Help fix my faded Honda

[dwillms]

Hello,

I'm pretty new to the the detailing scene, but being into cars for a long time, it's time I learn some proper techniques.

This is my 92 Honda Civic. I have about 8 different 'project' cars in various shapes of repair right now, but this one easily has the worst paint.

I'm planning on selling the car because I have too many other projects, but I would like to get the car looking as respectable as I can first.

These are all the 'before' pictures, but since then I've been playing around a little bit with a rotary, an 8" W4000 wool pad, and some #2 Fine-Cut compound.

My first questions are in regards to the products to use. I'm worried about getting the dull, oxidized, and damaged paint looking shiny first before worrying about swirls and scratches.

I don't know the product line well at all, but every post I have read seems to be people using products #80 & #83, but the local stores only seem to carry #2 & #9 around here. For my application, is the #2 Compound the right one to be using?

[sneek]

to MOL, fellow canadian! you are talking about Canadian Tire aren't you?
well go to NAPA and get them to order you M80 and M83
I dont like playing around with a rotary, so i would do it by hand! First i would wash the car, then i would use Deep Crystal step 1 to remove the oxidation, then i would clay to remove surface contaminants, then i would use ColourX if i was in a hurry or i would use ScratchX then DC2 then NXT tech wax

to summarize
wash--> DC1-->clay--> ColourX
Or
wash--> DC1-->clay--> ScratchX-->DC2 polish---> NXT tech wax

heres some reading
The 5-Step Paint Care Cycle.

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect

Step 5 Maintain
1986 Ford Bronco II - Extreme Makeover
Rotary vs. PC vs. Regular Orbital Buffer
How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

[sneek]

also forgot

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3196

[Murr1525]

It also looks like there could be some clearcoat failure there. That will not be able to be fixed, but using the products sneek mentioned will at least spruce it up to shine a little.

Granted the same process can be used on any of your cars, or similar processes and products, to keep them good as well. Feel free to ask any questions, and some after pics of anything you do.

[dwillms]

Wow, thanks for the quick reply!

Yeah I checked out CT for products, also PartSource and Wal-Mart just to see if they had anything different.

Do you have any reading on the Deep Crystal product, and why this is what you would recommend?

And do you know if any local places carry these products? I know you said you can order some stuff from Napa, I was hoping to detail the car this week, so anything I can grab off the shelf would be the best.

And as for the clearcoat being burned off, I have replacement quarter panels for the car so it should be repainted anyways, my goal is just to make the car look as good as possible because appearance is everything when selling something.

Thanks!
-Dustin

[sneek]

CT has DC1, DC2, and DC3
Dc1 is a paint cleaner and it removes oxidation
Dc2 is a pure polish so it adds polishing oils to the paint (kind of smells like M09 but thats another thread)
i think that they are about 13.99 each at CT

also if you want the products call NAPA ASAP becase they can prob. order it in for you by the weekend!

People on here can help you better if you get pictures of the car after it has been washed.

i almost forgot to ask, Where in Canada are you?

sorry lots of random thoughts :p

[dwillms]

I'm from Saskatoon, but I brought back the car from Edmonton. Once I'm able to sell this one, I'm definitely going to post some pics of my Integra GS-R project after I have it fixed.

There is some fading in the rear 1/4 panels, but the main problem seems to be the white spots that you can see clearly on the hood. They are all over the car. Would these be water spots, or perhaps damage from acid rain or the like?

-Dustin

[TH0001]

If you are stuck on using a Rotary, I would get a 8006 Pad and some M66 detailer. This 66 hides the tracers installed by the rotary really well, and is the best all in one product I have used (which isn't alot really).

[dwillms]

I'm definitely not set on using a rotary, that's just what I happened to have on hand, along with the #2 and #9. I just want to use products I can find locally, so I don't have to wait a week or more if I order them online or somewhere else.

After I first did one side of the car, it seemed to make a huge difference and look a whole lot better, but the next morning almost all the shine was gone and the white spots were back.

[Murr1525]

If your results arent holding, it sounds like you could have reached a point where the clear coat is just unstable and failing after after being neglected for so long. You can try doing more, but it seems like the hood and roof are equaly as bad, so I dont know if any results will hold.

[Murr1525]

Here is a thread with some pics and discussion from Mike:

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10284&highlight=clearcoat+failure

[dwillms]

I'm very familiar with delaminated clear-coat, but the Honda looks different to me than that.

Normally clear that's peeling starts in one spot and seems to expand outwards, and begins on the roof, hood, or trunk. But on this car, it almost looks like water spots or some other liquid that has gotten into the finish.

Look at the picture of the hood, and notice the lines on the hood coming from the two washer fluid outlets. It almost seems like washer fluid has badly stained the finish.

On the roof and panels, the best way to describe it is droplets all over instead of one patch like fading clear. Also when I took the buffer to it, I wasn't taking any paint off of the car and it was seeming to buff out, but after sitting for awhile the 'stains' seemed to reappear.

I will take some more detailed pictures today to better explain what I mean.

-Dustin

[dwillms]

More pictures I just took. Please let me know what the right products are to use to fix any of this, and also put some shine into the finish. As you can tell, scratches are about the least of my problems with this one


Most of the fading in the door is in the top 1/4 above the handle, and you can also see one spot behind the handle.





Main fading spot on the fender/hood, you can also see one of the white lines coming from the windshield washer sprayers.






Main fade on the hood, this spot seems to be clear that is nearly gone.






The weird spots on the roof that I was talking about. You can see they come from the top of the windshield, as though something has been spraying back onto the roof and 'staining' it, for lack of a better term. This is why my guess was that washer fluid was spraying back onto the roof.

[Monk]

Do you guys up in The Great White North use some very strong and funky de-icer in your wiper reservoirs?

[Murr1525]

I recall someone a long while ago saying that the he used RainX washer fluid, and happened to have clear coat failure in that sort of area. Maybe related, maybe not.