First "full" clean, clay, and wax - Problem

MatthewM

MatthewM

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Today, for the first time in 5 years my Toyota Tundra has been cleaned in an informed way.

Until now it has been washed at a drive-through touchless wash, or at one of those do-it-yourself car washes (yes, I've been using that awful brush).

It is a white Toyota Tundra, year 2000. This means it has single stage paint (I think). Since it's neglect its finish has become very dull in most places and there are spots on the hood that have no paint, some of which are rusting over now.

After I finished the wash using ONR with a 3 bucket method (I have cleaned other family cars this week and have found that the extra rinse bucket helps cut down on debris in the wash bucket), claying with Meguiar's, and waxing with Meguiar's I have come to notice that there are "swirls". Not swirls in the paint but in the wax. No matter how hard I wipe, or if I apply more wax over, they will not come out. Some parts of the truck do not have this problem and are very shiny.

Anyway here are my questions:

How can I get those streaks/swirls out?
What are the best options for dealing with the rust spots?

and, two not really mentioned in the other stuff

How do you get tar off that is really stuck to the car?
What is the best method to get the white residue from wax off of black trim?


Thanks a bunch in advance!

PS. I feel like a total noob having to ask these questions.
 
Guys on here love to see pictures, if possible take clear pictures and I'm sure you'll be put on the right path. I know nothing about singe stage paint.

Gluck
 
tempter927 said:
Guys on here love to see pictures, if possible take clear pictures and I'm sure you'll be put on the right path. I know nothing about singe stage paint.

Gluck
Click to expand...

Its overcast here today and my only camera is my iPhone. Poor lighting and poor camera quality dont make for good pictures haha.

I'll see what I can do though.
 
Matt, I can't help you with the swirls but can help with removing the white wax residue. Take a stiff bristled tooth brush wet it and the area on the trim with simple green and scrub thoroughly. Do this twice and the wax residue will be totally gone.
 
MatthewM said:
Not swirls in the paint but in the wax. No matter how hard I wipe, or if I apply more wax over, they will not come out. Some parts of the truck do not have this problem and are very shiny.
Click to expand...


If the swirls you are seeing are in fact wax residue then a general rule of thumb goes like this,

Like dissolves like


Take the same product you were using and re-apply it to the swirls or streaks, work it in well and then while it's still wet, wipe the whole mess off.

If you're paint was extremely oxidized and you were working by hand, then it could be your arm and hand became tired and you did not work the wax as much where you see the problem. It could be with a fresh arm you could re-apply the same product and remove the oxidation, (what looks like swirls), and that will fix the problem.


If you're working on neglected single stage paint the you should be using a cleaner/wax. If you're using a finishing wax it won't work very well and that could be causing the problem too...

What are you using?


Also see this article in my article list,

How to Test for Single Stage or Clear Coat Paint


:)
 
MatthewM said:
Today, for the first time in 5 years my Toyota Tundra has been cleaned in an informed way.

Until now it has been washed at a drive-through touchless wash, or at one of those do-it-yourself car washes (yes, I've been using that awful brush).

It is a white Toyota Tundra, year 2000. This means it has single stage paint (I think). Since it's neglect its finish has become very dull in most places and there are spots on the hood that have no paint, some of which are rusting over now.

After I finished the wash using ONR with a 3 bucket method (I have cleaned other family cars this week and have found that the extra rinse bucket helps cut down on debris in the wash bucket), claying with Meguiar's, and waxing with Meguiar's I have come to notice that there are "swirls". Not swirls in the paint but in the wax. No matter how hard I wipe, or if I apply more wax over, they will not come out. Some parts of the truck do not have this problem and are very shiny.
Click to expand...



MatthewM said:
Anyway here are my questions:

How can I get those streaks/swirls out?
Click to expand...

It almost sounds like the paint is oxidized and what you're seeing is wax that has filled the porous areas and have retained it. Prior to waxing you might want to try a 1-Step product like:


  • Klasse All-In-one
  • Menzerna Sealing Wax APO 60
  • Pinnacle's XMT 360
These products are best applied using a dual action or rotary polisher in order to effectively remove oxidation and finish defects.

MatthewM said:
What are the best options for dealing with the rust spots?
Click to expand...

These will need mechanical finishing where the area is sanded, treated, primed, and painted, there's no other way around this. Unless your familiar with automotive finishes and painting I'd leave this to the professionals.

MatthewM said:
and, two not really mentioned in the other stuff

How do you get tar off that is really stuck to the car?
Click to expand...

Mineral spirits or a tar remover product.

MatthewM said:
What is the best method to get the white residue from wax off of black trim?
Click to expand...

Mineral spirits and a tooth brush
Duragloss Wax Eraser
 
Great answers on the other topics Bobby! :xyxthumbs:

BobbyG said:
Prior to waxing you might want to try a 1-Step product like:


  • Klasse All-In-one
  • Menzerna Sealing Wax APO 60
  • Pinnacle's XMT 360
Click to expand...


And on that note, here's something similar to what you're working on but note that XMT 360 is for machine application...

KISS Detail - Extreme Makeover - Toyota Highlander

Before
1eoWhite001.jpg



After

1eoWhite029.jpg


1eoWhite026.jpg


1eoWhite027.jpg





There are cleaner/waxes that can be applied by hand, like the Klasse AIO that do a good job if the finish isn't to neglected. A fairly strong cleaner/wax for hand application is Meguiar's ColorX.

I rubbed this car out by hand on purpose to show what could be done by hand even though I had electric polishers at my disposal. It actually takes less talent and skill to use a tool like a DA Polisher than it does to work by hand....


Here's what ColorX did by hand to a 1947 Plymouth Coupe,

Before - Horrible Swirls throughout the finish

247PCBeforeMassiveCobwebs1.jpg


247Plybefore1-med.jpg


21947plymouthcoupecobwebb1.jpg



First we removed the white paint overspray using Meguiar's Quik Clay System now replaced with Smooth Surface Clay Kit.

247Plybeforewhiteoversprayresize2.jpg


Then applied one hand application of ColorX followed by one hand application of NXT Tech Wax Liquid

247PlyAfter2coatsNXT1.jpg


247PlymouthColorXNXTBeautyShotC3.jpg



I did this car back when ColorX first came out, I saw the car right before I moved from California to Florida and it still looked great. (Taught the owner how to maintain the paint)


:)
 
Interestingly, after time went by the swirls have basically disappeared. Not entirely, but they are much less noticeable. However, the finish looks more like a matte finish, no gloss.



Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
If the swirls you are seeing are in fact wax residue then a general rule of thumb goes like this,

Like dissolves like


Take the same product you were using and re-apply it to the swirls or streaks, work it in well and then while it's still wet, wipe the whole mess off.

If you're paint was extremely oxidized and you were working by hand, then it could be your arm and hand became tired and you did not work the wax as much where you see the problem. It could be with a fresh arm you could re-apply the same product and remove the oxidation, (what looks like swirls), and that will fix the problem.
Click to expand...

I tried this on a good portion of the truck. It did work quite well. Added gloss and removed most of the swirls.


If you're working on neglected single stage paint the you should be using a cleaner/wax. If you're using a finishing wax it won't work very well and that could be causing the problem too...
Click to expand...

I do believe that this would be considered "neglected single stage paint"

What are you using?
Click to expand...

I used Meguiar's Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax... (bad choice?).



Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
After

1eoWhite029.jpg
Click to expand...

The front of the hood where the paint is chipped off is exactly the same as on my truck.
 
I'm thinking I will go ahead and try using a cleaner wax.

Where I'm at the only Cleaner/Wax you can buy OTC is Meguiar's. In the future I will order some Klasse AIO as well as a Polisher. But for now this is probably what I will do.

Will Meguiar's Cleaner Wax work? Or should I just wait and get Klasse AIO?

Also, when they time comes, how should I remove the wax I just put on? (I think I saw an article on this somewhere)
 
I can almost guarantee a MY2000 vehicle anywhere will not have single stage paint...

I can also say with fair certainty the paint probably has way too many issues to be able to pick out one type over another. Machine compounding will be necessary to level the defects and restore the gloss.
 
jlb85 said:
I can almost guarantee a MY2000 vehicle anywhere will not have single stage paint...

I can also say with fair certainty the paint probably has way too many issues to be able to pick out one type over another. Machine compounding will be necessary to level the defects and restore the gloss.
Click to expand...

As I understand it Toyota still only does a single stage with their white non-metallics.

Every other color is clear coated now. White is the only exception (I think there are actually a few shades of white like this: pearl white, super white, etc.). I'm not sure why.
 
If you are going to use a cleaner wax then it will take off the wax you put on. Did you get a polisher yet? It's amazing what paint cleaners can get out of the finish using a polisher.

Since it won't hurt anything and is pretty cheap to do you can also wash with Dawn and clay (I'd only clay again if the surface feels rough) before your cleaner wax.

After the cleaner, then use your Meg's deep crystal or whatever lsp you feel like (maybe a sealant like Powerlock or DG 105)
 
I don't have a polisher yet.

I've been unemployed for a while for college so I'm pretty low on cash. And I'm going on a 5 day bike trek next week, so I need to save what I have for now.

Next paycheck I will be buying a polisher.
 
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