Really "dead" paint...

['04-Sport]

This forum has provided valuable detailing/cleaning tips in the past - hope you folks have a suggestion for this problem.

My daughter's white '04 Corolla has the worst paint I've seen on a car in a long time. She is not a car person and really let it get bad. Regular washing and waxing with Mother's Cleaner Wax has not even come close to restoring any shine. Short of re-painting, is there anything out there that can bring dead paint back to life? Thanks all.

 

[blcktpgsr]

Instead of just waxing the car after washing, try applying some rubbing compound first, depending on the severity of the paint you can use between light, medium and heavy cut..(but steer away from heavy cut as much as possible-a wool pad is usually used with it). use an angle polisher and foam pad...be very careful though because a buffer can easily burn through clear coat so constant even pressure and movement should be observed..follow it up with a swirl remover to easily remove some residual and superficial scratches due to the compound, then either straight wax it or glaze then wax.


3M products or even Meguiars are recommended for DIYer's
This process takes hours and can be very rewarding with care in mind.
Good luck!

 

[NickF]

If you don't want to spend the time with rubbing compound, I have a DIY method for you.
Wash your car with Dawn and a pretty hefty amount of corn starch. After washing, go over with the car wash solution on a nice clean cotton towel, you may need a few, to strip the wax and polish the clear coat.
After this rince like hell and do another wash with regular car wash solution before applying wax again.

Good luck

 

[olsen_karl]

Head over to the Meguiar's forum and read up for awhile:

Meguiar's Online

Personally, I'd probably do something like using Meg's Ultimate Compound (a moderately aggressive compound -- nothing like the "rocks in a jar" old style rubbing compound in the little tins), with a dual-action polisher (e.g. Porter Cable) and an appropriate polishing pad. The UC may finish out ready for a top coat (wax of your choice), or it may require another step, such as Meg's Swirl-X (polish) to even out any marks left by the UC.

Unless you are experienced in machine polishing, I would not use a rotary polisher. Dual-action polishers are not the same as rotary.

 

[clarkscars83]

I would recommend purchasing a couple bars of paint clay and an orbital (any where from 30-100$ at any car parts store) after washing use the clay (always going in 1 direction) over the entire painted surface then wash again, then with the orbital and using a wool bonnet with a clear cut compound (should feel like it has very small amount of “sand” in it) use a half dollar sized amount per panel and orbit it in until its gone then wipe down with a microfiber cloth it may look even duller, repeat the last step using a polish and clean cotton bonnet after this it should look almost new, and last but not least I would recommend a thick paste wax from Meguiar’s applied by hand if that dose not work I would seek a professional detail shop. Good Luck

 

[Headly]

keep it simple

go buy some new rags and a polishing compound and rub the oxidation out of the paint- ya can buy an orbital,but if you are not familiar with using 1 just do it by hand

you will find the auto store sells both mild and regular rubbing compund- I would spend the $3 on 1 of ea and try to use the mild 1st,if it doesn't do it,try the regular and have fun,then wax and use a boost like turtle wax ice and it will stay minty nice

i really like the ease of the boosters once ya get a nice wax on the paint -keeps it nicey nice :naughty:

 

[rook]

This forum has provided valuable detailing/cleaning tips in the past - hope you folks have a suggestion for this problem.

My daughter's white '04 Corolla has the worst paint I've seen on a car in a long time. She is not a car person and really let it get bad. Regular washing and waxing with Mother's Cleaner Wax has not even come close to restoring any shine. Short of re-painting, is there anything out there that can bring dead paint back to life? Thanks all.

If it is white and looks dull and chalky, I'd recommend taking it to a detail shop. By the time you spend the $ to buy a buffer and all the compounds to do the job right, you'll be far ahead just to have someone else do it. Plus they will have the skill with the buffer to know how not to burn through on the difficult spots of the body.

From what you described, if it's that dull and an '04, it is single stage white. That means it does not have a clearcoat. It can be polished back to nice luster, but will need better care to preserve the finish in the future.

 

['04-Sport]

Thanks all!!!

I ended up trying what NickF suggested and the car came out extremely clean but the shine is long gone on most of the body.

If we go any further it will probably be via the professional detailer route - but since the car has 136K miles it might be as good as it gets right now (my daughter will have to decide because the $$$ spent from here on will be her's)

 

[Mike07SE]

You are going to need a product like this...

...along with a polisher. As long as the paint still exhists, it sounds like her car is well beyond a clay bar job. I've seen this before.

Take what others have already said and wash the car with Dawn, etc. to get any exhisting wax you've put on off. After that, start going to town with the Heavy-Cut.