question about T-cut

woop

hey Im just wondering does this stuff work, or what the results are like after using it?(I realise that itll never be like new but) if you dont have a clue what Im refering to Im talking about the stuff that takes paint off a car to reveal the better paint underneath, thinking of using it on a kinda faded red

bo-bo

i dont think its much good on modern paint tbh, unless the red appears faded because the laquer is slighly crazed.

woop

like the cars a 95 so do you mean that that is modern

TomMc

A '95 car in red (non-metallic) is most probably a SS Colour without clear coat. T-Cut is crap, only for amateurs. A chemical cleaning polish will remove the dead layers of paint (oxidation) without abrading away excessive amounts of the sound paint underneath. It might take 2 applications to get a really good look, but worth the effort. Top with a wax (fairly often) or a sealant to block out and reduce the risk of further UV damage. If you just use T-Cut you will not cleanse the paint properly. End Result, the oxidation deep down will manifest itself later on. The pigments in red paint are the most susceptible to colour fading and fairly quickly too. Older reds are a bitch to keep in good shape if they are not cleansed and protected properly, otherwise they can become a never ending chore to maintain.

woop

this is the sort of thing I want to hear, could you recomend a good chemical cleaning polish(a brand name like)? anyone else done this, howd it turn out?
cheers for the help

HungryJoey

Sorry for hi-jacking this thread but save me starting a new one. Whats the best way of freshning up a Red 06 Cars paint? Don't get me wrong, its not in bad condition or anything. I was going to clay bar it but to be honest, I dont want to make a mess of this job and wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do to it. I dont want to feck it all up. How can I freshen the paint up? Its a little dull and the surface isn't the smoothest either and I'd like to restore that Urge and shine into the red!


Hj

kyote00

i used a farecla G6 and G10 compounds on old paints. best results are to be got using a machine and mop.

its hard work and to do a good job on a whole car will take a whole day...

try Vinny Byrnes (www.vinnybyrne.ie)

bennyx_o

HungryJoey wrote:

Sorry for hi-jacking this thread but save me starting a new one. Whats the best way of freshning up a Red 06 Cars paint? Don't get me wrong, its not in bad condition or anything. I was going to clay bar it but to be honest, I dont want to make a mess of this job and wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do to it. I dont want to feck it all up. How can I freshen the paint up? Its a little dull and the surface isn't the smoothest either and I'd like to restore that Urge and shine into the red!


Hj

Claying the car is pretty easy, and will tackle the smoothness of the paint surface by removing bonded on contaminants from the paint. Just remember to keep the surface lubed with something like Megs Last Touch and to keep the clay warm.

As for the dull paint itself, a coat or two of polish topped off with a good wax shouls freshen up the paint. I'd recommend Megs 3 step (DC1,2&3, available from Halfords)

Hope this helps.

HungryJoey

bennyx_o wrote:

Claying the car is pretty easy, and will tackle the smoothness of the paint surface by removing bonded on contaminants from the paint. Just remember to keep the surface lubed with something like Megs Last Touch and to keep the clay warm.

As for the dull paint itself, a coat or two of polish topped off with a good wax shouls freshen up the paint. I'd recommend Megs 3 step (DC1,2&3, available from Halfords)

Hope this helps.

Thanks, Appreciate that.

Where is the easiest place to get a clay-bar kit? I really don't want to have to buy online and how much are they ??

Hj

su_dios

I just clayed my car at the weekend. Its always looked great but I still can't get over how good it looks now!! I don't understand why more people don't do this. Although it does take a long time!! Well worth it I must say though. Its fairly easy too and gives a very slippy glass finish( the same as a brand new 07). Topped it up with some Autoglym Super Resin Polish and its now looking amazing. Didn't get time to wax it though.

Try cleanyourcar.co.uk. Bought some microfibre clothes etc from them too. Ordered on tuesday here on Friday.

TomMc

woop wrote:

this is the sort of thing I want to hear, could you recomend a good chemical cleaning polish(a brand name like)? anyone else done this, howd it turn out?
cheers for the help

Car-Lack or Klasse (Both made in Germany) if a chemical based cleaner & topped with a wax or else FireGlaze is another (non-abrasive) more durable option, which works extremely well on older paints. You won't get them in the shops though, only online.

The only product I can think of that you might get in a local motor factors (if they deal with Hella Ireland, their distributors) is Sonax Xtreme Polish & Wax No 3. This one product will do the job although as mentioned earlier, quite an amount of work would be involved.

http://www.sonax.com/sonax-e/videos.php (Video at the bottom of the page, if you have broadband).

Otherwise for slightly better results you could use a combination of Sonax Paintwork Cleaner (1st, two applications if necessary) and their Xtreme Brilliant Wax No 1 (applied afterwards to protect). I myself would use the others mentioned above, but if you are on a budget, then they are worth a try. I don't like Autoglym or most of the stuff in the shops, so would not push them.

The Farecla stuff is pretty good too but you need to have some experience using same, to really get the best out of them. They are made for the bodyshop industry, not the general public. Machine polishing would be much less labour intensive than elbow grease, but again not recommended for the inexperienced.

TomMc

HungryJoey wrote:

Thanks, Appreciate that.

Where is the easiest place to get a clay-bar kit? I really don't want to have to buy online and how much are they ??

Hj

Halfords should have the Meguiars ones for around 20 quid. Some motor factors stock it too. You can buy it online also at smartcarcare.ie too and get proper products to finish off the job as well, that the others would not have.

With regard to claying, it is best to use a tar remover first to deal with what the eye can see, removing the tar spots and any grit which might be part of same. This leaves the clay bar to tackle & remove the bonded contaminants that you can only feel if for example you put your hand inside a sandwich bag. Once you keep the clay very soft (like putty) by moulding & kneading it very often after warming it first in hot water, the claying process will make a big difference to the overall condition of your paint. Glide the flattened clay bar (shaped like a pancake) back & forth over well lubed paint (with the detailing spray, too much better than too little), do not rub or scrub, use very little pressure or you will mark the finish. Inspect the bar often and pick out any grit, remould it often enough. Where you feel resistance, there are contaminants, keep gliding the clay back & forth till the bar runs more freely and then move on to the next section of paintwork. You can use it on the glass to finish up and then rewash the car to remove any left over clay deposits. You just need to be extra careful as you go.

su_dios

I found it needed some pressure and did rub/scrub it but I used up the full bottle of meguires detailing spray in one go and left no marks. You'll see yourself I guess as you're doing it. But don't be rough!

TomMc

You may not see the marks so easily on lighter colours if its dull out/overcast. With darker colours it is more noticeable. Under halogen/fluorescent lighting though or strong sunshine swirl marks may be revealed. Claying is not hard, but caution is recommended, otherwise polishing out marks will take much longer.

MercMad

And just to add, T-Cut is more likely to damage the paint than clay, if you dont know what you are doing !

On the '06 car you are very unlikely to need T-Cut or a paint/colour restorer !Older red cars do get faded and it would be best to de-tar,clay, use colour restorer, polish then wax !