16
votes
Accepted
Why is my car paint not so "shiny"?
The tiny shining things in the original paint are metal particles, which is why it is called metallic paint.
I guess you should have bought a duplicate of the original paint spec. Anyway, it's ...
- 2,368
14
votes
Why is my car paint not so "shiny"?
While the first answer is good, it is somewhat wrong. If the area repaired is small enough, we will opt to blend the color into the rest of the panel and then clear coat the entire panel. However if ...
- 141
13
votes
Accepted
Why are road test drives of to-be-released vehicles plastered with fabric?
It's the car variant of dazzle camouflage, and it's used to disguise the appearance of the vehicle. The coverings on the grill and lights are also to disguise the appearance. This is done to avoid ...
- 671
12
votes
Can cats leave scratch marks on cars?
It's hard to be sure, but that looks like single-stage paint (without a hard-wearing clearcoat).
If so, it is relatively soft paint that could easily be scratched. Judging by the angle of attack (and ...
- 39.2k
12
votes
How major are these paintwork & rust problems?
If you're okay with the cosmetic affects of the rust then the only one there that I would even remotely consider an issue is the one above the rear window (pic #4).
Front & Rear door - there are ...
- 10.3k
11
votes
Can I paint my entire Class C RV using fluorescent green and how long will the paint job last
You absolutely can! I've painted several of my race cars this way, on a limited budget. The looked wonderful, and I usually wrecked them before the paint was an issue.
If you prep very well (all ...
- 12.4k
11
votes
Can cats leave scratch marks on cars?
My experience with cats is that they do enjoy sticking their claws into something soft to sharpen them. Cats will completely destroy furniture this way. The scratches you are showing are on hard metal ...
- 12.2k
11
votes
Accepted
Modern cars do not rust faster in coastal locations - Myth or truth?
Though each car is different, yes, they may tend to rust faster in coastal areas. This is even true for newer models. Newer models may resist corrosion (rust) better than older ones, but they are ...
- 9,005
11
votes
To remove this type of "hard, metallicish" sticker?
Try a heat gun (NOT a hair drier - they're not hot enough).
If you damage the paintwork - unlikely - then your plan B was to take it to a body shop instead anyway.
- 8,722
10
votes
What (paint)care can I provide to a brand new car before driving off the dealership?
Honestly, doing anything on the lot is a waste of time at best and detrimental at worst.
New cars don't come in packaging so the paint is rarely in "factory fresh" condition when you pick ...
- 10.3k
9
votes
To remove this type of "hard, metallicish" sticker?
Razor + two chemical Cocktail - it worked!
Success - I experimented a lot and fortunately the result was another "mechanics.SE save".
1. Whisky
You're about to take a razor blade to a car, ...
- 411
8
votes
Can I use a car wash to de-ice my car
No, you cannot. You state that " I would only have to scrape a little bit to get there safely", however this is not correct - you should clear ALL essential windows before you move the car - the first ...
- 28.8k
7
votes
How important is it to clay before polishing and waxing?
tl dr: It isn't necessary, but it improves the quality of the polish/wax job.
"Claying" (otherwise known as using a clay bar or detailing clay), is a means by which to remove contaminates from the ...
- 160k
7
votes
Accepted
Neighbor uses cans of spray paint on his car - can it travel to my car?
It ABSOLUTELY can. It's called overspray. Take one look at a bad paint job and you'll know it's a real thing. While not a car, take a look at this image:
Imagine how they do this. They put a stencil ...
- 160k
7
votes
What (paint)care can I provide to a brand new car before driving off the dealership?
None.
I keep cars for their life - until they don't run. I have never looked at one of the old cars and said "I sure wish I had waxed that car".
Half a century ago the metal used in bodywork ...
- 2,368
7
votes
What happened to the paint on my 2014 Toyota Prius V? Is there a way I can DIY repair it?
It looks like typical Toyota paint to me. The paint is delaminating from the soft bumper. You can paint this yourself, but you'd need a paint gun, compressor, special tools, and some understanding of ...
- 160k
6
votes
Can I use a car wash to de-ice my car
If it's cold enough to have ice covering your windshield, the leftover water will ice up your doors and locks. Depending how soon and how much you use your brakes, you could have some ice forming on ...
- 12.2k
5
votes
Can polishing compound ruin my car's paint job?
Yes, you did indeed apply an abrasive "compound". Polish materials come in coarse and finer grits just like sandpaper. To polish scratches left by a polish of a course grit finer grits are used to ...
- 11.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Paint quality of used cars
Paint damage is caused by stone chips, hail, clumsy parking etc. "Improper washing" is so far down the list as to be unnoticeable. Sure, you're going to find a few scratches if you go over the ...
- 4,412
5
votes
Can cats leave scratch marks on cars?
I saw my sisters cat attempt to jump up on my car and then slide down the side leaving scratch marks where there were non previously, so to answer your questions, yes, without a doubt cats can scratch ...
- 51
5
votes
Accepted
Can I use a car wash to de-ice my car
I'm not convinced this would even work. The car has been cold-soaked to a temperature below 0. When you spray water on that cold surface, at least some of it will freeze. If the car wash used warm ...
- 4,412
5
votes
How can I remove paint off my truck?
You want use a progressive method. Start with regular automotive paste wax. Apply and rub in a circular pattern. If you use a light colored cloth you may see the red transferring to the cloth. If that ...
- 20k
5
votes
Accepted
How to do an amateur repair of a tiny ding on my almost new car?
What is the mistake a rank amateur at this is most likely to make?
Honestly.. it's attempting to do it themselves. You mention:
I am an OCD type
I can pretty much guarantee that the result of ...
- 10.3k
5
votes
Accepted
To remove this type of "hard, metallicish" sticker?
If you do try a sticker goo remover fluid you might need to paint it onto the edge (it might not permeate the sticker surface) and wait, then pull a bit, paint a bit more, pull, paint... long process
...
- 1,145
5
votes
Accepted
What are these wiggly lines on the car paint and windshield?
I'll answer it myself since I've since found the answer after posting.
As first postulated, these are indeed snail marks, against my best judgment.
As revealed by this Family Handy post these are ...
4
votes
Accepted
How important is it to clay before polishing and waxing?
It would be silly to skip claying if the paint surface is heavy with contaminants and go to the compounding/polishing step; it would be like using makeup to cover blackheads - the right thing to do is ...
- 39.2k
4
votes
Accepted
How should I remove paint from calipers?
I sent a web "contact us" form to Brembo through their website around the same time that I asked this question. They appear to have forwarded it to an account manager at Race Techonolgies, LLC based ...
- 1,197
4
votes
How to touch-up paint on wheels?
You should be able to throw another coat of paint on top of the existing coat to cover the missed spots. Be sure to let the paint dry before putting another coat on, and if it looks uneven, throw ...
- 6,007
4
votes
painting over bare metal
As has been mentioned in the comments, most bumper covers are plastic. Usually (I think) they're injection molded ABS which is black. So the black may just be that plastic. It is also possible that ...
- 3,264
4
votes
What is the procedure to fix vehicle roof paint inexpensively?
If you're not concerned with aesthetics, sand it as much as you can (the more the better), I would use 220 and then 600 because you're going to want some smoothness.
Then use one-step primer, this ...
- 91
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