Paint damage repairs are very expensive, especially if the car is new. Regular washing of the car, removal of dirt and dust from it will allow the body of your car to last longer.
Car paint products
What tools your car needs depends on its paintwork. For a new car that has been kept in good conditions, it is enough to use «soft» polishing. It eliminates small scratches, damage and coming off. In addition, this softening polish preserves damaged areas from rust and blends well with old paintwork.
The more often the paintwork is serviced, the more reliable it is. All damage, defects and scratches must be dealt with in a timely manner.
Preservation of the paintwork
It is generally recommended to renew the old coating and protect the new one by applying protective preparations to them two or three times a year. At the same time, the shine lasts longer and the long-term protection of the coating improves. Most protective preparations and paint cleaners are quite aggressive. Therefore, never work in direct sunlight. Otherwise, the chemical compounds of the varnish «boil» to paintwork.
Paint care and conservation
Polishing
1. Be sure to wash and dry your car before polishing.
Pic. 3.19. Polishing Quality Check
2. Try how the polishing agent lays down on the surface. Polish a small area first (pic. 3.19). Be careful as the product may damage the surface if applied in a thick layer.
Pic. 3.20. Applying a polishing agent and lacquer cleaner to the surface of the body with a woolen or cotton rag
3. If the preparation fits well, you can start polishing all surfaces of the body. Apply the polish and lacquer cleaner with a woolen or cotton cloth (pic. 3.20). Don't apply too much pressure or you may damage the surface. If you feel that the material you are polishing with does not glide smoothly over the surface, turn it over or replace it.
4. After a short treatment, a small white spot appears, which is then removed with a piece of cotton wool in a circular motion. Openings that are subject to air pressure when the vehicle is moving should not be worked hard.
5. After some time, more effort will have to be applied for polishing, since the preparation will be introduced into internal microcracks and scratches. Therefore, it is desirable to replace the material with a new one.
Pic. 3.21. Wiping the surface with a clean wool cloth after polishing
6. After polishing, wipe the surface with a clean wool cloth (pic. 3.21), to remove the remaining fluff and polishing agent.
Preservation of the paintwork
Pic. 3.22. Applying preservative with a cotton swab
1. Apply a layer of preservative with a cotton swab (pic. 3.22). Consumption of preservative depends on the size of the surfaces to be coated.
Attention! Because preservatives contain harmful gradients, make sure you have good ventilation where you work.
2. Remove the wettest places with a cotton swab in a circular motion.
3. When applying the preservative, do not press the swab strongly against the surface and turn or change it as often as possible. If, while applying a preservative, you feel «creak», this means that the surface is not prepared enough, so try polishing it again.
4. If after applying the preservative, the coating looks uneven in some areas (bumpy), once again process these places with polishing paste.