paint work issues-

[chefholliwood]

Are there any black colt owners out there who are unhappy with the factory paint job ?
When black is clean its the ultimate in color. my problem is that my whole car is covered in swirls,buff marx,pits,and even stains.

I have taken it to detailers,spray painters etc etc They tell me to get it looking the best is to respray the whole car again coz factory paintwork is poor. just look under your bonnet and you can see primer!!

there must be somebody else with this show & shine problem?

I am too ashamed to put my colt in a show & shine at that.:o

[lovecolt]

Well, this is my first black car. Hence i'm still learning how to take care of it. My car's like yours, covered with swirl marks......but the rest.....i don't think i have it.

As for the comments from detailers/painters, they are correct as Mitsubishi's paintwork is known to be poor. This is the same for all evos too.

As for underneath bonnet primer, i noticed that when i first saw a rcolt at the showroom. I guess with all the heat coming from the engine/turbo, a well painted underneath will still go bad as time goes. Hence might as well just leave it as is. Weight saving too :p

The solution, is to really get to know how to take care of a black car. Middleman of this forum, his Black Evo 9 is always at tip top condition. Hence, i believe if you know how to take care of it, you will be alright.

[Colt_Ralliart]

the swirl marks are usually caused when cleaning, polishing and waxing with the wrong cloth i think. have you guys tried the brand meguiars? i use their nxt car wash, ScratchX (to remove swirls and key streak marks), quick detailing plus clay, nxt wax and their different type of cloths..

top notch quality stuff i must say. The scratchX is really good at removing swirl marks and buff marks.

are the stains under the top clear coating or is it above it and just not removable?

http://www.meguiars.com/

[d-Z1R3]

the swirl marks are usually caused when cleaning, polishing and waxing with the wrong cloth i think. have you guys tried the brand meguiars? i use their nxt car wash, ScratchX (to remove swirls and key streak marks), quick detailing plus clay, nxt wax and their different type of cloths..

top notch quality stuff i must say. The scratchX is really good at removing swirl marks and buff marks.

are the stains under the top clear coating or is it above it and just not removable?

http://www.meguiars.com/


don't use that!!! it will thin out your clear coat!!! and you'll have rust bubbles build up after time if you wear the clear coat thin!!! use a polish and water at the same time, that will smooth out the clear coat and get rid of pits a ridges. do not use scratch x no matter wat on paint. its just a band aid fix and will lead on to more problems.

if you think meguiers is good, pfft...try zymol, i use it and its the shit!!! meguires is cheap compared to it, lambo's, an ferrari's use this out of the factory!

[Colt_Ralliart]

don't use that!!! it will thin out your clear coat!!! and you'll have rust bubbles build up after time if you wear the clear coat thin!!! use a polish and water at the same time, that will smooth out the clear coat and get rid of pits a ridges. do not use scratch x no matter wat on paint. its just a band aid fix and will lead on to more problems.

if you think meguiers is good, pfft...try zymol, i use it and its the shit!!! meguires is cheap compared to it, lambo's, an ferrari's use this out of the factory!

Alright alright, dont have to get so worked up. first of all, i use megures due to it's availability, secondly, its highly recommanded from most of the forums ive been reading, and thirdly, i like how meguairs have a interactive site and a forum of their own which really helps in giving instructions on restoring scratches and all.

i've used meguairs and it worked for me really well. as regards to your claim, do you have a site or some information to back up what you said? if yes, maybe its worth sharing so that anyone or i can have a better understanding of the side effects it causes.

but anyway, thanks for giving me a heads up about the scratchX product, i know it definately have a abbrasive effect but really, u dont use scratchX on the whole car do you? mainly i use it for key scratches and some other minor swirls on the bonnet which is really ugly.

[lovecolt]

Don't worry Colt_Ralliart, d-Z1R3 doesn't sound worked up at all.

Meguairs' good, but its really the cheap brand in the top car care brand world. Kinda like a Omega watch in the watch world. Expensive for normal people, but its really only a tip of the ice berg.

d-Z1R3: Do you happen to be a detailer by trade? You sounded very knowledgeable in car care. If yes, how about a demo session for all RColt members :D

[d-Z1R3]

Alright alright, dont have to get so worked up. first of all, i use megures due to it's availability, secondly, its highly recommanded from most of the forums ive been reading, and thirdly, i like how meguairs have a interactive site and a forum of their own which really helps in giving instructions on restoring scratches and all.

i've used meguairs and it worked for me really well. as regards to your claim, do you have a site or some information to back up what you said? if yes, maybe its worth sharing so that anyone or i can have a better understanding of the side effects it causes.

but anyway, thanks for giving me a heads up about the scratchX product, i know it definately have a abbrasive effect but really, u dont use scratchX on the whole car do you? mainly i use it for key scratches and some other minor swirls on the bonnet which is really ugly.

personal experience, was recommended by a car detailer that i am good mates with, you'll notice the difference once you use it properly.

you can get zymol at autobarn, only about $50 per bottle of top layer wax. pretty cheap for a good product. i have use meguires before, no where as good as this stuff!

[killercolt]

I previously owned an Evo7 and the paint also was crap other evo owners also complained of the poor workmanship of thier paint jobs.I was told MMAL put on thin to cut down on weight on the Evos.

[d-Z1R3]

i will do a step by step run down of how i clean and detail my car once i finish my uni exams in a fortnite. hopefully it will help you guys maintain a good lookin car!

[GavinTan]

Mitsubishi's paint quality is crap! I can't believe it but this is what happened...I was loading this huge luggage into my car boot. It accidentally lightly grazed the bumper and its not even a scratch the paint actually peeled off!! I've seen bumper getting scratched but paint peeling? Does the paint not even bond with the bumper material?!

There is a chance to fix scratches but now with a peeled off segment of the bumper...now I'm damn sure the dealer will say the quality is all good it's just my bad.

[radiostar69]

And i dont mean that Meth shit! I was reccomended Turtle Wax Ice, by the guy at Autobarn...probably due to the fact it was one of the more expensive ones. However, i have to say it was one of the quickest polish ive ever done and the results look fantastic...those swirl marks from cleaning your car will come up on any car regardless of the price...but it will particularly stand out on certain darker colours...black, red, blue...not so much on white. In the end it is a car and really the only way to keep it looking like its straight outta the showroom is to do what my uncle does with his 34, 55 and 66 chev's. Only take them out on the weekend when there's not a cloud in sight. ill just live with a few battle scars!

al

[brendans225]

i used to have a black pajero, and the paint was actually not too bad.....

but like all dark coloured cars, swirls are a major problem.....

i have to argue against some of the comments made though...

meguirs scratch x has hardly any cutting power (there are many more products with heaps more cutting power e.g. menzerna) and will not remove swirls and scratches effectively.......also, u will find yourself having to use about 1000 bottles of this stuff before u even get through the clearcoat!!!.........for most swirl correction, u will need a buffing maching and some abrasive polishes ;)

zymol is good, but will not last very long........the looks are the main benefits of using zymol and not because it lasts a long time............i use zymol, and believe they are a great product (my preferred brand), but their durability just does not stack upto sealants (good, but not outstanding).....the warmth, depthness and shine u get is amazing (and this is the main benefit and reason why people will use a carnuaba based wax, rather than a polymer, sythnthetic based sealant/wax)........i use the titanium btw........zymol is not for everyone, not only because of its price tag, but also because not many people will notice the difference, and their waxes and paint cleaners are not the easiest to use....


if u want something that lasts, use a polymer sealnt like zaino or duragloss.........they will last for months :) ..........they also provide a nice wet look, and are easy to apply


not all megs products are rubbish, but for the price, i would use something which is better (e.g. duragloss, poorboys) - they just have good advertising to promote themselves as being the sh1t.;) ........have to admit that the NXT wax is rubbish though................megs is a good generic product, a bit like a holden commodore, but for the real enthusiasts they will see that there are much better brands out there......., good for the average joe, and will do a decent job, but will not give u any wow factor..................their professional range is pretty good though.........don't be afraid to use scratch X, megs are not stupid enough to release a product where it will take away your clearcote with a few applications ;) ...........plus, using your hands just doesn't generate enough pressure to effectively remove imperfections (although it is possible, but will take a long time)

also, swirls are the result of incorrect washing, drying, buffing and polishing techniques aswell as the type of towel used............if u want a nice plush towel, try something like aquataouch ultrasoft, will remove wax, polishes with ease.


i hope i have provided some insight......this is only the tip of the iceberg.....

[bomber]

I agree. I used to work as a panel beater back in the day and it pains me to see what car dealers to when they get a second hand or new car on the lot to make it look shiny. I've seen some good paint jobs absolutely ruined because some fool has got behind a buffer and done a quick job of trying to buff the car up. If you don't know what you're doing, you can leave scratch and buff marks that are painstakingly hard to remove.
It's really a crime. I wonder whether some dealers do it to get you to buy their paint protection package just to correct the damage they've done in preparing the car.