What did I do?! T-Cut
Discussion
Recently I purchased a Vauxhall Corsa in the typical faded red and I thought I'd treat it to a good T-cutting to bring it back to red, after which I was very satisfied as it looked a lot better. However today I'd washed it at the local garage only for it dry a very streaky pink (faded red) and red. Though the paint is smooth and shiny I have a feeling if I wash it again it will go back to the faded red.
What have I done?!
It's almost as if I washed some of the T-cut off, and the paint is still shiny due to the clear coat being polished?
What have I done?!
It's almost as if I washed some of the T-cut off, and the paint is still shiny due to the clear coat being polished?
The older solid reds, blues and greens were problematic.
By using T-Cut - or other cutting compounds - you've removed a thin layer of oxidised paint & exposed a nice shiny bit to the atmosphere.
The immediate action after compounding is to apply a good polish to protect the surface which will slow down the oxidisation of the surface.
As an experiment I flatted with 1500 wet&dry & 2k clearcoated a wing on the solid blue Metro my sons had as their first car. That wing stayed shiny until the day the car went to the great scrapyard in the sky - unlike the rest of it which needed re-compounding & polishing around every 6 months.
They subsequently had a green 205 & a red one both solid & both of which had exactly the same problem.
By using T-Cut - or other cutting compounds - you've removed a thin layer of oxidised paint & exposed a nice shiny bit to the atmosphere.
The immediate action after compounding is to apply a good polish to protect the surface which will slow down the oxidisation of the surface.
As an experiment I flatted with 1500 wet&dry & 2k clearcoated a wing on the solid blue Metro my sons had as their first car. That wing stayed shiny until the day the car went to the great scrapyard in the sky - unlike the rest of it which needed re-compounding & polishing around every 6 months.
They subsequently had a green 205 & a red one both solid & both of which had exactly the same problem.
Edited by paintman on Friday 5th May 20:46
The Vauxhall Flame Red has no clear coat.
It's porous and oxidizes over time along with the fading from UV damage.
Where you've used the T Cut, you would've removed the very top of the paint layer, the oils in the polish would have "fed" the paint a little and helped make it look bright and shiny.
After you've polished, adding a layer of wax on top will help to keep it looking a nice deep red for a whike longer.
With the colour, it'll always drop back, it's just the way the paint is. Somethinglike Auto Glym Super Resin Polish is a good option as it'll bring the colour and remove the oxidation without being as aggressive as T Cut.
It's porous and oxidizes over time along with the fading from UV damage.
Where you've used the T Cut, you would've removed the very top of the paint layer, the oils in the polish would have "fed" the paint a little and helped make it look bright and shiny.
After you've polished, adding a layer of wax on top will help to keep it looking a nice deep red for a whike longer.
With the colour, it'll always drop back, it's just the way the paint is. Somethinglike Auto Glym Super Resin Polish is a good option as it'll bring the colour and remove the oxidation without being as aggressive as T Cut.
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