looks dull and scratched. Also, if when a bird does hit the car on a bombing mission, and I rinse the affected area with running water as I gently pass my fingers over the mess, I'm left with noticeable scratches from my bare fingers and a mottled pattern left etched in the clear coat requiring a polishing to remove!
Suggestions and comments welcomed...
