Mike Phillips..stop in here plz

[BLACK_MACH]

hi, i have read over at autopia and i get tons of different suggestions... dealer prep hacks scratched my brand new mach 1 which is black...my car was built in beginning of jan i used nxt end of feb....should paint cured longer there was mixed opinions at the other forum?? now for the scratches i have #7 i wanted to try weakest polish...can this work on fresh paint ? and becuase my paint is freshh is it most likley to go away faster?...should i try a diff polish?..i have regular yellow foam aplicators and autopia blue mf aplicators..which should i use?

should i just wash everything off and wait fore curing?....sorry but this is a brand new 30k car my 1st new car...and i'm heart broken over these scratches:( :(

[BLACK_MACH]

from reading over here..it seems paint curing is needed, autopia has different opinions...my car was built early jan...i put nxt on end of feb...should i wash this stuff off? its ford paint if that helps?:mad:

[wjfm1]

Usually the paint is cured at the factory. The curing before you wax usually refers to repainting or doing touchups.

[BLACK_MACH]

no pc, umm my girl can only feel 1 or 2 with nail....i have a pic of engine if you look at left top fender...that is the worste also the roof...the car was dirty i think they look worse in pic



do u think my ford paint cured enough before i put the nxt on??

[BLACK_MACH]

looks like the towel they used was real dirty...there not exactly in circles...the fender kinda just runs down straight like they wiped it

[wjfm1]

See my post in the NXT for your question.

[BLACK_MACH]

thx..i almost had a heart attack:o

[BLACK_MACH]

i will take good pics later in the day.....i think an expert could fix it...i dont trust any local hacks....i dont even use my warranty

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by BLACK_MACH
hi, i have read over at autopia and i get tons of different suggestions... dealer prep hacks scratched my brand new mach 1 which is black...my car was built in beginning of jan I used nxt end of feb....should paint cured longer there was mixed opinions at the other forum??

When you say built, do mean it literally rolled off the assembly line on January? Just want to make sure. If this is the factory paint job, then the paint was cured at the assembly line as it was baked in a high heat oven. So it would be perfectly safe to apply a wax to the finish in February.

now for the scratches i have #7 i wanted to try weakest polish...can this work on fresh paint ? and because my paint is fresh is it most likely to go away faster?...should i try a diff polish? ..I have regular yellow foam applicators and autopia blue mf applicators.. which should i use?

When you say fresh paint, was the car painted in January? Or was it brand new at the dealership?

I just want to make sure were talking about the same thing. Some people confuse a brand new car with having a brand new paint job. And yes, a brand new car does have a brand new paint job, it's already cured by the time the dealership takes possession of it.

Now if it's a brand new car that was recently repainted because it was damaged in transit, then we're talking about a brand new paint job that should first be allowed to fully cure before applying a coat of wax, or any type of paint sealant


should i just wash everything off and wait fore curing?....sorry but this is a brand new 30k car my 1st new car...and I’m heart broken over these scratches:( :(

Let's figure out whether were working on fresh paint, or cured paint and then progress to a solution.

Mike

[BLACK_MACH]

my car is brand new had 3.7 miles on it....the plastic protection was still on...they just cleaned top part ...i requested it off the truck!!!

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by BLACK_MACH
my car is brand new had 3.7 miles on it....the plastic protection was still on...they just cleaned top part ...i requested it off the truck!!!

Okay. Unless your car has been repaired somewhere between the assembly line and the dealership show room floor, I think it's safe to assume that wer'e working on cured paint

This means it's okay to apply a wax, or paint sealant.

Mike

[BLACK_MACH]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
Okay. Unless your car has been repaired somewhere between the assembly line and the dealership show room floor, I think it's safe to assume that wer'e working on cured paint

This means it's okay to apply a wax, or paint sealant.

Mike


great, so on cured new paint how should i 1st try and tackle prep hack scratches? few passes with #7 if that dont work #9? then nxt...use foam or mf aplicator? i have the viking seamless mf's for removal

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by BLACK_MACH
dealer prep hacks scratched my brand new mach 1 which is black

Sorry to hear this. It's too bad dealerships, i.e. owners and manager don't read discussion forums, if they did, they would see that people are sharing their experiences with the online communities and more and more people are requesting that no prep work be done to thier car, not even washing when it's brought in for service. It's all about the swirls and scratches. Scratches are easy to put in, (just look at your car for an example), but difficult to get out without the proper tools, chemicals and technique.


now for the scratches i have #7 i wanted to try weakest polish...can this work on fresh paint ? and because my paint is fresh is it most likely to go away faster?...should i try a diff polish?.. I have regular yellow foam applicators and autopia blue mf applicators.. which should i use?

A couple of things,

1) #7 Show Car Glaze is a pure polish and will probably not remove any scratches in your finish. Unless this paint job is out of the ordinary, it will be a basecoat/clear coat finish. This means compared to traditional paints like lacquers and enamels, your car's finish is much harder, therefore removing scratches out of it will be more difficult. But, we can help you to do this.

2) Just so that everyone is on the same page, we are not working on fresh paint, in the sense that the term fresh paint usually refers to. In other words, paint that was applied at a body shop, or custom paint shop recently, as in the last 30/60/90 days. We are working on a new car, with factory paint. Yes the car is fresh as in brand spanking new, and the paint on the car is fresh as in brand spanking new, but the paint is cured, and not what we should refer to as fresh paint, i.e. un-cured paint.

As far as removing the scratches in your car's clear coat finish goes, chances are really good it will require a dual action polisher at a minimum, and depending on how deep they are, a rotary buffer. This is where a good picture would help out. Meguiar's ScratchX applied by hand with a foam applicator pad can remove fine scratches in a clear coat, and improve deeper scratches, so this may be an option.

should i just wash everything off and wait fore curing?....sorry but this is a brand new 30k car my 1st new car...and I’m heart broken over these scratches:( :(

There is no need to wash everything off. The only washing we need to be concerned with is washing the car before beginning any detailing work to insure that the surface is clean.

Mike

[BLACK_MACH]

ok..i'll have to take good pics i dont think there that deep...mostly noticable in my garage under flo lights..and evening sun...but if a rotary needs to be put on it...maybe i should get a lawyer and give it back...i thought some minor buffing would do it:eek:

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by BLACK_MACH
great, so on cured new paint how should i 1st try and tackle prep hack scratches? few passes with #7 if that don’t work #9? then nxt...use foam or mf applicator? I have the Viking seamless mf's for removal

Without seeing the defects, it's difficult to make specific recommendations. Another factor to consider is your skill level. Clear coat finishes are thin, delicate coatings that are easily scratched, and easily dulled. I'm not saying you cannot remove, or at a minimum improve the scratches in your brand new car, but were not talking about grabbing some product quickly rubbing it on and ta-da.... scratches are gone.

You need to work carefully.

Again, without seeing them, (where are you located?), it's hard to determine what will and what won't work.

The first thing you could try would be the #9 Swirl Remover using a soft, clean foam applicator pad. Best results with #9 come from machine application, either a rotary buffer or a dual action polisher. For light scuffs, mars, and scratches, you might be able to remove/improve them by hand with a foam applicator pad.

Emphasis on the word might

You will probably have better luck applying Meguiar's ScratchX (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detail.cfm?sku=G-103).

If ScratchX by hand does not remove the scratches, then the next attempt to remove them will require either a Porter Cable Dual Action polisher, or a rotary buffer.

Do you own either of the above tools, or have access to them? Do you want to try the #9 or ScratchX first?

Let me know...

Mike

[BLACK_MACH]

i live in rhode island...i dont have any buffer but a cheap orbital....i'll try anything is there a meguiars shop around my area...i rather pay an expert? i'll fly you out here and pay for your hotel,labor,flight,dinners:D


with those options i'd rather try #9 1st

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by BLACK_MACH
ok..i'll have to take good pics i dont think there that deep...mostly noticable in my garage under flo lights..and evening sun...but if a rotary needs to be put on it...maybe i should get a lawyer and give it back...i thought some minor buffing would do it:eek:

First of all, I feel bad for you, I have only purchased one vehicle brand spanking new off the show room floor and I understand how you feel.

As far as removing the scratches goes, the difficulty comes from the hardness of the paint. Hard paint is a good thing in that today's modern finishes are incredibly durable. The are however scratch sensitive, and this is where the problem starts.


Because they are scratch sensitive, they not only scratch very easily, but when attempting to remove any scratches, it requires very special products Meguiar’s calls cleaner/polishes and paint cleaners, that are capable of removing a defect like a scratch, and this is key... without at the same time instilling a scratch.

I will do my best to help you. If you lived near by, I would just have you run it by the garage and I would show you how to do it yourself.

As far as taking the car back, I don't blame you. It would get the owner's and the manager's attention fast. Meguiar's offers dealerships training and professional grade products to enable them to do the job right the first time. Sorry to say, many dealerships don't care about or don't understand what is necessary to correctly, and professionaly prep a new car, or even rejuvenate a used car.

Were working on that. (and if there is anyone reading this that works for a new car dealership and would like some more information about Meguiar’s training program, please send me a PM and I’ll put you in contact with the appropriate person).

Mike

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by BLACK_MACH
i live in Rhode island...i don’t have any buffer but a cheap orbital....I’ll try anything is there a Meguiar’s shop around my area...i rather pay an expert? I’ll fly you out here and pay for your hotel, labor ,flight, dinners :D

With those options I’d rather try #9 1st

I'll forward the link to this thread to our Field Rep in your area, he may have a shop he can recommend if it escalates that far. If you were lucky, he would have detailing clinic coming up where he would probably just use your car to demonstrate how-to remove a scratch.

I’d like to fly out to Rhode Island, never been there myself, but my schedule is booked.

Keep us up to date with your progress.

Mike

[gb387]

Originally posted by BLACK_MACH
hi, i have read over at autopia and i get tons of different suggestions... dealer prep hacks scratched my brand new mach 1 which is black...my car was built in beginning of jan i used nxt end of feb....should paint cured longer there was mixed opinions at the other forum?? now for the scratches i have #7 i wanted to try weakest polish...can this work on fresh paint ? and becuase my paint is freshh is it most likley to go away faster?...should i try a diff polish?..i have regular yellow foam aplicators and autopia blue mf aplicators..which should i use?

should i just wash everything off and wait fore curing?....sorry but this is a brand new 30k car my 1st new car...and i'm heart broken over these scratches:( :(


I feel for you... I bought a black Lightning about 3 months ago, its the best vehicle I have owned. It had 50 miles on it and the paint looked like it had 50,000 miles on it, dealers don't care it makes me sink. I have put lots of time and work into my truck to eliminate the scratches the dealer installed, I didn't see it on the sticker as a factory option so I am guessing they were dealer installed. I wasn't about to take it back to the dealer and have them make things worse with a buffer and untrained person so I decided to take care of it myself. I took final delivery at night and will never do it again!

I still need to do some work on it and I am going to give #9 2.0 a try then top with #81 and then NXT. I have never used #9 or #81 so I can hardly wait!

[BLACK_MACH]

Originally posted by gb387
I feel for you... I bought a black Lightning about 3 months ago, its the best vehicle I have owned. It had 50 miles on it and the paint looked like it had 50,000 miles on it, dealers don't care it makes me sink. I have put lots of time and work into my truck to eliminate the scratches the dealer installed, I didn't see it on the sticker as a factory option so I am guessing they were dealer installed. I wasn't about to take it back to the dealer and have them make things worse with a buffer and untrained person so I decided to take care of it myself. I took final delivery at night and will never do it again!

I still need to do some work on it and I am going to give #9 2.0 a try then top with #81 and then NXT. I have never used #9 or #81 so I can hardly wait!



thx...sure was a huge lesson learned, i'm amazed at how common this is,and still happening.!..those low wadger hacks dont give a **** about other peoples cars..they should be fired! brand new cars shouldlnt be disrespected like this!i will never except a car again unless its directly off truck!! i would of denied the car..but they only had an azure blue one coming in....and i must say i love this car it pulls like an animal...not as hard as your lightning! but smokes my 00gt


ps: sweet truck you have!

[BLACK_MACH]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
I'll forward the link to this thread to our Field Rep in your area, he may have a shop he can recommend if it escalates that far. If you were lucky, he would have detailing clinic coming up where he would probably just use your car to demonstrate how-to remove a scratch.

I’d like to fly out to Rhode Island, never been there myself, but my schedule is booked.

Keep us up to date with your progress.

Mike


sounds great, and thank you for your time! was was rainy today and prob next few days...so i dunno when i'm gonna get a chance to try #9


thank you so much for listening to my issue;)

[gb387]

Originally posted by BLACK_MACH
thx...sure was a huge lesson learned, i'm amazed at how common this is,and still happening.!..those low wadger hacks dont give a **** about other peoples cars..they should be fired! brand new cars shouldlnt be disrespected like this!i will never except a car again unless its directly off truck!! i would of denied the car..but they only had an azure blue one coming in....and i must say i love this car it pulls like an animal...not as hard as your lightning! but smokes my 00gt


ps: sweet truck you have!

Thanks man.... I am sure your car is just as fun! I too have learned a lesson its only my second brand new of the lot vehicle.

There was someone on here or showcargarage who said he won't let anyone touch his vehicle when he buys one, straight off the truck, all plastic, all dealer installed stuff, all the dirt, all of it... he wants to take care off it so no one will damage his vehicle at the dealer. I guess a dealer will let you do this if you ask.

Good luck man can't wait to see some photos of your car, post them soon!

[BLACK_MACH]

yes you can have it that way....thats how mine was suppose to be...but it was so dirty they decided to clean top portion....i drove it home with its protective gear

[BLACK_MACH]

you can see my current pics here

http://www.cardomain.com/id/00gtdude

[Deanski]

Your finish is fully cured prior to finishing on the line at the factory. They bake it or flash cure it via chemicals, so don't worry!

As long as you removed all "rail-dust" from when it was being transported to the dealer with a detail clay, you should be fine!

The finish should feel as smooth as glass. No little bumps or sand-like feel. If that's the case, get some clay, such as Clay Magic with a QD (Quick Detailer) and clay the finish. I put on rubber gloves so not to contaminate the clay with stuff from my hands.

Once cleaned, then polish and protect.

Enjoy the NXT.. Nice product I see.

Regards,

Deanski

[RamAirV1]

Sorry to hear that the dealer scratched your paint. If the scratches are only visible under fluorescent lights, you should be able to remove them with a PC with no problem.

I highly recommend that you get a PC7336. It will result in much easier scratch and swirl removal. This is mandatory for black car owners! It is $109 at Lowes and it is worth every penny. And it will not damage your paint, even though you've never used it before.

I would skip the #9 and at least start with the Scratch X. Mike has used Scratch X with a machine and he can give you tips on how to use it. The tube of Scratch X says to let it dry before you remove it but I don't know if that applies to machine use.

I use Medallion Paint Cleaner for my first step scratch removal and it is an excellent product that can also be used by hand. It is a bit more aggressive than Scratch X but will not scratch your paint. You can buy Scratch X locally at Target, etc. but you will most likely have to order the MPC direct from Meguiar's.

You will need to order a set of DA polishing pads from Meguiar's to use the PC (aka DA Polisher). In addition you may want to order a cutting pad (not as harsh as it sounds!) in case the yellow polishing pad is not aggressive enough.

If you want to try using Scratch X or MPC by hand, use the MF applicator as it will provide more cleaning action than the foam applicator. I have some Viper MF Power Cleaning pads and they work very well.

If neither the Scratch X nor the MPC get the scratches out to your satisfaction, then you can step up to #83 DACP. It can be used with a PC but you have to run it wide open (at 6.0 on the dial), press down firmly and move it slowly over the area being treated. Doing these things will increase the amount of work being done on the paint and help ensure that the DACP breaks down. You MUST make sure the DACP is almost totally gone with just a very fine dust residue remaining or it will not produce the desired results. Then you should follow up with SFP and #81 Hand Polish then NXT.

Hope this helps.

BTW, nice ride! Looks like the hood scoop air intake is done differently on the /04 compared to the earlier years.

I just bought an '04 GTO (traded in my '01 black WS6) and they know how picky I am so they were very careful and even left the rail dust on the car so I can remove it. I don't trust any newbie taking a rotary buffer to my paint just to remove rail dust.

When you get the scratches out, and you will, you will discover there is nothing that looks like a black car that has been polished and sealed with NXT!

RamAirV1

[RamAirV1]

Thanks Tim. I just thought I would relate some of my experience keeping a black car looking like new. Even minor swirls can really look bad on a black car. So I think BlackMach's paint may not be in as bad of shape as he thinks. I really like the Impluse Blue, but the effect fo NXT on black is striking and I probably can't duplicate that on blue. But NXT has improved gloss a lot on every color it has used on, even silver.

I do need to figure out how to send pictures over WebTV. I still have some WS6 pics too.

RamAirV1