Machine Detailing

[Tony Barnsley]

Ok,So after 18 months of owning the (Astral Black) RAV the I have decided that it is time to accept the fact that I have to get down to some sort of paint correction. While I am still not sure if I should just hand it off to a local paint shop, I need some advice and reassurance that I can do it myself, and what I'm planning to buy will do the job.

Generally the paintwork is in reasonable condition, but some scratched have 'appeared' that can be felt with a fingernail. I'll be stuffing pictures on here when it's daylight and I can take some.

In the meantime, I'm looking at spending 200 quid on gubbins first off is a DAS6 PRO Dual Action Polisher (No way am I ready for a rotary :D) Which will needs some pads (Polishing and Finishing), and then some compounds (Meguiars #80, #105, #205), and probably finish it off with some Collinite 476s Double coat wax (Or Collinite 845 Insulator Wax), The 915 sound like too much work to remove

Charlie already has a great guide on using a rotary on here so I'll probably follow that although using a DAP/DAS will be slower (But Safer).

Anyway pictures of the damage, plus the worst of the swirls will follow. . . .Swirls not my fault, as car gets Pressure wash , Snow Foam (Valet Pro), PW . . Snow Foam . . . Washed with 2 Sponge / 2 bucket method . . . Rinsed. . . Sprayed with Meguiars Last Touch and dried using a large soft microfibre towel. Every few months it gets clayed, and waxed using 845 Insulator wax.

Cheers All.

[CharlieFarlie]

Tony.. You post up the pictures we will advise on how to remove.... Mate it really is so satisfying and simple to do this job ! I will if needed have a wee chat on the phone if you think it will help ? Body shops ? Nah just don't do it !!

[Tony Barnsley]

Your Wish is my Command . . . Although Astral Black is a bit difficult to photo, and because it's overcast you cant see the swirling :( . . .not that the swirling is desperately bad anyway

This is the stone chips on the bonnet . . . all the way along the front edge up to about 10" back from the leading edge

One of the doors have these small scratches (detectable with the fingernail) , and the light scratching in the top left hand corner is fairly widespread, but not feelable

This scratch on the wing is again feelable with the fingernail

This scratch on the rear quarter is really p*ssing me off no idea where I picked it up, but it's at least 18" long, and fairly deep.

[Parts-King]

Good job you are wearing clothes in your photo's Tony.............those reflections :D: :D: :D:

[CharlieFarlie]

Very bad stone chipping ! Has that bonnet been painted ? Fair bet it has been !

I will be doing a how to on stone chip repairs in the future when time allows but that lot can be got rid of with very careful touching in base coat and topping with lacquer then flatted down with 3500 grit wet and dry then careful polishing. As said that's a topic for later on I'm afraid

Some of the deeper scratches will need a similar treatment as they are showing the undercoat which sits below the lacquer.. But lets deal with the main question which was swirl removal and light scratch correction..

Mate your pictures show great reflections and the architecture of your house but not really showing the actual swirling of the paint to well..

This is one of my car when swirly...

If you can get a couple like this it would help.. Knowing the severity of the swirling will give clues as to which polishes will do the job with least effort and best results !

This picture shows the very localised area after polish but before LSP...

Another

One showing the clarity that can be achieved.

On the plus side is that like most Japanese cars our Ravs have soft paint.. This means getting rid of swirling is actually quite easy. Well very easy in comparison to say a German car like an Audi or BMW which have very hard paint indeed..

The down side is because of the softness the paint picks up swirling far more easily than the German cars..

I would take soft Japanese paint any day though !

[Tony Barnsley]

Did you reply before I edited the post and added the two of the swirls taken this afternoon (once the sun had come out to play)? . . . First is drivers door and second is the bonnet, I think the drivers door shows the worst and the bonnet is the best. . . . although the roof might well be better than that . . . but I'm not tall enough to take any pictures of the roof :)

[CharlieFarlie]

Did you reply before I edited the post and added the two of the swirls taken this afternoon (once the sun had come out to play)? . . . First is drivers door and second is the bonnet, I think the drivers door shows the worst and the bonnet is the best. . . . although the roof might well be better than that . . . but I'm not tall enough to take any pictures of the roof :)

Yes I did reply before the added pictures...

Mate you have quite bad swirling there !

This can be removed with a DAS type machine but would respond better to rotary..

I would start with a medium cut polish. Some may say hard cut but lets remember this it Japanese paint which I repeat is very soft..

Use a medium pad ..

There are two ways of increasing cut when polishing . 1 is the level of cut of the actual polish its self the 2nd is the hardness of the pad..

So lets start medium/medium which will give you a decent cutting/correction rate without being risky to that paint..

A word of caution !! Mate that bonnet has large stone chipping.. This says to me its been painted. I would say the paint on the bonnet is after-market or resprayed if you like. This is indicated by the size of the stone chips. Why ? Well soft paint chips but its not brittle so we normally get just wee tiny marks. When paint is harder and especially resprayed harder paint it chips badly just as on your bonnet. The word of Caution then is to take HUGE care when polishing that area . After market or resprayed areas will cut at an altogether different rate to the rest of the car...

Now you know why pictures help ....

[Tony Barnsley]

The word of Caution then is to take HUGE care when polishing that area .

After market or resprayed areas will cut at an altogether different

rate to the rest of the car...

Add a Paint Thickness Gauge to the list of Gubbins

Thanks Charlie, I'm actually thinking of leaving that area of the bonnet to get a proper look at it

[CharlieFarlie]

Mmmm PTGs are a sore subject with me st the moment Tony.. Lent an expensive DeFelsko one to a mate a couple of weeks ago and he left it on the boot lid of his car and drive off to the shops .... It finished up on the road where a vehicle if dome kind ran over it.... Knackered ...........

[jolly-friar]

Hi,

Have you thought about using a wash mitt rather than a sponge ?

( or have I read it wrong... )

Also, the blue low tac masking tape to cover trim and badges makes it easier IMO...

Mine looks weird when all taped up prior to polishing.. :)

HTH

[anchorman]

Tony.

If you want to call over you can try my polisher before buying.

Charlie

I have got a couple of chips on the Daihatsu and despite getting the right touch up I have made a proper balls of it. I look forward to your tutorial.

Liz

I will be pinning your tutorial soon.

[jolly-friar]

Ok.. thanks Don.

OH bought an old metro bonnet to learn on, and try stuff out...

At least if you make a mistake, it's not on your own car..

HTH.

[CharlieFarlie]

Hi,

Have you thought about using a wash mitt rather than a sponge ?

( or have I read it wrong... )

Also, the blue low tac masking tape to cover trim and badges makes it easier IMO...

Mine looks weird when all taped up prior to polishing.. :)

HTH

I always mask Liz... I was just playing with polishes to establish which ones were going to be best and the pictures above are before are before the machines were padded up ready for polishing.. I have two Rotarys ready and padded up if I'm doing a complete car as not only is it quicker but it saves getting the pads mixed up..

The blue tape By the way is 3M..

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[CharlieFarlie]

The top picture shows an half aresed attempt at a 50/50 you can clearly see where the tape has been.. I tape panels into sections like say a bonnet into 4 sections so getting a decent result somehow seems easier.....

I did try to edit the above post but was making a hash of it

[steady eddy]

I have tried a good few waxes and sealants and now stick to Duragloss products that are some what over looked IMO. These are also quite reasonable cost wise