Is there any hope for my paint?

djoptix · Post by **djoptix** » Mon May 12, 2008 3:07 pm

My 16v has not only gone pink, it's gone almost completely matt. I was thinking that this was all OK and that it would be kind of "rat look"... but I've seen Tony's car over on the 16v forum and have come over all jealous;

What's the absolute best way to make a pink BX red again?

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:30 pm

djoptix wrote:What's the absolute best way to make a pink BX red again?

Hmmmm ... let me think ...
YES ! - a respray in red

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Mon May 12, 2008 5:36 pm

That is funny! I was looking at Tony's car today too! That is shiny!:D

Don't despair, mine is somewhat pinker. I do believe some of it can be machine polished back. My bonnet is the most hopeless but the corner where polishing has been attempted actually shines. Some parts are actually white so there's not much hope for them! Furio Red.. er Pink!

Matt H · Post by **Matt H** » Mon May 12, 2008 5:43 pm

I would recommend using 3M Finesse-it to bring back the paint, followed by Maguire's tech wax. I would also suggest using One grand 'Blitz Wax' as a top coat for extra shine...

This is not the cheapest stuff on the market, but is very good, and worth the money... plus much cheaper than a full respray

This will make it look good, but only with regular applications of wax. Because of the way the pigment in the paint breaks down as a result of sunlight, it will become pink again quite quickly, unless you keep on top of it.

Regards,
Matt

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Mon May 12, 2008 9:41 pm

djoptix, your so funny!

THATS NOT PINK

you want to see mine, it has gone positively WHITE in a lot of places, some hard scrubbing and that will show right up!

Go have a look at bx16v and there is a thread i started all about getting the red car red again. There is aledged to be a guy in preston who will do the job for £40 notes! Bargain.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Mon May 12, 2008 10:03 pm

PICS!

I want pictures of all these supposedly pink GTis. A pint for any that look rougher than my old 19RD.

Yes, gentlemen, this is a "my car looks the worst" competition! Your entries please!

Post by **docchevron** » Tue May 13, 2008 2:55 am

My red TD surely wins the prize?
It's wayhey pinker / whiter than Vanny's..

In short, the only long term solution to the pink problem is as Anders says. respray. And thats what I'll do soon.

A good mop and polish will bring back almost anything to shinyness, but it wont last. Once it starts to fade you're f*c%ed.
Red is the worst colour for fading, and yet looks the dogs when it's shiny and red.

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Tue May 13, 2008 6:14 am

Are we having a : Whose is pinker?

I think the picture at the top of this thread is not actually djoptix's car but French Tony's - it is shined to purposely make pink BX owners despair. But his did have a respray he says two years ago so there's no wonder.. Does look good though

Here's a pink/white one - it is the bumpers that go the most

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Tue May 13, 2008 10:13 am

Dayum! The bumpers on that Mk 1 are even worse than the Red Shed's!

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Tue May 13, 2008 5:47 pm

where talking about valvers here not GTi's

The plastic in the bumpers has a pigment in it rather than actually being red plastic, hence they get so bad, same with all the other coloured bumpers as well (ivory ones dont show the fade though!). Modern plastics are much better and resist the UV damage to the pigment!

Will get pics when i can but its not good!

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Tue May 13, 2008 6:16 pm

Dare I suggest T-cut at this point? As a one-off it will lift/deepen a solid colour such as red considerably - unless it's been done many times before and there's not a very great thickness of paint left. As with everything, to be done with care and on a test patch first, and followed up with a goodly application of polish. Serious elbow-grease mandatory, one small area at a time.

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Tue May 13, 2008 7:51 pm

you've not used the newer available T-cut then DLM? Its gone very soppy and couldn't get chocolate off a childs face! Absolutley rubbish. I've got some T-cut from my dad which was bought early 90's now that stuff is brilliant and will get anything off anything.

I'd aim towards a decent modern cutting compound designed for polisher such as Farecellas G3, good replacement for T-cut

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Tue May 13, 2008 7:52 pm

That's all I did for my slightly faded Visa. A day's (hard) work with an electric polisher, red-coloured T-cut and coloured polish, finished with a detailing spray.

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Tue May 13, 2008 8:15 pm

you've not used the newer available T-cut then DLM? Its gone very soppy and couldn't get chocolate off a childs face!

Until last Saturday night the last time I used T-cut it was with whatever vintage Tom had in his shed a couple of years ago. I actually bought some of the "new variety" on Saturday but since I'm T-cutting white Paint I guess the effects are harder to judge - though it is making a difference. Maybe the ingredients were too "dangerous" or alternatively the bean-counters have been at work.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:31 pm

I was led to believe that a fix for those faded bumbers was to use a hairdryer......dont ask me how it works though as i've never tried it.....

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Is there any hope for my paint?

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