already have to get her polished after 1 year of ownership...

[eldnov]

it's only been about a year of owning my mustang and the paint is already pretty messed up, like its been sitting in the beating sun for 8 years.

the whole "sitting in the sun for 8 years" statement isn't completely false however, because this car does sit outside and never actually sees shade unless i end up parking it in a parking garage or under a big building. i have a picture of my hood below to reference what it looks like, but it isn't a great picture because that's just after washing from what i remember, and this was taken after the government camp, oregon forest fire which led to my car being even more dirty.

i don't have a crazy obsession with washing my car, but i do have a cousin that is obsessed with keeping his cars clean so he's taught me a little bit about removing this stuff and cleaning it, and unfortunately the only thing i can do is the last step to removing this stuff, which is polishing the car. the water spots on the hood have stayed there for at least a couple of months, and since i live in washington state, the car will often see heavy rain followed by bright hot sun followed by heavy rain and even some hail, so the car pretty much never gets a break, along with an owner who doesn't really care too much about keeping their car squeaky clean.

i spent about 8 hours (split between 2 days) of using a clay bar on the hood and the windows, which took away all the water spots on my windows, but the hood is still covered in water spots due to the water spots being actually burnt into the clear coat. eventually we figured out with along with the weather, the water that runs to the tap outside my house is filled with minerals which leaves white spots even with wiping the car with microfiber cloths, since my cousin doesn't get those kinds of water spots on his windows.

i am probably going to buy a cover for my car once i get it polished, which i hope would be water proof so that the car doesnt soak under the cover, and i am also contemplating getting ppf. unfortunately, i can't get myself to spend $800-$1600 to get it polished and have ppf put on it, but i need some opinions on if ppf is really worth it or if i should take precautions on keeping my car clean and not spend money on the ppf.

understandably this is my fault for letting the paint get this bad, with all the water spots, swirls, and orange peel, but i do find it crazy how quick all this happened when even the other cars my family has on the driveway don't experience this kind of stuff on their car, with all their cars being there in all the elements for 6+ years. even other people i know don't experience this kind of stuff on their car, although the orange peel as far as i know is quite normal and is bound to happen unless you're a clean freak.

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[Dark Sprite]

PPF is definitely worth it, but I would expect to pay closer to $4k for full PPF done properly.

 

[Skye]

It reads like you've not been using anything like a wax or sealer to protect the paint from the elements. What follows is some information that could help.

For all detailing, it's best to do on a cool vehicle, in low light and cool temps. This time of year, I wash in the early AM hours.

If I've driven the vehicle, I'll pop the hood and let the car rest for at least 30 minutes. Cool brakes and wheels. Semi-cool engine. The hood and front fenders will be the last items washed and the first bits dried.

For detailing supplies, consider using two separate buckets, with grit guards in the bottom. One bucket is wash, the other rinse. Wash a panel, rinse in the other bucket, reload in the wash bucket. The wheels are the dirtiest part, so do those last. With the water spots, you could wash and dry the car, then wash and dry the wheels.

Use separate towels for different surfaces. Wash mitts and drying towels for body panels only. Wash mitt and drying rags for wheels only. Other microfibers for glass and still others for vinyl and plastics. You can purchase different-colored ones for different surfaces.

https://www.autogeek.net sells a wide range of detailing supplies. I use Gyeon and CarPro products. You can find them at Autogeek, or the company sites.

There's a lot more guidance in this thread.

https://www.mustang7g.com/forums/threads/dfbs-detailing-garage.163477/

DFB5.0 is the most knowledgable person I know on these topics. He provides tons of detail and examples in both products and techniques.

You can also use the search function.

https://www.mustang7g.com/forums/search/7444866/?q=spot&c[users]=DFB5.0&o=date

Gyeon Bath is a good, general purpose soap. Use it as often as you like.

https://gyeon.co/product/bathe-2/

CarPro Reload 2.0 is a great paint sealer. I'm currently using it on my truck. Simply spritz a microfiber towel to dampen it (not soak it), slow-walk it across the panel and let it flash over. Using another dry microfiber towel, polish back-and-forth to remove it. During removal, you should feel the difference. There's zero residue. No harsh smells. Easy on. Easy off.

https://www.carpro-us.com/protectio...-SNMOqVp9MllmENMUs87yhfnoSJwoCRhu-EN0o0d8yDCH

To remove the water spots from the glass, try vinegar and water. Make a 50/50 mix and put in a spray bottle. Dampen a towel with it. You want the towel wet enough for some of the solution to rest on the glass, without so much the liquid is running down the surface. You want to avoid rubber and plastics. Work the towel back-and-forth. Think of it as wet sanding the glass. As you make progress, you can then remove it with a dry towel. Rinse using a towel damp with water.

If you need something stronger, CarPro and Gyeon offer water spot removal solutions, for paint. These should work on glass.

https://gyeonusa.com/products/q-m-w...sUeRjJ8_0NKSpwbAG7aCn0yUbr0Li_5EiwNQDu9my6jJ5

https://www.carpro-us.com/deep-clea...1Pzz8dG49zDcLcV7_yk0rYbaRStb6Og9pJY5u5o8pc-Vr

Long-term, you can discuss a professionally-applied ceramic coating for the paint. Typically, they'll decontaminate the surface, possibly do a light polish, then apply a ceramic coating. The coatings often last as long as five years. Ceramic coating an entire car can run into a few thousand dollars.

Stepping further out, PPF could also be done. Costs in my area to do an entire car are thousands of dollars. PPF will last about 10 years, after which time it needs to be removed or replaced.

Before ceramic coatings and PPF, I'd see what you can accomplish by self. You're working on cleaning the paint now. I'd try some of the sealers next, after removing the remaining water spots and getting the paint cleanest.

Outside car covers are something of a mixed bag. They can protect the paint, but covering and then removing presents its own problems: physical wearing on the surface. The cover material is always in contact with the paint and possibly moving.

Does your area/neighborhood allow for car ports? Structure car covers? Doesn't have to be elaborate. Something strong enough for the area weather, which will shade the car and protect from hail. Something like that, with some improved detailing, could be the sweet spot.

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