I recently tried to remove a few bug marks from the nose of the car.
It didn't go well..
Now I have a couple of 3" diameter fogged areas that need buffing out.
But I'm so afraid!!! A need a TOXIX fix!!!
Graham
If you want to play this safe I suggest taking it to detailer. A good shop will make quick work out of it and shouldn't charge you too much for this.
Did you use one of those bug sponges that are fairly stiff? If so, you've likely scratched the clear coat a bit, not a big deal but exercise caution the next time.
You'll need a quick compound/polish to remove these marks which will likely need to be done with a machine.
I don't want to come and hijack threads, if you could use Spence's thread here:
The 2017 DIY DETAILING ADVICE THREAD
I'm really interested what it will do with my father-in-law's old 2002 Jaguar X-type. It's really suffering.
I took at look at that Swissvax Scuderia, but apparently you have to be rich enough to own a Ferrari to use that wax. My wife would have killed me if she found out I spent $400 on car wax alone. :-D
I didn't see a good recommendation for a sealant, is there a particular product that you all would recommend?
I've owned $50 waxes, $250 waxes and $500 waxes. After years of working with them and playing with them I am still not able to justify the cost. A wipe-on/wipe-off bottle of sealant will cost you about $30-$80 and will last you 20+ applications.
Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite
waxes is Pinnacle Souveran which is approximately $200. This wax goes on amazingly and comes off amazingly but the durability is next to nothing. Not worth it for me. The finished look? Amazing as well.
I would recommend to anyone new to this, to have your paint/clearcoat depth measured before trying to remove scratches or swirls, if you're working on a vehicle 10 years or older. You can find many horror stories online about people cutting right through the clear into the paint. With older cars, unless you owned them from new, you have no idea what the previous owner did, or tried to do.
In my opinion, a premium Carnauba Wax will net you a slightly better gloss and shine, but a sealant will protect a lot longer, and still looks amazing when applied correctly. Personally I prefer the wax, simply for the looks, but I also enjoy waxing it with the wife every month or so.
Always good to play it safe until you've done enough research and have tested it out the product/work on a beater car. Second option is to take it to a professional.
Thx Dub. That was a good write up link...I use a polymer but now am considering applying a carnauba over it and see if it increases the shine.
Let me know your thoughts on this, I've done it, didn't notice a huge huge difference - My Mustang, my Vette, my Explorer all get 2 coats of different sealants and off they go.
View attachment 9786
It certainly shined up nicely! Definitely not as nice as some of the other polishes. You can see that "marble" effect, but i don't know if I can do anything about that. It's smooth and clean for sure though!
That marble effect is orange peel which can be removed with wet sanding the vehicle, high risk-high reward. Strongly suggest taking it to a professional. But at the end of the day we learn to live with it.
