12 replies to this topic

[pete0r]

i'm just looking to clean it up.

what should i do wax and wash wise? it's some small scratches and stuff. there are a few areas where it looks like the top layer of paint is eaten away. almost like you dropped a bit of acid or something and left it there for a second. anyway to clean up something like that?

what brands should use, and how should i do it? should i use a clay bar like people are using?

my dad has a sears waxer thing i could use...

thanks!

[emax]

I use Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell (Paste Version not Liquid) to wax my car. Works good. Umm for scratches i'm not sure what to use, i have posted a thread just then of what to use for scratches. So i'll see what people say.

[theunderlord]

definitely clay bar it.... it takes a while, but on old/dirty paint it will yeild the best results..

edit - asked the Q before the sig pic was up...

Edited by '98S70R, 26 April 2005 - 03:46 PM.

[exexpat]

Just buy all the Maguiar's stuff (paint cleaner, polish, glaze, wax) and use it in numeric order. The Pro Class wax is a nice final step, otherwise Zymoel makes a formula for Volvo paints, see http://www.zymol.com/crecar2.htm.

Edited by exexpat, 26 April 2005 - 07:44 PM.

[beachnut]

The spots you're referring to are probably not repairable. Sounds like the clearcoat is oxidized from the elements due to lack of care for the finish. Some paint jobs on lesser cars are prone to this, but I don't see it too much on Volvos. Hard to say exactly what caused it, but the only fix is a repaint. Also, if the scratches you have are light and only through the clearcoat then you may have a shot of addressing them. Otherwise if they're into the basecoat or primer coat it's also a repaint issue. How about taking some pics and let us see?

[Serge]

Just buy all the Maguiar's stuff (paint cleaner, polish, glaze, wax) and use it in numeric order. The Pro Class wax is a nice final step, otherwise Zymoel makes a formula for Volvo paints, see http://www.zymol.com/crecar2.htm.

Maguiar's stuff is great... especially their car wash soaps. Zymol is also very good, I use it to wax my car.

[pete0r]

alright, i'm at school but i'll bump the thread with some pics this weekend

i'd just like to protect the spots on it.. i got a good deal on the car, having it look nice is secondary to having it work properly and drive me to work everyday

Edited by pete0r, 27 April 2005 - 12:55 AM.

[exexpat]

Maguiar's stuff is great... especially their car wash soaps.  Zymol is also very good, I use it to wax my car.

Yes, I only used the Carbon wax before (with a burgundy car), but I need to get the Volvo formulation now that I have a white car. As a bilingual German-speaker, I just hate trying to pronouce the stuff and almost get frustrated enough not to use it, sounds like "Zumool" to the American ear.

Edited by exexpat, 27 April 2005 - 01:03 AM.

[emax]

Hrmmm i'm going to the shops to buy some Maguiars Scratch X....hope it works good..after reading all those raves (reviews) they have on their website about this product. Hopefully my scratches on my hood will be gone.

[Nebor]

In my experience, ScratchX is just a mild polish without a buffer.

[beachnut]

ScratchX has it's place in the detailer's arsenal, but don't get overly hopeful of the results and you need to understand how to use it properly:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showt...=&threadid=1516

[burchs1]

Hi,

Set aside a day an do the following:

1) Wash the car. I usually use Meguiar's car wash soap, but I got one of those Mr. Clean Auto Dry things as a gift and have been trying that out, work's pretty well, but kind of awkward to use.

I highly recommend getting a Porter Cable 7424 random orbit polisher. A few weeks ago I bought one of these with a foam backing plate and the various assorment of pads (while, yellow, red, etc.).

2) Clay bar the entire car to remove all the crap from your paint.
3) Use a cleaner such as Meguiar's Mirror Glaze 2 Fine Cut Cleaner. After applying this preferably with a polisher like the one above use a 50/50 solution of water and alcohol to remove the residue with a microfiber towel.
4) Use a polish such as Meguiar's Mirror Glaze 9 Swirl Remover 2. Wipe this off with only a microfiber towel (don't want to use the alcohol solution because this is meant to fill in some scratches).
5) Apply your favorite wax. The wax I just used was Meguiar's Yellow Tech Wax (a paste). I also really like Zymol's blue cleaner wax which can be found most places.

I have a Regent Red car and the paint is in pretty good condition (excluding the hood), which is impressive considering I haven't been to attentive over the past year, and all the years of my cars life have been spent in Wisconsin and Minnesota (lots of sand and salt) excluding one winter in North Carolina. I think I will bite the bullet and get a quality paint job done in the next year or so and bring the car back to top condition. These cars hold up quite well, mine is ten years old and doesn't have any rust on any of the body panels.

[emax]

ScratchX has it's place in the detailer's arsenal, but don't get overly hopeful of the results and you need to understand how to use it properly:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showt...=&threadid=1516

Thanks for that guide.

Edit: Just bought some, cost me $20 for Meguiars Scratch X and $3.20 for the Meguiars application pads. Going to try it out after i wash my car on the weekend. Hopefully it will work ok, its pretty expensive for just a tube. But the guy at the shop said its the best one avaliable for removing scratches that they stock.

Edited by emax, 27 April 2005 - 06:49 AM.