SoundMessage...I'm still in Vegas..got here yesterday but also leaving shortly. Have to get back home and beat the Sunday traffic.

Oooh Long Beach? Hahaha hmmm....tell her it is more than just taking your car to be fixed...it's an experience you won't forget, and you will both save a lot of money in the future!


Two buckets....One filled with soap, other with rinse water. Each time you put your soapy mitt on the car, it gets dirty as well. Before putting it into the soap bucket to make it soapy again, rinse it in the RINSE bucket until it's clean, then put it back in the soap bucket. In essence, you are always putting a clean mitt into the soap bucket and not contaminating it.

 

Hmm...maybe I can try to swing by on Monday or Tuesday when your shop is open. Possibly Tuesday, I can just "make a quick stop on my way out of town." I have to pick up some more Hydro, Hydro Wash, and Clarity soon anyway.

I'll see what happens. Any chance you could PM me your number? Maybe I could text you when we're leaving on Tuesday and see if it would be a good time to swing by...

 

Sure thing! We got all of that and more in stock! I will make it worth your while!

Richard

 

Ty Octane wish I was closer to your shop or better yet you need a branch out here in NY lol

 

Haha I know! I just edited my reply as I had a major typo there. Feel free to ask any other questions!

Richard

 

Just picked up my 2013 MCS over the weekend and have been waiting for the Paint Protection Film to cure before her first bath.

I'm putting together my order based on SoundMessage's and ToATee's posts.

I have Two questions for the expert (OctaneGuy):

1. Do you have any recommendations on the PPF or should I just treat it the same as the paint?

2. Do you advise against using a squeegee for most of the drying?

 

For the PPF, applying a sealant is ok, not a carnauba wax. Prima Hydro, Hydro Seal, or Epic are all fine choices for protecting the film and the paint.

re: squeegee
Yes I absolutely disagree about squeegees. Use it on your glass, not your paint. The potential for instilling deep random scratches is great. Check out this picture of a MINI owner that used a gas station squeegee to clean off his tail light covers over a period of several years...

This is a 50/50 shot...I polished and corrected the right side of the tail light cover, the left side is the BEFORE.



Granted this squeegee is used for glass and not plastics or paint, but the problem is still the same.

Instead use our popular Belgian Waffle Weave drying towels or get a Toro leaf blower and blow off the water.

Richard

 

I bought the black wow with the pre wow for my trim, I dont know if its because my trim is so old and too much sun damage but black wow definitely made it shiny and black, but you can still see all the white flakes on it. Pre wow didnt work to take it off, what do you guys suggest I should do to fix the trim? It worked great for my bf's wrangler! Also worked pretty well on my door handles

 

Thanks for the pix! What was your process for using the Pre-Wow? Did you spray it on and wipe it off? Did you use the included Trim Brush? Did you use a white painters rag to wipe it off? Did you buff/scrub it a bit with the towel?

It appears there is something on the trim. Did someone try to paint it? Are your door handles wrapped in vinyl or is that a cover? The stock handles are chrome so I am wondering what kind of material was put over it.

Lots of questions, but just trying to understand the history of this..are you the original owner?

Richard

 

I like all the questions! I sprayed the pre wow and used the brush that came with it, still those flakes werent coming off, i tried to scrub with with a towel but still nothing. I am not the original owner so I don't know if it was once painted over or something, I used to use a trim spray.. maybe thats what it is? How do you think I should get that off? I did a small spot with sandpaper but since its plastic... it didn't smooth very well lol.

That's a cover over the door handles

 

Where are you located? If you're in Mass, I may be able to help!

 

I wish! I'm in Tampa bay area in Florida ... Thank you for the offer!! Any ideas on what I should do?

 

If there is something on your trim, have you tried to clay bar it? If there's no contamination in your trim, then it may be really really dried out. I would just black wow a bit of the trim as a test to see if that can resolve the issues.

 

I have not tried clay barring it... I'm not very familiar with that? I did try the black wow on a bit of my trim, you might be able to tell, its the left side of the arch, its shiny but still have white ugly flakes!

 

Not sure what those flakes are either. They don't look like oxidation nor any wax/polish residue embedded in the plastic. It appears to be a coating of some sort that has worn off. I see the side reflector is also tinted...maybe they sprayed everything at once? When I see a modded MINI, I have to question everything.

I don't think your trim spray is the problem. Like I said, there appears to be actual deteriorated coating on here.

Good suggestions from MrCooperS...but I don't think you will be able to clay the textured trim however. You might want to try taking some lacquer thinner or even some 91% alcohol and see if this "flaking" comes off.

Richard

 

Haha, no the reflector isn't paint, its a sticker over top the reflector. I may have to try this... guess I'll head to lowes and grab some lacquer thinner!

 

Be really careful with it. Don't get it on your paint!

 

I will be very careful!!!

 

Oh ok got it...well try a little bit and see what happens. Or try some 91% alcohol that you can get at the pharmacy section of CVS or Target. Just dab it on and see what happens. You will likely see black stuff coming off..using a white painters/Motel 6 style terry towel so you can see whats coming off.

Yep and keep it off the paint though it won't melt your paint, just don't be careless with it either.

Richard

 

Try a mister clean magic eraser. It looks like you have some type of UV coating wearing off. I see very similar defects on headlights that the person neglected for a long time so the inner uv coating is starting to wear away. Do a little test spot and see how it goes. Just wet the magic eraser and scrub it like a sponge. It is just a chemical that got on it alcohol or thinner will take it off.

 

Oh the magic eraser sounds like a great idea also! I will give it all a try and check in!