wet sanding?

[JH924S]

I've heard some fellow members here talk about doing this to there car and wanted to know what the deal is. what kind of process do you have to go through, would i be able to take on this project? is there a chance a can burn the paint. i wanna brightin up the paint but i dont think its needs new paint yet so whattya think?

[Frank B]

Yry "Claying" your car...
get a clay pad and the appropriate polish.. you spray on the polish, then rub it with the clay,, and wallah.. it's as smooth as a babies bottom and then apply your favorite wax... drop a towel on your hod and watch it skate off.. super smooth and a deep lustre..

[JH924S]

hmmm sounds like a good idea , i forgot about clay bars, ill give it a try thanks.

[Frank B]

that' be the way to go..I got my car in October, it lived under a tree for1 1/2 tears.. the paint felt like an armadillo's ass...I washed it.. (thoroughly).. then we clayed it dow.. it came back.. *new*. I wanna do it again when the weather breaks.... that is the only wa to go... You should stil buff it out but the lay will have the most noticable effect... got an Orange porsche?.. well, clkay it down and it'll be guard re again... !!

good luck...

[VertigoGTI]

Actually, I don't know if I'd put polish with the clay bar. The clay is used to remove deposits that won't come off with washing. I think that if they are that difficult to remove, they'd be pretty sharp and possibly gouge the paint with a polish on it. But I could be wrong, oyu might have found a way to shorten things up.

I only wet sand after i paint a car, I rarely ever do it after that unless it's an older car that needs a little paint restoration. If you really want your paint to pop, here's what i do every 6 months to keep everything clean and protected. It looks phenominal when it's done and you don't need to wax every month. It does, however, take 6-8 hours to do.

1.) Wash car with Dawn (with sponge and water) to strip old wax.
2.) Wash car with hands and Dawn (no water to dilute) to pick up anything you missed.
3.) Dry car with chamois.
4.) Use a clay bar and lubricant and clay the whole car, kneading the clay as you go.
5.) Wipe residue off.
6.) Wetsand areas that need it with 1500-2000 grit paper.
7.) With a buffer, buff entire car with Meguiars Machine Glaze 3 GC.
8.) Apply by hand, Klasse AIO
9.) Apply by hand, Klasse SG
10.) Apply by hand, Klasse SG, yes twice.
11.) Apply by hand, Klasse SG to areas that are prone to stone chips; hood, grille, fenders, mirrors
12.) Wax your car twice. I use P21S on mine.

I did this on a black car for over 3 years, the paint looked brand new until the day it was totalled. Meanwhile, the jackass down the street that bought the same car as me and same color, well, his color faded. While my 1999.5 Jetta looked as good as new, his 2000 looked ragged. Compare his 33,000 miles to my 54,000 and the difference is VERY apparent.

He prefers Turtle Wax.

[stray15]

verti, u ever get the info you needed?

[Blackfoot]

forget about wet sanding. your paint is probably oxidized, go with a machine glaze & buff (not by hand, get a good buffer & foam pad).

[VertigoGTI]

verti, u ever get the info you needed?

For the phone dials? Yup. I'm attempting to find sellers right now. I do need 16's, 15's won't fit over my brakes. Just found that out yesterday when I almost bought a set.

[Moneyguy1]

If you have to wet sand, look up "Red Hill Abrasives", a company that sells al kinds of wood and metal working abrasives and polishes. They have wet&dry paper down to the 7 micron level. Used intelligently, this will bring back the finish in conjunction with a prduct made by Mirka which is a micro polish.

No affiliation, just happy with the products and service.

[Roger Hall]

I would never wet sand an old paint job. The clay works well. Mothers makes one and its does a great job removing foreign material from the paint surface. For fading and oxidation I would try paint cleaners first. If that doesn't work you can try rubbing compound or another suitable luquid abrasive. The Meguires three phase system works well.

[Frank B]

Actually, I don't know if I'd put polish with the clay bar. The clay is used to remove deposits that won't come off with washing. I think that if they are that difficult to remove, they'd be pretty sharp and possibly gouge the paint with a polish on it. But I could be wrong, oyu might have found a way to shorten things up.

well, your womens intuition is correct, you're wrong..it's THE way to get started, as long as the finish isn't completely fried. If it is then repaint the car. if it's pretty scratched up.. then you sould use a polishing compound and your favorite buffer.. if it's rough and dirty, a very thorough washing will be a good start then clay, then polish (buff) then wax on/wax off, just like Danniel-San!... then look at your car and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. If it has to repainted, well, better call macco.....

[stray15]

or if its like mine, you just gotta poop on it

[85944na]

use a clay bar with a quick shine substance to get out any deposits and to make the paint feel really smooth. If you want to brighten your paint, use a buffer and some compound. If your paint is still pretty good and not too faded, use a foam pad, if it's really bad use a wool pad and then a foam pad. Either way I'd use the claybar. I've been detailing cars for 4 years.

[Kingsspot1]

I have orange peel on the rear fenders, and rock chips on the nose. If I cleaned the car really good and touched up the chips would that look better when I have the car resprayed? As opposed to just leaving the ships as is.
I am thinking about having the car repainted by a Maaco type place here. They are going to prep the car somewhat, so I am not sure if that would help, or hurt?
Lynn

[85944na]

no, touching up chips would not make it look better when resprayed, they need to sand down the paint to respray it. If you are going to go with maaco, I'd do the prep work yourself and just get them to shoot it, I'd get some decent paint on your own too. But it's good to touch them up for now to prevent rust.

[todwic]

The most important rule #1 top o the list unforgetable betternot do's is: When dealing with your paint, do not get in a hurry. Attn. to details go a long way on paint/body work.

[paulc]

Clay bar work good
Car shine
Me happy