hey ima detailer! no really...

For a freshly painted surface (aka fender) how long should I wait to clay bar and wax the surface?

 

wow, this happened to my 2000 chevy s-10 (which i finally traded in 3 weeks ago for my tacoma) but i'd never met anyone else who'd experienced it and, while it was clear they were tiny, tiny pits like it was sandblasted, as our esteemed friend has already stated, there was never any one clear incident that could have caused it. however, up until 2002 i was driving this truck on a 45 min commute to work which would take me past a few massive quarries in socal and i would constantly find myself behind the big dumptrucks that served them. i think the throw off from these trucks is what caused it. you been near anything like that?

 

if it is new paint why would you put clay to it? second what type of paint is it? powder coat is cured in an over and if safe to play with right away, same goes for any decent clear coat performed by any paint or body shop. now some old school lacquer paint jobs even though cured can remain tacky for a day or so but this is penco tech macco bull shit, rattle can i can offer no advice that can be followed safely due to the many different ways to paint ie, scuffing, primer, or just prep solution on paint. not to mention the many different types of rattle can paint. i hope this helps

 

depending on the year make model of your car or truck some glass shops can replace a windsheild in less than a day and for under 150 alot of the times when dealing with domestics. just thought i would throw that out there. its not that much money if it looks that bad, you would spend that much or more on a decent pair of aux lights to see better shell it out and get it fixed. if it is infact pitted there is no way to rehab glass when its in that state a chip yes sometimes but not pitting.

 

the only reason to take clay to paint is to remove overspray or foreign objects that have began to work on the integrity of the paint be it clear coat or lacquer. clay bars actually scratch the paints surface because it traps shit in there and then you just scrub that shit all around not to mention the level of clay being used. new nissans and toyotas in the 80's would come to our dealership with rail dust on them from being transported by train from the ports in baltimore or where ever the fuck they came from. other than a situation like this or where overspray from lets say a rattle can is involved there is not a reason to clay your paint. if you keep your ride clean and are aware where you park and whats going on with your ride you should never really need it. i know every inch of my taco's bsp paint job and i have had it less than a week.

 

What would you use to clean mud spots under the hood of a truck? I have never left it muddy for more than a day but I have this nasty residue that I can't seem to clean off.

 

bonus info time!!! if you have pesky glue stuck on your rig try getting a clean spray bottle going to home depot and by denatured alcohol and mineral spirits. mix in your bottle 50/50 use a soft towel and shake everytime you spray as the mix will separate. this will not harm clear or powder coat paint jobs and it works like gang busters.

 

on the underside of the hood or on the engine components themselves? if on the bottom of the hood try a softer bristle tire type brush and a bit of all purp cleaner all wheel cleaner is acceptable in this situation spray a little on the brush and go at it. rinse as soon as your done try not to let it dry. see what happens if this does not work either idk i would have to see it, if its the actual engine same thing except this time spray an all wheel type cleaner on the engine itself and use a dawn dish soap as its not so mild and tuff on grease haha go at it with a soft tire brush and don't let it dry just make sure not to blast water on the fuse box or in the air cleaner. its a good rule of thumb to cut a trash bag and block those parts off so that you don't cause any damage. obviously these parts can get wet just not blasted with liquid. hope this helps.

 

Its a start. I'll have to try it tomorrow and get back to you. Its pretty much all over the engine bay and the bottom of the hood.

 

on second thought. maybe simple green something that will not effect some of the unprotected aluminum in the engine bay the wheel cleaner unless your really familiar with it maybe stay away from that. haha sorry i have self corrected myself. try simple green and dilute it a little. post pics when its all dry.

 

I would think that if a straight edge of a razor blade don't get the specks of then they are embedded.

 

very true.

 

I bought the truck only a few weeks ago. It was already like that when I got it. I thought he windshield was just dirty. I was wrong.

 

If I go with a replacement windshield, do replacements usually have the black dot shading above the rear view mirror like the original?

 

i've heard that hydrogen peroxide works great to get bugs off bumper.