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iTrader: (2)

Not sure how I missed these post, sorry for the slow reply guys. Stains like this can sometime etch the clearcoat so much that your only option is repainting the panel/part. If you've polished and/or wet sanded a good amount of clear coat off, odds are it may need some repainting. Please let us know if and how you've taken care of this as it will surely help others. Also, any idea at all what could've caused the stain exactly?

I'm not sure of anything specific, but I have seen some stick-on materials that can be applied to such surfaces. I'll do a bit of research and see if I come up with anything, but hopefully someone here has experience with it. Let us know if anything pops up.

Ivan @ DI

Redfire32

iTrader: (12)

I posted this to the vossen post up thread before I saw this thread. Here goes a copy n paste

What would you guys using to polish your Vossens? I picked up some CV4's in polished aluminum off the classifieds. The faces have some swirls and imperfections that I would really like to take care of.

I bought the Mothers brand powerball and powerball mini. Was planning on using the Mothers PowerMetal scratch removing polish to fix the wheels up. I watched an instructional video and was told to do a test spot with a white rag to be sure the wheel was indeed a polishable metal. The result of the test spot was supposed to yield a black residue on the white rag.

What do you guys use to polish your Vossen's? I purchased mothers powerball and powerball mini with hopes of fixing up the swirls n scratches on my vossen CV4's. I watched an instructional video about the proper use of mothers PowerMetal sctrach remover. It told me to try a small test area and apply the polish, if a black residue appears on the rag then the polish is safe for use on your wjeels. Well you guessed it...no black residue, glad I used a small test area. No damage to the wheel as of yet...it's been around 15 min. Anybody out there that can set me straight on this I would very much appreciate it.

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iTrader: (2)

Sorry we missed this, thus the slow response. I personally have no experience with polished aluminum Vossens, but it sounds like you may have a set that has clear coat on top of the polished aluminum wheels. The swirl marks may improve or come out with some paint polishes, such as M205 or M105, but I would definitely confirm the exact finish you have on the wheel before you proceed.

Ivan @ DI

XSman

My son just bought a 1990 Mustang GT and it has these spots on the roof. Will polishing remove these? I have Menzerna and a PC with pads that I use on my G. Heres's a pic of the hood.

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iTrader: (2)

Hi - it is quite difficult to tell what the spots are from your photo.

In good practice, I would start with the least aggressive approach first and work your way up.

If it appears that it might be surface contamination, you may try detailing clay or a solvent to remove the staining/contamination. If it is oxidation or below surface defects, you will need to do some polishing or paint correction.

Hope that helps!

Zach McGovern
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Attention to Detailing Peoria - Home

keoman5

Hello. I was wondering what type of fitting this would be. I'm looking for a foam cannon and trying to get the right fitting. It looks like a Bosch fitting but I saw this here:

What kind of pressure washer fitting is this for foam cannon HP? - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum

I was thinking maybe it could be a Lavor. It also looks like it can be a Black & Decker fitting. Not really too sure which one I need.

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iTrader: (2)

I'm sorry, I am not too familiar with this... our Foam Lance has a common fitting that will work on many pressure washers, however if you do not think it will work with yours, there will likely be an adapter required.

We carry the Karcher Adapter for Karcher pressure washers, however I am not aware of other adapters that are available.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
Attention to Detailing Peoria - Home

MagicMarker

Hi Zach... question:

Previous owner must've had hellacious fingernails. How do you suggest getting a cutting polish at these scratches? Is 'by hand' my only option?



Thanks for your contributions to the forum.

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iTrader: (2)

This is quite common... it doesn't take too long for the area beneath door handles to look like this - especially with female owners.

Polishing by hand is the only option here, but you can achieve some pretty great results quickly. Since this area is an awkward spot that will never really see any direct sunlight, a perfect finish is not necessary, so that makes your job easier from the start.

The way I tackle this area is to simply apply a small amount of compound (such as Meguiar's M105) to a microfiber applicator pad or to a clean microfiber towel, then rub back and forth under the handle with moderate pressure. This may need to be repeated a couple of times if your paint is stubborn or you have a considerable amount of defects, but in general, it is quite simple to improve the area in just a few minutes.

Hope that helps!

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
Attention to Detailing Peoria - Home

MagicMarker

Just finished my project. Had some minor scratches and discoloration spots, very swirly black paint and those scratches under the door handles.

First I wet-sanded the scratches, then used Meguiars Scratch-X V2 on the fingernail scratches under the door handles. Then using a PC 7424 buffer I did the Manzerna SI 1500 per DI's instructions, then Manzerna SF4000. Used a 50/50 IPA/water wipedown to clean off the polishes after each step. Finished with Manzerna Power Lock sealant. I am wore the hell out but the car looks absolutely stunning. Could not be more pleased with the results. Thanks for the detailed information & guidance.

Funny thing... before I did this I could barely see orange peel here & there. Now I realize almost the entire car has orange peel. It's not enough to make me want to correct it (can imagine how much work that would be). Just disappointed a luxury car has such a paint issue. The paint itself is fine, but the application is not what I'd expect from Infiniti. After this sealant cures I'll do another coat of sealant and see if that helps fade the appearance of the orange peel.

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iTrader: (2)

Sounds like you knocked it out of the park! It is a lot of work, but it is a labor of love, and the results are always worth the effort It's why I fell in love with this type of work and why I continue helping others learn how to DIY... if I had it my way, every car owner would own a DA machine and know how to use it

As far as the orange peel goes, I would not consider it a negative really. Almost every car has it to some degree.... unless it was an aftermarket paint job, the clear was sprayed extra thick, and a tremendous amount of time was spent sanding and polishing.

OEM paint is so thin these days, I personally do not recommend trying to remove orange peel as I do not feel the benefits are worth the high risk of damage.


This might make you feel better.... check out how bad this orange peel is on this brand new (at the time) GT-R Black Edition. This was some of the worst OEM orange peel I have seen... but oh well.



Zach McGovern
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Attention to Detailing Peoria - Home

MagicMarker

okay yeah wow mine's not even close to that. Once you get the deep shine, they are way more noticeable. Didn't realize it's not uncommon.

Tried couple different ways to get the previous sealant/wax off.
I'm sure the concentrated soak helped break down the wax, but I couldn't get the sealant off until several passes with straight IPA.
Neighbors probably thought I was losing my mind in the driveway out there, lol - soak, wash, rinse, wash, rinse, spraying, wiping, cussing, rinsing, etc etc but at least now I know.

And not sure what's worse: picking up a little corner of tape w/the buffer, or cleaning polish out of seams. I got hurried with the tape, wasn't as precise as it should have been.

Wish I had closeup 'before' pics....

After the SI 1500, before the SF 4000:


Finished product w/ one layer of sealant:

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iTrader: (2)

Looks great!! Nothing better than nicely polished black paint. Nice job!

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
Attention to Detailing Peoria - Home

egrabin

What's the best route to go with cleaning Vinyl wrapped cars?
I'm looking at wax it as well.

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iTrader: (2)

You want to use the same care on a vinyl wrapped vehicle as you would on bare clear coat.

This means using the proper 2 bucket wash method. As far as waxing/sealing the paint, I would imagine you can use any traditional wax or sealant, however you may want to do a small test spot in an inconspicuous area to ensure it does not alter the appearance of the vinyl.

Another great option to quickly and easily add protection to your vinyl wrap would be a polymer spray detailer like Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer

Hope that helps.

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
Attention to Detailing - Peoria, IL