OMG I'm so happy I didnt permanently damage my paint (pics)

[07Speedfreak]

Well it all started this winter when I was washing my car. I always wash my car in a indoor heated public car wash with pressure washer, my own brush, my soap, etc. I was seeing those million little dots of dust (rail dust) and I couldnt wash them away. So I used a sponge with the rough side and a good amount of elbow grease to make it go away. But they always came back obviously. I didnt really read on the subject but I thought I was doing the right thing and thought it was harmless. This was my weapon:

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3939/238972bt7.th.jpg (http://img244.imageshack.us/my.php?image=238972bt7.jpg)


In late February I started to notice some marks on the paint. Worried me a bit but I thought a good wax in the spring was gonna take care of everything. And in late April, I decided to remove the moldings. I thought that with claybar and a wax everything was gonna go away...molding marks and sponge marks. Boy was I ever wrong....This is the damage:

http://tubeimage.com/files/a7b82cl37391z8wasmqo.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc228/GTPAUL/mazdaspeed3003.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc228/GTPAUL/mazdaspeed3010.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc228/GTPAUL/mazdaspeed3011.jpg

Brought the car to some esthetic guy yesterday and this is what it looks like in the process:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc228/GTPAUL/mazdaspeed3012.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc228/GTPAUL/mazdaspeed3013.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc228/GTPAUL/mazdaspeed3014.jpg


And here are the final results. I'm very happy:hawt

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/6712/mazdaspeed3017ait9.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/2226/mazdaspeed3027acz2.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/146/mazdaspeed3032ali1.jpg

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/8739/mazdaspeed3037aff8.jpg

[theurgy]

Wow Jamie did a nice job!!

[Cardinal Fang]

You're "aesthetic guy" earned his money. What a recovery.

[LockOut]

VERY good job. Who'd you take it to? Looks like they could use a thumbs up in the shop review section...

[mleblond]

Wow, nice job!

[Cardinal Fang]

VERY good job. Who'd you take it to? Looks like they could use a thumbs up in the shop review section...

Totally agree. This guy should be named. Don't leave him hanging in anonymity.

[07Speedfreak]

Wow Jamie did a nice job!!

I wish it was Jamie that did it. But he is super busy. And somebody told me about this guy named Paul and I saw his work through pics and he looked really good so I took a chance and tried him. I had more Faith in Jamie because of his experience and reputation but my schedule is gonna get screwed up in the next weeks because of my new house too. I'm not sure when we would have been able to meet.

I'm very happy with the work done. All props to thePaul. He's not from this site but here is a link to his website. He's in Ottawa:

http://www.gtpaul.com/index.html

[mleblond]

Ottawa Dude for sure...is he available this weekend lol

[theurgy]

Good to know!

[Wild Weasel]

I can't believe you thought that was a good idea in the first place! :chuckle

Could have been worse I suppose. You could have had an SOS pad handy...

Thank God for buffers! :bana

[Xerox]

I always wondered...will the scratches come back once the wax (and/or what-ever else used) washes away?

[07Speedfreak]

I always wondered...will the scratches come back once the wax (and/or what-ever else used) washes away?

They better not :bang
I never thought about it.

[bunchi]

omg you scrubbed the car! :chuckle it's ok it looks good now...

as for the scratches returning... shouldn't.. if ever there were light scratches you would've evened them out when you waxed. scratches show more when ur clean and shiny. did you polish before u waxed?

[07Speedfreak]

omg you scrubbed the car! :chuckle it's ok it looks good now...

as for the scratches returning... shouldn't.. if ever there were light scratches you would've evened them out when you waxed. scratches show more when ur clean and shiny. did you polish before u waxed?

I did do anything man. I'm assuming the guy had to polish and use compound before he waxed. This is really not my thing. I didnt ask him step by step what he did.

[huyzel]

Yowza! That looks painful.
Good save! Looks great now!
Nice rims too.

[kaval]

Oh man what a recovery!!!!! Paul does excellent work!

[theurgy]

A proper detail.. will correct those scratches through compounding, polishing and swirl removal. Using waxes with scratch filler is not a solution, sure they will hide scratches but as the wax wears off, they will return.
This detail is a paint correction and from what I'm reading about this guy.. that is just what he did.

[07Speedfreak]

This detail is a paint correction and from what I'm reading about this guy.. that is just what he did.

Meaning ?

He told me about wetsanding, coumpound, etc.

[07Speedfreak]

This is what he did. I have no clue wtf it means. Hopefully it doesnt mean all that crap is gonna reappear at some point....

Process:
M105 w/Yellow via Flex x2
SIP w/Orange via Flex
106FF w/Blue via Flex
OCW

[theurgy]

No it means that he did a great job and corrected your paint...he didn't just cheap out and use filler wax to hide the scratches.

[oni]

so how much roughly did it cost you?

[07Speedfreak]

so how much roughly did it cost you?

220$
Was worth it imo. Well basicly I would have paid more if needed to...

[Flagrum_3]

220$
Was worth it imo. Well basicly I would have paid more if needed to...

That's awesome, what's $220 bucks when he saved your baby like that?

Excellent job, and your car looks great! Now go buy yourself some proper cleaning tools :chuckle


_3


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[EvilDeadFan]

I always wondered...will the scratches come back once the wax (and/or what-ever else used) washes away?

The paint looks like it was compounded. IF it was, that means proper heat was applied with proper cutting pads/fluids which will actually smooth everything out better than new. You're just lucky you didn't gouge your paint too deep!

[EvilDeadFan]

No it means that he did a great job and corrected your paint...he didn't just cheap out and use filler wax to hide the scratches.

I've seen pics of Paul wet sand an entire roof on a poorly respayed Integra, and it came out looking amazing.

[3GFX]

Wow its a good thing you didn't have steel wool lieing around beside your sponge ;)


Glad it all got fixed :)

[erratic]

this is incredible. Excellent work done here.

[mazdabetty]

Ooooh this was a good thread.

So I'm thinking of bringing my car to a dealer in Ottawa who apparently has the "king" of all detailers to get it wet sanded.

Did these swirls/scratches ever come back? My black mica looks like ass in the sun :( Kills me every time I look at it...has anyone else had this done? Is there anything I should be concerned about? Like the paint being soooo ridiculously thin that it will eventually just come right off?? lol

[swales]

The thing to worry about is clear coat failure, since you say he's a pro, hopefully he is and will use a paint gauge as the clear isn't the same levels on the entire car so readings should be taken before any wetsanding is done

BTW, which dealer is it?

[mazdabetty]

eek... yeah I read something about checking to see how thick the clear coat is...

It's actually at Elite! and I have no idea if he's actually a pro, this is just what I've been told! Maybe you guys would know... *should have posted this on OMC* :chuckle

[swales]

I'm also on OMC ;) As good as Elite is as a dealership, I don't think I would trust them to do any detailing work on a car (I won't even let them wash my car...lol). Cliff told me he got a good detailing guy but I have no idea what his credentials are and no offence to the guy but if he was that good he wouldn't be working at a dealership for lower pay

[mazdabetty]

haha yah I figured you were, I recognized your avatar :P

And really? You wouldn't trust them? He told me that he pretty much begged this guy to work with them and he kept insisting that they "couldn't afford [him]", he said eventually he agreed to buy all the guy's equipment (including his assistant) and is supposedly costing the company a fortune but he says it's worth it.... so I dunno. Now I'm lost/sad hahahha I was looking forward to getting rid of the swirls :( lol

[swales]

Would you happen to know the detailing guys name?

[mazdabetty]

no idea :\

[swales]

That's too bad, I would like to see if I know this "king".

[mazdabetty]

:chuckle

Me too, I wanted to google reviews if he had his own business.

Oh and the term king is used loosely hahah, but he seems to be very respected there.... I did still cringe, however, when I found out they washed my car after my alignment hahahha....

[theurgy]

Do you really need to wetsand to get rid of swirls is my first question?

swales?

[Flagrum_3]

Do you really need to wetsand to get rid of swirls is my first question?

swales?

I'll answer that, ...Absolutely NO. :)


_3

[07Speedfreak]

I dont have the car anymore. I upgraded :chuckle so I cant say for sure if the spots came back but I doubt it.