T-cutting and polishing?

Stormster

Stormster

Stormster

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
4,671
Location
Stoke-on-Trent
Being a lazy sod and a n00b to having a clean car lol.. basically this is the problem.

Got a T plate Corsa Sport 1.6, lovely little car nothing at all up with it...apart from it's red, and I've been lazy and never polished it since I've had it (7 months) - suffice to say its no longer flame red but instead flame pink.

I'm told I need to t-cut it and then polish it... I was thinking of using that turtle wax red polish after using a typical red bottle of T cut too... am I thinking along the right lines?

What kinda cloths and stuff will I need to do this and is there any particular method I should follow so I don't potentially make a mess of my paint? I have got loads of plastic bits too (arches, rubbing strips, bits on bumpers) which I need to avoid getting pink/white with wax annoyingly lol.

Cheers guys :)
 
you can go wrong by just rfollowing the instructions to be honest

im sure someone here might have a handy link to a thread on detailing world or somewhere though

get some back to black for the plastic trim too

and obligatory before and after pics :D
 
My girlfriend's Corsa had the same problem, same age and colour.

We spent a full day sorting out the paint but it looked fantastic afterwards.

First step was to T-cut it all over, then used Autoglym Super Resin Polish and finally and most importantly waxed it.
 
T-cut till its red, lots of pressure, small circles.

Then seal it with some good quality wax.

Then the most important thing: NEVER EVER let warm water touch it, always wash it cold.
 
Yeah t-cut it. I use a clean but old tea towel for the t-cutting in small circles and buff off, then apply Turtlewax or something similar with a clean cloth and buff off with a duster.
 
Sweet I'll get on it soon :) Thanks guys. I'll try spend a day on it and see how it comes up, do a panel at a time I guess. Polish/wax... will I need wax aswell as that turtle wax red stuff I was on about?

I don't expect it to be immaculate.. I brought it to drive lol not put on my mantle piece but hopefully it'll look way more respectable

I'll do some before and after pics aswell haha but you can get a rough idea of how bad it is from this one:

hmmpink.jpg


it's not clean here but regardless, poor neglected paint :( mega dull aswell lol

Sometimes it looks clean though
 
Last edited:
DONT do it by hand. It'll never be even, and it'll take you ages, and its too much like hard work. Mask off or remove your black plastics fully. you never, ever get t-cut off grey/black plastics, its there forever once its there. Get a proper buffer with an oscillating head, and mop. try a VERY fine grade of t-cut at first, dont use too much, and keep it wet DO NOT let it dry out - use cold water. there will be loads of guides on how to do this. Then get some good red polish.

Shouldnt take any longer than an easy, lazy weekend, and it'll look great. Get a hair dryer and blow it on any black plastics you have (making it hot but not soft), rubbing them fairly hard with a plain, clean duster. This works wonders getting greying plastic back to black, without using compounds or fluids, which you just have to remove anyway next year and do it again because they're kind of harsh on plastics and look like gack after not very long
 
Last edited:
Ah, pink Corsa syndrome. I know it well. I did this one in Aug 2005, and did some comparison pics:

split.jpg


bonnet.jpg


3 months later it was pink again, despite polish and wax on it :eek:

Does T-cut count as detailing? :p

edit: I did it by hand using mettalic T-cut as I think normal T-cut is too damaging.
 
When I got my '89 Ren 5 it was much more faded than that, really dull nasty pink.

I got T-Cut out, went over it a panel at a time and it came back to brilliant red, I then went over it with some Simonez waxes, one hard, one soft, and then finally with some turtlewax.

It made the car look so much better (and gave it atleast 15bhp! ;) :p).

It took one day to do it all of the work, I did it by hand as the electric machine was absolutly rubish at any form of polishing and buffing etc.

Unlesss you are really anal about how your car looks, by hand will be fine, if you are really anal, then get it done professionally (not one of those £5 for 20 min jobs you get at car parks).

The car about 6-8 months after I cleaned it properly.

InvG
 
Last edited:
anyone remember the blue they used to put on MK2 fiestas?

We had one from new and it was uberfaded within a couple of years. I polished it a few times but had to stop because i thought i was going to go through the paint. and by that time it was so old it didnt matter.

There's no "anal" about it. If your car looks a right mess, you'll wince every time you drive past a hot lass. You wont want to drive it, and you'll hate it. The only exception to this rule is cars you have bought "to abuse to death" = right old nasty bangers where the damage gives it character.. lol
 
My point was more aimed at the ones saying not to use hands etc. and how it'll take a week to do it...that is really anally doing it.

I used 3 layers of wax, and that was overkill, and only took me a day by hand.

And the car looked clean and good afterwards.

InvG
 
Vauxhall red paint can be terrible to attempt to restore.

I posted this a year or so ago so I will just cut and paste it in here:-

Posted this earlier in the year, so I'll just copy and paste it here again:-

Yep......a machine polish is the way to go.

I did it recently on my auld red Calibra that I use for commuting when the weather is bad.

I used this stuff:-

3m Finesse-it

I was honestly gobsmacked at the finish I got. :eek:

Complete body machine polish followed up with Turtlewax to seal the exposed paint back in, and it gleams like nothing else!!

I havent got a "before" pic of the car, but believe me, the paintwork had really faded badly on the bonnet and the roof in particular. Red paint is notorious for doing this, especially Vauxhall paint. The car is 14 years old btw.

A lot of the bonnet and roof was "chalky pink" in colour, but this is a pic I took of it "after" the machine polish:-

finalnobadge24rkrh9.jpg



I used a polishing machine I borrowed from a m8, and although initialy I was a bit concerned about using it, if you take your time and dont whatever you do, press down on the bodywork, it's not as difficult as I first thought it would be. Just let the machine do the work, rather than try and buff it with any pressure yourself. Use plenty of water in some sort of "spray" bottle, in conjunction with the polishing compound. After it had all been cut back to fresh paint, I swapped over the lambswool polishing head for a finer one and did the same with the machine with some Turtlewax polish paste, the stuff that comes in the wee flat tins, again, use a light spray of water over the top of the paint before applying the polish.

The 3m Finesse-it I was seriously impressed with. I was going to use G3 at first, but the bloke that loaned me the machine gave me a bottle of this stuff and recommended it. He used to work in a bodyshop at a major dealers and said it was what the used all the time, and I can see why!!!
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Some great advise and brilliant personal results on the two vauxhalls, I'd be more than happy if it was like those :) Thanks for all the advise and tips... not sure what to do, wether to plump up 30-40 quid get someone to do it for me then keep on top with a weekly polish and wax if its already looking in good condition, heard G3 is good from my mechanic.

Am I best going to a typical decent valeting place or better off at a bodyshop for this "mopping" lark? Just want it looking good without cocking it up myself, I was thinking about the "uneven" finish myself earlier in regards to doing it by hand. Not too anal about my car but dont want it looking half assed, want it to stand out thanks to being really clean :)
 
InvaderGIR said:
Solong as you spend a day on it, doing tcut then wax, it'll be fine by hand, and that'll cost like £10 in products.

InvG
Click to expand...

True, but a better result would be achieved via a machine polish. :cool:

At the OP.....dont be put off by using a machine, its honestly not as difficult as you would think. I was the same as you, I was a bit concerned about making a mess of things, but there's not much to worry about as long as you take your time and let the machine do the work.

G3 is good, but check out Finesse it first. Its not as harsh, it seems to sit somewhere between T-Cut and G3 as far as properties go.
 
That's a fantastic finish on that calibra. Quite surprised actually.

I was a bit apprehensive about a power buffer but as long as you take your time, keep it wet, and keep the compound off your black plastics, it looks.. well you can turn a shed into a gorgeous motor. I've seen badly faded calibras in red and they look horrendous. that one pictured looks great. I've had similar results with all my cars (i do not buy vauxhalls) :p
 
Finally did something about my paintwork! Still wouldn't mind working on it a bit more but vast improvement really, was a right mess before lol.

Few piccies:

Before we started...
IMG_4662.jpg


Afterwards!
IMG_4671.jpg

IMG_4686.jpg

IMG_4689.jpg


Sun doesn't make the colour look as deep as it is but yeah its not too bad now, bit more presentable anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom