Camille finally bought a new car, so its time to give Erin’s chariot a thorough swabbing before we give it back.
Vehicle paint takes an enormous amount of abuse, particularly here in the Northwest where there is an inordinate amount of debris on the roads. Like many other cars, her paint was a galaxy of chips and scars, some all the way to the metal (which is now rusting), and most flecked into the primer.
There were also a horrendous amount of scratches along the sides, most of which are likely the result of ignorant wastes of protoplasm who, because they don’t have anything nice, believe you shouldn’t have anything nice, either.
First, a wax chip filler. I used a Turtle Wax product called “Color Magic,” which is a polishing compound that comes with a lipstick tube of hardened wax (consistency: an old crayon) that you rub into voids in the paint.
It is better than nothing, and if the voids you are filling are small, it works out OK. The only thing it really does is disguise the damage. It doesn’t do anything restorative.
The polishing compound, on the other hand, was an unexpected disappointment.
To be fair, it might be that I should have wet sanded the car first in order to get a better result, but as I do not know the history of this car (How many times has it been polished? How much clear coat remains?), I opted for a simple polishing with a 10″ orbital buffer.
I certainly don’t want to “bump through” the topcoat into the primer, then have to shoot an entire quarter panel, or the bonnet. There’s no way in hell that could I match brand new paint to paint that has been baking in UV for 12 years.
Of course, quite a few places needed hand polishing.
I’ve had pretty good luck with McGuiar’s Wax, so on it went. Two coats in the high wear areas.
Thankfully, Camille was able to help with the interior detailing, otherwise this would have taken me the better part of two days to complete.
Onward with a toothbrush, paintbrush, scrub brush, Windex Multi-Surface, Armor-All, a roll of paper towels and lots of rags.
Surprisingly, “Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner” was a game changer for carpet stains and grime on the rims that would not come off under a 2,500 psi jet of water. I was certain a power washer would restore the rims to showroom beauty, but the bathroom cleaner beat the power washer hands down!
And here it is! A thing of beauty!
We deeply appreciate Erin’s generosity and kindness!
