Well yesterday I was having a bad day to begin with. So when I got home I decided to wash my Expy to get ready to go to FFW this weekend. I like to look good when sitting around all the Lightning's. Sometime last week someone got careless with some gum and it got stuck to my driverside door and rolled down the door leaving about 8" smear of gum. I wasnt to concerned with it because I was just gonna take some time and get it off. I was on the passenger side of the truck when my wife says she cant get the gum off. I told her that the goo gone should take if off. She disapears for a minute and comes back. A few minutes later she says she got it off. I told "Cool, thank you sweat heart". I go look at it and it is still wet from where she rinsed it off and it looks real good. Then I turn around and I see the Go Jo WITH pumice. Then I turn back around and look again at the truck(it was now dry) and I see a 9" long x 4" wide gray spot. My Expy is Black.

She saw it and was real sorry. I told her it was alright kissed her and told her I could probably fix it.

Oh well what can you do. Got to love em.

So does anybody no the best way to reduce the swirl marks from HE!!.

Please me.

 

Moved to General Care and added a tidbit in the subject to aid in getting help...

 

Okay... I've got a little bit of time now as it is lunch-thirty...

Do you have any pictures of your damage? I can't say I've ever seen the end result of Gojo w/ pumice on paint.

Do you own a rotary buffer? And, if so, are you familar with how to use it? I'm worried this might be a necessary evil to remove the kind of damage I'm expecting to see here...

RP

 

RP I dont have a pic of the damage. But if you can imagine a light gray 4"x 9" spot on a clean black surface, that is what I got. The clear coat is f**ked. I imagine I am gonna have to use the orbital buffer on it just was not looking forward to it. Just don't know what i should use as a compound. Thanks for the help

 

First and foremost, are you familar with using a machine on the paint? Specifically, something that can generate the amount of heat, friction, and power that a rotary buffer can generate? I ask only because I don't want you to get in to something that you're not sure of because you can do a considerable amount of damage with a rotary if you don't know what you're doing or what materials to utilize.

Not being able to see the damage will make my product selection VERY difficult as I'm assuming it's bad but, I don't know how bad. My definition of bad and yours may vary by magnitudes.

As I would tell anyone, you need to start with the least agressive product to do the job.... argh... I don't know what to suggest having not seen it.

Is there any chance that you can take photos and email them or post them?

RP

 

Hey RP I need an e-mail address. And yes I do know how to use the buffer.

I owe you a bit of an appology though. I kinda got pissed when you moved my post because it is real hard to get answers sometimes in the other forums with the exception of General Discusion and the Lightning forum. Those forums you get answers pretty quick. I really aprreiciate your help. I will e-mail the pic to you as soon as i get your e-mail address.

Again thanks

 

Johnny look under his profile tab I am sure he has his email posted.

 

I disagree whole-heartedly but, that's your opinion and I'll respect that. It's unfortunate that some users on f150online.com never venture outside of certain forums.

Email in sig line below.

Once I get the pics, do I have your permission to post them here? There are several guys that lurk here who are VERY talented when it comes to detailing vehicles that may be able to chime in with additional information (that and I'm going to be out of pocket a BUNCH in the coming days because of work and other obligations).


RP

 

Hey RP you got mail. And feel free to post. I am hoping to get it taken care of before I leave for Ennis Friday but have a feeling it is gonna get set back until I get back.

 

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART....





Whew...

Not sure but, I seriously doubt you'll get them out totally....

This looks like a job for #84 Compound Power Cleaner or #85 Diamond Cut Compound 2.0 (Meguiar's most aggressive compound) and a ROTARY buffer (not orbital) with a wool pad. Be very careful though, #85 is VERY aggressive and will eat through clear like it's chocolate cake.

Again though, I have this weird hunch that, if you want it back to par, you're going to have to have that door repainted. Those scratches look like 800 grit marks... yikes.

I might even consult the services of a body shop (one that you know and trust) to see if they have someone that could assess the scratches to see if you've gone down to basecoat (because it looks like you might have).

Hey BOSS_429, have any thoughts?

RP

 

Not pretty at all. It now matches the passenger side where someone with a duely scrubbed 3/4 of the length 2" wide. The only reason I think it was a duely was because my running boards were never touched. I wish I could have found him/her. That happened at a hotel during my vacation.

Well good reason to get new paint job.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

I am gonna go clay bar the truck to get the rest of her looking pretty anyways. If it looks anybetter when I get done I will take some pics.

RP thanks again for the help.

 

a friend of mine is a detailer at a dealership. he does stuff on the side for small used car lots. anyway i was at his place while he was buffing a black car with 10 times the scratches on the trunk. after a few mins the area he was buffing looked new except for the deep scratches. yours looks like it will buff out with no deep scratches. take it some where and ask how much or what compound to use. I'm sure it will come out.

 

OMG..that brings tears to my eyes. Good luck. Hope it comes out.

 

I tend to agree to a certain extent.

The scratches on the outer perimeter should come out with little to no problem but, the middle (where I'm assuming the gum was thickest) will be a beast as you may have totally compromised the clear and worked into the thin layer of paint beneath it (and probably through it).

Before I ran out and got a new paint job, I'd consult with some of the more reputable body shops in the area and get an honest opinion. Don't settle for just one opinion; get at least three. Naturally, all of them will give you a quote and attempt to get the work but, one of them might want to 'buff' it first to see what they can do. If they try and fail... oh well, you're no worse off but, if they try and succeed, well, you know.

I still feel very strongly for #84 or #85 with a wool pad (even on the light outer scratches) but, #84 or #85 alone will cause some micro-marring of its own. In turn, you'll have to get less abrasive and gradually step it down. It might take several passes with the harsh stuff down to three or four additional passes with lighter cutting polishes.

I wish you were around here and I'd give it a go free of charge because I like a challenge (and this will be one for even the most seasoned detailer/body man).

Glad to have helped a tidbit although I know it's pretty limited. Good luck bud. You'll get more answers shortly as I know Boss will chime in and he's where my money would lie on if it'll come out. He's top notch.





You can see the trunk top of this Chevy (rental). We wet sanded this thing down and polished it with #84 (wool) followed by #83 and had it looking killer but, the difference on that was that all of the sanding marks were 2000 grit and of uniform depth, direction, and magnitude. The fluorescent lighting tells the story.

I've personally witnessed some miracles using #84 and have even performed one or two myself but, the moons will have to align and the area be free of black cats for this one to come out successful.

RP

 

My heart goes out to you.

I might have thrown the divorce papers at her than went to the detail shop.

I wish i could help you but i'm waiting for a pteradactyl to crap on my windshield.

Good luck with this and let us know how you make out.