DETAIL: Is your car being taken by Oxidation?

[traintech86]

mine was, i looked into it and found out about a special product at advanced auto. for the price the result was amazing!

[warhawk]

I did this to my car except I used 3m rubbing compound. The car looked brand new for like a month and then it began to fade again . I guess I just have to wax it every single weekend.

[Sh0ty]

Rubbing compound just removes a thin layer of material (like high grit sandpaper) so you're most likely removing the clear coats on aftermarket paint jobs. It's a good way to restore the plastics on the car though.

[traintech86]

whatever its doing(and i suspect you're right because some red came off the car) it will def suffice till i can get a real paint job!

[MGalo]

Try Meguiars Cleaner Wax. I use(d) it on my '95 Mitsu Mirage ~2 years ago, and it only now needs another application. Give it a try, it's not very expensive.

[traintech86]

if i can find it, where'd you get it?

[MGalo]

Wally World, Advance, Autozone...probably many others. It does require a little work; apply it, let it dry then wipe(rub) it off, no "spray and wipe" unfortunately...

[traintech86]

oh i realized my roomate had some of that but the quick wax version, we went over my car with it in some areas and it looks nice. maybe i should snag some of the wax wax

[MGalo]

"Quik wax" is different stuff. The "Cleaner Wax" works on the oxidation and leaves a nice shine and some protection.
This is the stuff; Meguiar's Direct Cleaner Wax - Liquid , not this; Meguiar's Direct Quik Wax® .

[GR8MR2]

I struggled with oxidation for years and found the best approach for me was using Meguiar's Body Scrub and following with Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze, then topping that off with a sealant. I would wash weekly and use a quik wax to preserve the protection and keep the paint sealed. Body Scrub is no longer made but it's closest replacement is Meguiar's SwirlX. I would need to repeat this process every month or two.

To slow the oxidation I found that parking in a covered parking ramp or using a car cover during the day was most effective.

Once the paint starts to go it's a downhill run.

I finally had the car repainted about 7 years ago and it still looks like new today.

[TonyHuynhTwo]

If the oxidation is mild (you run your hand along the car and no paint comes off) then you can remove it. Their are gentle products like sealants (which usually have very light abrasives), polishing compounds which have rougher abrasives, and finally rubbing compounds which have the roughest abrasives. Just like with most detailing products, you want the gentlest product that will get the job done. So always start with a sealant. If that doesn't do the trick move onto the polishing compound and then finally the rubbing compound. Starting off with a rubbing compound is not the way to go, since you remove a good amount of paint without knowing whether or not you had to in the first place. Since toyota used a single stage paint for all of the MK1's and early MK2's we never deal with the issue of the clear coat peeling off the car, also we can use almost all the different types of polishing compounds and rubbing compounds with similar results. The thing to remember is that after using a rubbing or polishing compound you definitely want to use a sealant as this is the best way to protect your paint after you not only have stripped off the wax or sealant from before, but also a good amount of paint, leaving the paint with absolutely no protection. So no matter what, you're going to have to buy some sealant I recomment TR3 resin and glaze. It's really hard to find but some Pep Boys carry it. It will remove a lot of superficial surface imperfection without taking off too much paint. You apply it just like a wax. When you're done you can apply wax over the car as it usually provides a better shine than sealants but with less protection, but you should allow some time for the sealant to fully cure before that (usually two hours after you're done buffing the stuff off). Waxing the car monthly and using a sealant every three months will keep your car shiny and protected.

[traintech86]

I was running a search on 2 toned Mr2's and i came accross this thread. I was like hey thats my car lmao. I guess with the paint bein beat up, it could be considered 2 toned...