Friday, March 5, 2010
Ever find yourself after you have just washed your car, wondering what happened to the paint job you remember it having when you first bought it? Cars, like faces, become corroded with environmental things and need the extra pampering every now and then. There are many ways to restore the paint on your car. The one I recommend is using clay bar system. It has been used by car care product companies for about a decade but only hit consumer markets approximately 5 years ago. While it does remove contaminants from your car, it does not take the place of scratch removal, polishing or color sanding.
Depending on the age of your car and how contaminated it is will prove to be how long the clay bar system will take. If it is a newer car that you are restoring the paint on, it may take only a few hours. If you are working on restoring an older car, it could take several hours and possibly even a day or so to complete. The older the car paint and oxidation of the paint, the more contaminants it will have on it to be removed.
You must begin, of course, with washing and waxing your car. Make sure to use a cleaner that has been formulated automotive finishes. When these are completed, you will begin the refinishing. With the clay bar system, you receive the bar along with lubricant. Begin by putting some lubricant on about a two or three foot portion of the vehicle. Do not use water in place of the lubricant as it cannot protect against paint damage. Continue by rubbing the clay bar over the section with light pressure.
Go back and forth over the lubricated section making sure to overlap each stroke as you go. It may sound rough at first as it begins to remove the contaminants but as you continue, it will get smoother. If necessary, reapply the lubricant as the area needs to be saturated as you rub with the clay bar.
Your horizontal areas will take more time as they collect the largest amounts of the contaminants. When you have finished using the clay bar on an area, be sure to dry the area with a clean, soft terry cloth. Now that you have finished removing the contaminants and making your paint take on that soft-to-the-touch feel, you must apply a protective coat of sealer of wax. Some kits include their own preferred wax but you can use whatever product you prefer.
Spray texture is a way to help protect your vehicle from the contaminants that attach themselves and create that rough feel. It's a sealer that is most often used on the high contaminant problem areas such as the hood, fenders and bumper. It protects against bugs, rocks, weather and everyday road debris. It is not something quite as easy as the clay bar system. The sealer has to be prepared and used in such a way that it blends in with your paint. There is a special gun to be used with it and you should practice with the sealer on other surfaces before you take it to your vehicle. It must be done just right in order to adhere properly to the vehicle as well as flow seamlessly with your paint giving you the perfect finish you desire.
Depending on the age of your car and how contaminated it is will prove to be how long the clay bar system will take. If it is a newer car that you are restoring the paint on, it may take only a few hours. If you are working on restoring an older car, it could take several hours and possibly even a day or so to complete. The older the car paint and oxidation of the paint, the more contaminants it will have on it to be removed.
You must begin, of course, with washing and waxing your car. Make sure to use a cleaner that has been formulated automotive finishes. When these are completed, you will begin the refinishing. With the clay bar system, you receive the bar along with lubricant. Begin by putting some lubricant on about a two or three foot portion of the vehicle. Do not use water in place of the lubricant as it cannot protect against paint damage. Continue by rubbing the clay bar over the section with light pressure.
Go back and forth over the lubricated section making sure to overlap each stroke as you go. It may sound rough at first as it begins to remove the contaminants but as you continue, it will get smoother. If necessary, reapply the lubricant as the area needs to be saturated as you rub with the clay bar.
Your horizontal areas will take more time as they collect the largest amounts of the contaminants. When you have finished using the clay bar on an area, be sure to dry the area with a clean, soft terry cloth. Now that you have finished removing the contaminants and making your paint take on that soft-to-the-touch feel, you must apply a protective coat of sealer of wax. Some kits include their own preferred wax but you can use whatever product you prefer.
Spray texture is a way to help protect your vehicle from the contaminants that attach themselves and create that rough feel. It's a sealer that is most often used on the high contaminant problem areas such as the hood, fenders and bumper. It protects against bugs, rocks, weather and everyday road debris. It is not something quite as easy as the clay bar system. The sealer has to be prepared and used in such a way that it blends in with your paint. There is a special gun to be used with it and you should practice with the sealer on other surfaces before you take it to your vehicle. It must be done just right in order to adhere properly to the vehicle as well as flow seamlessly with your paint giving you the perfect finish you desire.
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An Introduction to Paint Protection Film For Cars and Trucks
Paint protection film is the latest evolution in the automotive paint world. It's been around for a few years, but just lately has it caught on to the masses. Though not a perfect solution to all problems paint related, it's the best thing on the market and should be considered by anyone looking to protect an expensive paint job.
Paint protection film is made out of a thin thermoplastic urethane. Anyone familiar with do-it-yourself window tinting film should have a good idea of what paint protection film is since the two are nearly identical. Window tinting is of course tinted and paint protection film transparent.
The film comes in sheets or rolls. Several companies are now producing custom protective film pre-cut to fit a particular vehicle. This is a wonderful innovation and saves time in the cutting process, which can be very tedious for amateurs.
Recently, custom paint protection film shops have become very popular. Though the film can be applied by anyone with patience and some skill, the best results will be obtained by a professional service. These shops have the facilities to apply the clear film in a clean environment, which is critical. Any dust, dirt, pollen etc. on the paint when the film is applied will be trapped there until the film is removed. Most do-it-yourself people just don't have the necessary facilities to do that. Even clean garages contain dust and must be draped with plastic sheeting to achieve anything near the required conditions for a clean environment.
Although car protection film is not armor plating and can sustain the same nicks and abrasions that a clear coat paint job is vulnerable to, it isn't permanent. When the film becomes damaged, it can easily be removed without damaging the paint and new film applied. This is much cheaper than trying to repair damaged clear coating or paint.