MSW Stuck on Paint

[Eidolon]

Hey, guys. I'm having some issues while trying to wax my G8. I put on two coats of Machine Superwax, buffed 'em both. Now there's some spots of MSW left on the car. The problems I'm having are as follows:

 

 

1. A simple shot of detail spray isn't enough to remove it
   
2. Rubbing hard with my white microfiber cloth (the Adams superplush replacement for the True Blue) is a no-no and does appear to be putting scratches into the paint
   
3. My white microfiber towels are losing their fibers onto the paint just like the True Blue did at the end of those towels' days, even though I've only ever washed them in cold water with Woolite and dried them on low in the dryer.
   

So is there anything I can do to bring my towels back from the dead? And can I use something stronger like APC to clean the paint? Or do I need to let the DS "marinate"?

 

Thanks for the help.

[Eidolon]

Bill is dead on. You are definitely using too much MSW and/or not allowing it to completely dry. MSW is a sealant and all sealants must be applied in thin layers. You should also stick with just applying 1 coat as layering waxes takes practice and know how. Don't set yourself up for failure by trying to do too much and making it more complicated than it actually is.

Yeah, I know now that I was definitely using too much. Judging by the photos you posted above, I was likely also using too much FMP. How much do you typically go through on a single vehicle? After covering the G8, I find I'm down by about half a bottle.

 

You are too eager to see the results of your labor and not allowing the results to come. If you have never done this before, you are not going to pop out a showroom shine the very first time you do this.

The sad part is that I have done this before - though it's been a year - and this time around I got many of the results with the polish that I wanted. But I rushed the wax job. I got impatient because the car's been taped up with painter's tape for weeks so that I could do this off and on in my spare time. I'd use Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound, SHR, and FMP to slowly work out deep scratches, including a few from a parking lot tap I'd received from a kind Anonymous Driver. And I got 'em all out. Mind, I didn't even try on the right lower rocker panel. Too many deep scratches from too many people dragging their feet across it climbing in and out. To hit that, I really need to get a bottle of Adams SSR, because Rubbing Compound -> SHR -> FMP would take hours just on that lower panel alone.

 

If I were you, I would start with a flat, level surface like the trunk, strip it and do the entire process again on JUST the trunk. Until you get that trunk the way you want it, I wouldn't touch the rest of the car. I have worked on the trunk of a G8 and the paint can be fixed to perfection. They have good paint on them and are not a bear to fix like the Corvette paint is. Watch this video series. You need to follow it to the letter.

 

I will indeed spend the time to watch them. Just judging by the pictures above (is that a GTO, by the way, with the Maverick Man Carbon Fiber wing?), I was using too much FMP, too. The trunk lid's in good shape, since I spent a few hours on it alone with the Rubbing Compound -> SHR -> FMP trio, but the bumper cover under the passenger-side taillight was just refusing to come perfectly clean. It'll make the perfect spot to rework.

 

That is, assuming I can get my towels to cooperate.

 

To strip the wax, should I clay, use APC, or use Dawn?

 

Another problem I had was while trying to remove wax or polish around a door handle using a plush towel, I'd often drag out dirt that had been hiding in the crevices and scratch the paint right around them. Any tips on how to avoid that?

 

All good advice from the Junkman, what polishes do you have ?

 

I've got SHR and FMP. On the side, I've also got two tiny tubs of Turtle Wax Polishing Compound and Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound. The Rubbing Compound is like liquid sandpaper, so I'd use it on deep scratches, then follow with Adams SHR to clean it up and FMP to make it shine.

[BrianT]

I suppose I should here mention that my frustration stems from the fact that I know there's a right way to do this, and I just haven't found it yet. The products are performing as they should. I ain't!

 

 

We have all been there, don't worry!! You are in good hands!!