Removing Oxidation From a Car
October 12, 2009 by Gainesville Detailing
Today we were presented with a vehicle that had heavy oxidation on the paintjob. One of the skills we have is removing oxidation from a car. Yes the kind where your hand looks like you just wiped down a chalkboard after touching the car.
The car in question was a four door Mazda Protege. The customer had been advised that this could not be done with detailing alone and that they may need to get a new paintjob! No way this can definitely be taken care of.
We spoke with the customer and explained the process that would be needed to bring the paint back on the car. First we washed the entire car head to tow using a soft microfiber wash mitt. Special attention was given to the front end to make sure all bugs were properly removed. Bugs you ask? But its cold why are there so many bugs on the car. Well in Florida the temperature is still in the eighties with no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Now on to removing the oxidation from the car.
We did a clay bar treatment to the automotives paint to remove any contaminants that may have bonded to the surface and beyond. The work was performed in small square sections to ensure no spot was left untouched. Next after a complete clay bar the car was polished. We used a medium grade polishing compound with only minor abrasives.
This procedure is one of the most important in removing oxidation from a cars paint.
Special attention was paid to the top surfaces of the car. Car hood, car trunk, car roof. The excess is removed with a soft microfiber before it dries. Make sure you remove the excess compound to ensure you are removing oxidation from the vehicle and not leaving residue behind. After this we washed the car again to remove any last remaining bits of cleaner that may have been missed. After thoroughly drying the car we began the waxing process. A nice application of pure caranuba wax was applied. The wax was applied in sections and buffed off with a microfiber making sure to use the same motion and direction that was used while applying the wax. After this the windows were polished and the tires and trim were dressed. The customer was satisfied and the best part was she did not have to get a new paint job. We hope you enjoyed our article on removing oxidation from a car. This is not the only way to do it nor the preferred method for each situation. Remember that each car and situation may require different methods or chemicals. 
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