Few Questions Before Correction

[Stryker]

My girlfriend finally will let me tackle her car. It's a 99 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. It's swirl city to say the least, but it has a few other bigger problems before I worry about swirls.

 

Pictures tell the story.

 

 

 

 

It might be hard to see in the pic but there is an X keyed into her car, look closely it crosses right next to the bird drop. It has been there since she bought the car. My finger nail does get caught on it slightly.

 

Questions:

 

Should I use the focus pads on this first before doing the car or after?

 

I know I won't remove it with out touch up paint but Will the pads minimize it or will it be a wasted effort?

 

If it's a wasted effort, does anyone have a process of using touch up paint to fix scratches?

 

Next pic:

 

Does anyone know what this is? Again, it's been there since the car was bought. Nothing takes it off. I don't think it's tree sap. As best I can tell it looks as if its someone dripped extra clear coat on it.

 

Next pic

 

 

This is were the "Spyder" emblem was. It was cracked so it was just taken off.

 

I can't tell if the clear was removed with it or it's just because the rest of the car is sun faded. I know I won't know until I try I figured I'd ask in case anyone has run into this problem before.

 

Last one:

 

This one will need paint work. back to one of my first questions. Does anyone have a process of repairing this. I'm nervous of painting and the color looking off.

 

Any other input or tips would be appreciated as well

 

Thanks for all the help in advance I know you guys won't let me down.

 

Don't worry I WILL be posting before and afters. I think I will have an early contender for Best detail when I'm done.

[Chris@Adams]

Ok on the first pic I would use the 4" Focal pads, you won't be able to remove it all but you will be able make it look alot better. And the second pic, does she park by a lawn sprinkler system? I would start with SSR & Green pad and work down. And the last pic it looks like the clear coat is peeling off, looks like repaint to me. And as far a a touch up check out Langka.

[Osok]

I agree wtih Chris. The keyed X you probably can't remove even with the PC..most likely would need some wet sanding to get it completely gone.

 

The other pic doesn't look like something stuck or extra clear poured on as you say that looks like deteriorating clear coat and there isn't really a fix for that other than a repaint.

 

The water spots should come out as Chris said and those scratches on the lower fender look like scratches in a fiber glass fender so that'd be a repaint as well.

 

I haven't seen anyone try to use the paint chip products like Dr. Colorchip or Langka for anything more than a rock chip in the past so not sure how they'd work over a large scratch..sorry.

 

Either way, a good dose of PC SSR, SHR, FMP will clean the car up quite well aside from the major paint key/scratch issues.

[Bill-V8V]

I wouldn't worry too much about the X keyed into the hood. The car really needs a repaint. You can polish the panels where the clear is not failing but stay away from that bumper. You do run the risk of more clear failing once you start to polish but with the condition it is in you really don't have much to lose.

[XQIZT]

with everyone above. I'm just chiming in so I can see the "after" photos. Good luck!

[Stryker]

Thank you for all the replies! Sorry for the pics I guess I should have at least washed it before taking them the water spots make everything hard to see.

 

Since she'll probably get rid of the car with in the next few months I won't be going for 100% correction. However anything will be a massive improvement.

 

As for the drip mark (3rd pic down) I forgot to mention that it's raised off the paint. I thought it was a hard water spot too. Now I just don't know what it could be.

 

Funniest part about this whole thing? Her dad has a body shop

[NYJets77]

The 2nd pic reminds me of a car that was egged and the sun baked it in for a few hours and etched the clearcoat. Happened to a buddy of mine....

[ouarkie]

The fourth picture, the bumper with the fog light is clear coat coming off. I think the third one is as well. The rear bumper is a scrape, I looks like it is down to primer, you won't be able to buff it out. You can get it to look better, but without a respray, it won't be 100%. The clear coat will continue to come off, if it is not fixed. Happened to me on a truck I had. It was a about the size of a silver dollar, got a heavy snow, and it got moisture under the clear coat and then it tripled in size. I was 17 the truck was 15 years old and not worth repainting it so I didn't worry about it. But you may ask your girlfriends dad, what he thinks it is. I am sure he has probably seen it before. Good luck!

[Stryker]

UPDATE

 

The whole process was spread over 2 days. A lot of my time the first was spent basically doing trial and error and getting my technique down.

 

I've done little scuffs and marks here and there but this was my first time doing a correction on an entire car. My next time should go faster and better.

 

Seeing as the car is a DD and will probably be sold before the end of the year I was going for about 80% There were a couple of spots were wet sanding was needed etc to get it perfect.

 

Overall I'm happy with the results

 

On to the pics!!

 

The first day my camera battery died so most of the before pics are from my iPhone.

 

I think everyone just skips to the afters anyway.

 

I washed the car with Dawn to get rid of previous wax jobs and other OTC products.

 

These pics so the damage much clearer.

 

 

 

 

 

A better pic of the X

 

 

My clay after the rear bumper

 

 

Under the lights

 

 

 

I guess the door was repainted at one point...

 

Making progress...

 

 

 

 

After a while Dusting was becoming an issue

 

 

Afters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite Pic:

 

Dylan shot:

 

About 10 minutes after I took the pics I came out side to this...

 

MSW doing its job

 

Last but not least...Company promotion:

[BRZN]

Nice turnaround!

[Stryker]

Thank you!

 

I have a few questions

 

Since it rained only a few hours after putting on MSW should I re-apply it? I know there is a 12 hour cure time before putting anything over it. Does that mean nothing can touch it? Rain included?

 

Also, I used the same amount of product for each polish/pad with a hit of DS before each application. The SSR was the only one that dusted, and it dusted a lot (see pics). Is there something I should know about this product to do differently from SHR and FMP?

[Doug123]

I think you will probably be ok with the MSW. Th 12 hours is for not putting on anything that would prevent curing, like a coat of Americana.

[J Tegeler]

When I was using the SSR last weekend, i gave the edges of the pad a little extra mist of DS, it still dusted but not as much as the pictures you posted up.