RAGE PAGE
Q&A by Haris Rafique
06
2016
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Q: So I bought a BMW with the center grill rattle canned black, but it chips off thick and the paint underneath seems pretty decent. What would be the best way to remove the flat black paint without damaging my paint underneath? Also the flat black is silver on the other side of the chips.
-Robert
A: I would try a light approach like an all purpose cleaner or adhesive remover and a terry cloth first. If that doesn’t work, I’d step up to something more aggressive like mineral spirits. Spray paint can be a pain to work with, especially if you’re trying to preserve the underlying paint below. You may be able to use a plastic razor but this could leave small scratches on the grill if you’re not careful. Another option is to have it stripped and powder coated by a professional shop in your area.
Q: Teach me how to do the dettaglierino; make a youtube series.
-Angelo
A: I might make some videos in the future. Maybe next year when my shop location is opened.
Q: When doing rinseless wash, how many towels do you use? Do you change towels after they get dirty from wiping dust or no-rinse solution takes away all the dust and keep wet towel clean? What about drying towel? Is one enough to dry entire car or you use multiple towels?
-Sarah
A: I generally use around 3 to 4 wash towels for an average size coupe or sedan. I keep flipping to clean sides of the towel until it’s time to swap it for a new one. Once clean, I use one towel (usually a larger drying towel) for the initial drying and another clean towel for a final wipe to eliminate streaks.
Q:Hey can I get a final verdict on the HD Speed vs. McKee's 37 360?
-Joshua
A: I compared the two using Lake Country orange Hybrid pads and a Flex 3401 polisher. I found the ease of use and correcting ability to be very similar. The durability of 360 is claimed to be an impressive 5+ months but I can’t comment on that just yet as I’ve only had the product for about a month. I would be comfortable using either product for an “all in one” service on a customers car. The following is a video comparing the two.
Q: Do you measure coating thickness on each panel you work on?
-Chris
A: No I do not. Most of my jobs are budget one step corrections with a product like HD Speed. These services don’t involve removing too much paint. It’s a good idea to measure paint thickness any time you’re doing intensive correction work like when using a rotary polisher with a wool pad and compound or any sort of wet sanding work.
Q: Best way to clean oil off of undergrad covers?
-Amanda
A: If you’re referring to the plastic engine covers underneath the car, I would use a degreaser like Meguair’s D108 to clean caked up oil and dirt. It has worked very well for me in the past. Spray and allow cleaner to dwell, then wipe with a towel. Use a brush to agitate the buildup if necessary.
Q: How to tell if car wash shampoo is maintenance or cleaner shampoo?
-Tommy
A: It should state somewhere on your product label what the intended purpose of the product is. If you’re worried about stripping wax or sealant, it’s actually pretty tough to do that by just hand washing with a shampoo.