Alfa Pages

[jobrien389]

anyone have any experience with this claying process for cleansing body before polishing the car?
I am looking at meguiars polishing stuff and clay. but there are a few manufactures for good polish and wax... such as meguiars, and DTConcours detailing clay and 1-2-3 kit. which is a bit more pricy than meguiars costing about 12.95 for the clay and 24.00 for a 3 stage polish kit. DTC costs about £40.

I have tried Colour T-cut - works real well to bring back white colour from aged paint but am unsure if to use it on bodywork all over for the initial cleaner polish before I get some carnuba based wax.

have also tried zymol cleaner wax (from Halfords - which I think must be different from the zymol from zymol.com etc as these retail for £100 for starter kit ! ouch. this zymol stuff has my garrage smelling like bubble gum? its mad smell for automotive product

Jonathan
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1.7 33 owner

[ChrisC]

As a warning, remember t-cut is not something you do every time you clean the car, more like err. once every 4 or 5 years.

You do all the paintwork, maybe twice or even three times on the worst faded bits, then you set to work with the polish and usual cleaners. If you have to spread the t-cut over more than a day leave the car in a garage or pick days when its nto going to rain
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Alfa Sprint QV - Gone to a better home and in happier health for it
Silver Lancia Beta HPE Volumex - under restoration

[Gary UK]

You shouldn't cut 2 pack paint.

[James Granger]

Why not?

My 33's paint was seriously oxidised when I got the car 4 years ago. The first weekend after receiving it, I did the whole body with Turtle T-cut and afterwards applied Valma coloured wax (doing exactly as Chris mentions above). Since then the paint has looked fantastic - blood red and very glossy. My local Alfa specialist - no fool - mentioned last week that he thought my car had been professionally resprayed. A true honour!

I wouldn't really bother with that clay stuff John, just get all the crap off with a high-pressure hose and start cutting!

James

[Maximilian]

[Ian M]

What gary means by two pack paint is clear over base....ie a coloured base coat and a clear laquer topcoat.
This normally applies to metallic paints.
If this goes dull it means the laquer is gone and no amount of cutting will get it back.
A way to test for two pack is to get some wet-n-dry and rub a small area (that wont show) if its laquer you will produce white dust whatever the colour of the car.
Hope this is of some use to you guys

Ian...

[Dave_NZ]

I know that i have a clear coat on my Biano Argento (goldy silver) 33. What should i use to get the scratches out of the clear coat. They look like the sort of scratches you get on clear plastic, hence the clear coat. Or is it just best to give it a good waxing.

Thanks

Dave
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Looking for a type 2 33QV in NL

[Maximilian]

[Ian M]

Maximilian

Ian M wrote:
two pack paint is clear over base....ie a coloured base coat and a clear laquer topcoat.

Thanks for misquoting me...what I actually said was...

What gary means by two pack paint is clear over base....ie a coloured base coat and a clear laquer topcoat.

I worked in the automotive paint industry for more than 5 years so I think I know what I am talking about and I know what 2 pack is thankyou.

None taken

Ian...

[jobrien389]

Interesting about the paint dos-donts. Im a bit confused about this two pack paint and gloss coat paint.
Im about to do some toutching up of the fiberglass rear skirt so what do you reckon the type of paint I should get. I was in the auto shop to see if i can get a colour match (i found out my AR colour is Bianco 210) but I dont know if its going to be the correct type of paint to blend it with surrounding paint. ?

I did rub a small section with wet n dry when rubbing off some of the dodgy touch ups of stone chips/ flakes on the boot. Im pretty sure it produced a white dust. for sure there was white deposit on the wet/dry.

on the t-cut note
I tried some of the white colour t-cut on both the gutters on the roof which was badly dirty and green mould on the surface on the gutter. . result was ok - really bought the white-ness out cleaned off all the green.

but if I indeed have a gloss coat paint would it mean i have damaged it using the colour t-cut? its not good that the manufacture of colour t-cut dont say not to use it on certain paint types.

i would greatly apreciate further advice on this i am planning to begin re touching up over the weekend and confused on what paint to get.
all of the paints in the shop are spray paints and touchup pens - i guess these are cellelose.
i dont want to bodge it buy buying wrong stuff.

many thanks
Jonathan
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1.7 33 owner

[James Granger]

2 pack paint is a synthetic paint using a seperate hardener added to the base coat to accelerate drying. It is a bit like spraying on a thin layer of coloured epoxy resin mix.

Metallic colours are sprayed in 2 stages. Firstly a metallic base coat, followed by a colourless laquer.

It is not necessary to use a 2 pack paint if the car is cured in an oven afterwards, ie. the situation at the factory.

2 pack paints have become popular in the automotive refinishing business where small repairs are often caried out without the benefit of an oven.

Simply T-cut the car (when clean). This will be OK. Unfortunately the spray-paints from Halfords don't actually guarantee a 100% match: for example, their Alfa Rosso 130 is too orange.

By chance I recently saw a scientific investigation into which automotive polishes were best and Sonax products were awarded first place (out of 10).

I hope all goes well.

James