red car syndrome

[ever88]

hello

I own a 944 turbo in guards red and it's a recent purchase, the best example of the previous 3 I have owned.

trouble is!

when I polish to protect against the millions of flies and bugs I hit living out in the Dales I seem to cover my rag in red.

I know red cars do fade quickly in the sun but at this rate I will have to paint it every 3 years to put back what seems to be the paint I rub off when cleaning.

is this quite normal?

should I consider a clear coat paint finish over the top to protect further?

any suggestions please

 

[Eldavo]

Don't worry about it too much, the red oxidises pretty quickly and goes pink if left. When you have polished it get a couple of coats of decent wax on there and repeat every few months depending upoin usage.

 

[robwright]

When I first got mine I waxed it and get some red on the polishing rag. I now wax it every time it gets washed with carnuba wax and it has never happened ever again. One year on my paintwork is shiny and red as new [] and I keep it outside as well.

 

[jasonp]

hiya, i would say keep her topped up with wax [ a good one] , thats the problem with guards red, when shiny they look great[imho] but if not waxed and kept on top of, they can look very tired and worn,. regards jason p

 

[pauljmcnulty]

As I see it, if there's red on the polishing cloth there are two possibilities. Either, you're using an abrasive polish or the previous owner used a coloured polish that's rubbing off?

 

[Alexw]

What Paul said!
You don't need to polish the car every week, even every month. If your seeing red in the cloth every time you polish you may well be removing a few microns of paint each time. Just polish to remove imperfections then put wax on. Then every now and again give it a good clean and a new coat of wax.

What product are you using to polish?

 

[Mike_Pollock]

A good wax will also make it easy to wash of the bugs without having to rub hard.
Mike

 

[CLIFFWILKINS]

Hi
Polish will allways take off a certain amount of paint more so on red.
People can get mixed up regards polish and wax.
My advice would be to use a pre cleanser to remove old polish waxes and
contaminants and light swirls.
Then use a quality carnuba wax to seal your cars paint work. ( NOT POLISH)
This may stop bleeding in future and also protect against elements and bugs.
Hope this helps any further advice gladly given.
Cliff.

 

[Hilux]

Red pigment has still not been synthesised properly so is a partly natural product which UV affects - hence red paint (pigment) still fades/oxidises.

You need to seal it - hence all the advice re a good quality polish.

 

[ghost]

To be clear: polish and wax are two completely different processes. Polish is an abrasive used to flatten the paint and remove swirls, etc. It comes in various 'cuts' of abrasiveness. Polish will not protect the paint from UV fading and , in the case of Guards Red - changing the colour to pink. Nor will it protect from grit and bird poo, etc. For this you need to apply a top coat of wax.. after the polish. This is absolutely critical to preserving the paint.

Then there is the question of paint type. There are basically two types: Single stage paint and two stage paint. Old cars had single stage paint. Two coat paints use a base coat (this is the part with the colour pigment) and a top 'clear coat'. Clear coat is paint, it's the same paint as a single stage, it just doesn't have any color.

Polished clear coated paints will have more depth, gloss, and clarity over a single stage paint. But, some people prefer the more authentic (flat) look of a single stage. It's also possible to mix clear and base coat to give a combined single stage process. Confused yet? [] Single stage red when polished does stand out, and looks fabulous, especially if it was neglected.

So, with single stage paint it is NORMAL for some of the colour to come over to the polishing cloth or pad. The amount may look worrying, but it really is microns. Its key to get a couple of wax coats on top of your polish, swirl free, paint to prevent more paint erosion. BTW, I always use an in-between coating of glaze (Meguire's number 7 is fantastic).

Oh, and I understand that 1980's guards red was a single stage paint - hence the red pigment on your polishing pad.

 

[jefft]

What carnuba wax would be recommended ??

 

[Hilux]

I repeat

Red hasnt been synthesised so fades with UV so it doesnt matter if its a polish or a sealer it still fades

ORIGINAL: ghost

To be clear: polish and wax are two completely different processes. Polish is an abrasive used to flatten the paint and remove swirls, etc. It comes in various 'cuts' of abrasiveness. Polish will not protect the paint from UV fading and , in the case of Guards Red - changing the colour to pink. Nor will it protect from grit and bird poo, etc. For this you need to apply a top coat of wax.. after the polish. This is absolutely critical to preserving the paint.

Then there is the question of paint type. There are basically two types: Single stage paint and two stage paint. Old cars had single stage paint. Two coat paints use a base coat (this is the part with the colour pigment) and a top 'clear coat'. Clear coat is paint, it's the same paint as a single stage, it just doesn't have any color.

Polished clear coated paints will have more depth, gloss, and clarity over a single stage paint. But, some people prefer the more authentic (flat) look of a single stage. It's also possible to mix clear and base coat to give a combined single stage process. Confused yet? [] Single stage red when polished does stand out, and looks fabulous, especially if it was neglected.

So, with single stage paint it is NORMAL for some of the colour to come over to the polishing cloth or pad. The amount may look worrying, but it really is microns. Its key to get a couple of wax coats on top of your polish, swirl free, paint to prevent more paint erosion. BTW, I always use an in-between coating of glaze (Meguire's number 7 is fantastic).

Oh, and I understand that 1980's guards red was a single stage paint - hence the red pigment on your polishing pad.

 

[robwright]

I use Meguire's mate. About £9 a bottle. Smells like bananas and leaves no residue - good stuff []

 

[DivineE]

The Zymol blue bottle of carnuba wax polish (rather than the solid ones) gives a fantastic finish but its a pig to work with, leaving swirls in the polish that are really hard to buff out, making all the rubbers go white and leaving dusty residue everywhere.. worth it but a real pain.

Autogym amazingly although a simple/cheap polish, seems to work wonders on red cars.