HELPFUL
HINTS FOR DISCERNING OWNERS
Paintwork / Duco
Cutting and polishing is
an old fashioned term for rejuvenating tired paintwork. It is actually
a two stage operation, and maybe more, if you want a truly excellent
finish to the duco. Because modern paintwork is much softer, I prefer
to call the process,
buffing and polishing.
Paint technology has changed
a great deal; some cars are sprayed with water based paint and many
colours are actually clear over base. That means the colour is actually
brought out by the translucence effect of the clear. On many new cars
you can actually see the true colour, before the clear has been applied,
in the engine bay or the boot or in the fuel door.
Be careful when buying any
products labeled ‘cut and polish’, it is very abrasive and
can actually damage the paintwork if not used properly. Remember, it
is a two stage process and should be two separate products.
The key to successful polishing
is patience and gentleness, not quick aggression and abrasion. Most
of the scratching on new cars is in the clear coating which can be very
soft. That is why your car loses its brightness after repeated washings;
the clear coat is being scratched and damaged.
Some cars show signs of
buff marks and swirls; this is evidence of a poorly executed cut and
polish job. Please also be aware that there are some very clever products
that claim to remove these. Warning : they are very fine filling polishes
that are only temporary and they are disguising a bad job. There should
never be any of these patterns or marks in the first place!
Windows
If you purchased liquid window
cleaner in a spray bottle, it is usually too strong to work efficiently.
It dries faster than you can clean! Try pouring half into another container
and then add water to both. You will now have twice as much and the
dilution will aid the cleaning process.
Spray onto the glass (not
too much) and rub on with a cotton cloth and then buff off with another
clean cotton cloth. In hot weather it helps if you use a damp chamois
to apply the cleaner with, this increases the drying time. If the glass
is really dirty or smoky, wipe over first with a damp cloth or chamois.
Streak marks when you have finished are caused by contaminants on your
cloth, too strong cleaner, too little liquid or working too fast.
In the past, people would
recommend using newspaper instead of cloth. It doesn’t work these
days because of the different paper making process and different chemicals
in the ink used for printing. Do not use scouring pads to remove heavy
stains as they will scratch severely. Use a razor blade to lift off
bird droppings, paint spots or overspray etc.
Steel wool ‘O’
grade will not scratch if used carefully and glass can also be cleaned
with car polish. Be careful using armorall type products on the interior
as they contain petroleum by-products that can leave a spotting type
stain permanently on the inside of the windows.
Wheels and Tyres
Most Mag. and Aluminium wheel cleaners
are way too strong so dilute them as with the window cleaner. They can
bleach the surface or leave streaks if not applied carefully. Do not
apply in direct intense sunlight or to a hot wheel directly after driving.
It helps to hose the wheel with water first and then apply the cleaner
to the wet wheel and use a soft brush to remove heavy soiling.
Be gentle. It is safer to
do the wheel two or three times with a diluted cleaner rather than once
with a strong cleaner and aggressive brushing. Remember the wheel material
is actually quite soft and will easily bleach or scratch and many types
have plastic coatings on them. If you use an armorall or silicone type
tyre dressing, use it sparingly and buff off the excess before driving.
Remember that the wheel
and tyre get hot and the rubber and its dressing will sweat all over
the wheel and down the side of the car. Wheels should also be cleaned
more often than in the past because of the new requirements for softer
brake pads that will leave a black residue on the wheel daily. This
is also of a corrosive nature and will easily spot and stain the wheel
unless washed off at least weekly.
So, you want to keep your car clean ?
Considering water restrictions,
this is what you will need and
how to do it.
2 buckets
2 chamois, one for each bucket of water
water in both buckets
use one bucket and chamois to dribble water over surface
to be washed
use other chamois to dry surface and rinse using separate
water
wash car top down, then sides, front end, back end
tyres and wheels last ( you might need a brush and liquid
in spray bottle for this )
use remaining waters, depending on dirtiness, to wipe
down door, boot, bonnet openings and other dirty bits and final things
then ( for those of us who are fussy ) you will need
2 nice polishing cloths, not nylon
bottle of spray wax or polish
spray onto cloth, or surface and apply, use other cloth
to buff off
work around car, one panel at a time
sides first top last
Question
: Why top last ?
Answer :
Handrest
Do glass with remaining clean water, chamois and cloth
or usual window cleaner method
Do shiny bits the same way or use spray wax method
Please note :
this method is recommended only if EXCELL BUFF has previously detailed
your vehicle.
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