Why do we need to take care of car body?

How old, do you think, is this vehicle in the upper image? Looks nice, isn't it?
This Mercedes-Benz is 15 years old, with almost 300,000 km (186,000 miles) behind! More than that, it has never been repainted - this is its original paint. And there is no even a tiny spot of corrosion! Now look at the lower image, this three years old car is already corroded through. Big difference, eh? So, how to keep your car shiny and protect it from corrosion? Read below

Wash your car 

Wash your car regularly - I'd recommend to do this at least once a month. Things like bugs, bird's dropping, or limestone dripping damage the paint leaving permanent stains if not washed off in time. When the car is clean, all the moisture dries up quickly, but when it's dirty, the moisture accumulates in dirty areas causing corrosion. At least once in a while use pressure wash (pressure wash can be found at coin car wash stations) - it removes the dirt from difficult to reach areas. Don't hold the pressure wash jet too close to the painted surfaces, it can peel off the loose paint. Wash off all the places where the dirt and salt could be accumulated; for example, behind moldings, inside wheel arches, under the bumpers, etc. It's particularly helpful after winter season - to wash out all the salt accumulations that speed up the corrosion process. Don't forget to wash all the dirt from the windshield. The sand that left out on the windshield gets caught by the windshield wipers blades and scratches the windshield when the wipers are operating. 

How to wax your car

 

Waxing gives your car natural shine and helps to protect the paint from harsh environment. When applied, the wax forms a thin transparent layer over the car paint. This layer covers minor scratches, stone chips and other damages, making them less visible. The wax also 'seals' the paint, preventing water from contacting the bare metal exposed in deep chips and scratches, slowing down the corrosion process.
For best results, a wax needs to be reapplied regularly - none of the available car wax products will stay permanently on your car. From my observations, a good-quality car wax stays on the car for about three-four months, so if you wax your car at least every three months using a good product, you'll be OK.

If a car hasn't been waxed in a very long time, first, it make sense to take it to a local detailing shop, or you can visit your dealer (e.g. for an oil change) and ask for one of those detailing packages they offer. What they do, they buff the car with electrical buffer using special polishing compound containing a mild abrasive to remove light scratches, hard stains and other impurities on the paint, then they wax it. After your car has been detailed, you can simply reapply wax every three months or so to keep it shiny.

To wax your car you will need some good quality wax (e.g. Carnauba wax), a small soft sponge and a clean soft cloth towel. Your car must be very clean and dry. I usually wax my car right after washing it at the coin car wash; the whole process of washing, drying and waxing takes about an hour.
Make sure to choose the right product - you need the wax with no abrasives. Read the directions on the package for any specific product and test it on some small area first.
Park your car somewhere in the shadow - usually it works better when the car surface is cool to the touch. Work on one section at the time, for example, on one fender or door.

If you use liquid wax, shake the bottle well before use. Apply small amount of wax to the sponge and spread it evenly on one section of the car. It's good idea to start from the top and do the bottom panels last because there is always some dirt left at the bottom.

You want to make a thin, even layer of wax. Try not to touch the surfaces like black window trim, rubber door seals and black matte plastic - the wax will leave white stains on them. Work on one section at the time.

Allow the wax to haze (takes about a minute or two). Then buff it to a perfect shine with clean soft towel, rotating it frequently - clean part of the towel works best.

After the whole car is done, clean the wax from matte unpainted surfaces (e.g. plastic mouldings, unpainted bumper, rubber door seals). Window spray cleaner will work well for this purpose.

I recommend to wax your car regularly, for example, once in every three months. I tried many products and non of them stays permanently. Any car wax needs to be reapplied regularly.

How to repair stone chips

 The stone chips if not repaired in time will cause corrosion like in this photo. That's why it's good idea to repair stone chips as soon as they appear. 

This one is not corroded yet, so we'll try to repair it. The car is clean and dry and we have all we need - the matching spray paint ordered from a dealer and a toothpick. If you have a touch-up paint with the brush you can use it instead, although I found that with a sharp toothpick you can do more accurate job.

After shaking the spray paint very well (for a few minutes) spray very small amount into the cap  Now, slightly deep the end of the toothpick into the paint in the cap. Very carefully, I'm trying to barely fill up the damage with the paint without letting it to come out

Now, slightly deep the end of the toothpick into the paint in the cap. Very carefully, I'm trying to barely fill up the damage with the paint without letting it to come out

Now it looks much better and it won't be corroded later.

How to remove deep scratches

Similarly the deep scratches can be repaired in a similar fashion.

Again, I got the matching paint and using a sharp toothpick I'm trying to barely fill up the scratch.
Now it looks better.  

How to remove residue marks (paint) left by other objects

 

This mark on the bumper was made in the underground parking. If you look very closely it's actually white paint residue over original clearcoat. The clearcoat itself seems to be damaged only slightly. I'll try to remove this mark.

All I need for this is ultra-fine 1500-grit or 2000-grit waterproof sandpaper (the higher number stands for the finest abrasive), polishing compound containing mild abrasive (I used the Turtle Wax) and a car wax (I used Turtle Wax liquid car wax with Carnauba).  

Very carefully (I don't want to remove the clearcoat) I sand the marks with wet sandpaper (use only ultra-fine waterproof sandpaper) until all marks are gone. If you have never done it before, try on some small spot to see how it works first.
Now there is no mark, but the clearcoat has lost its shine; I will use polishing compound to restore the shine.
I put small amount of the polishing compound onto the damp sponge and rub well until the clearcoat becomes shiny.

Last step, I buff the area with the car wax.

How to remove minor scratches

  Look at the image, these scratches on the trunk were made by the bushes.
It's not a big problem, but...
I will remove these scratches in two steps:
First, I use polishing compound to polish the scratches. It contains mild abrasive and removes very thin coat of painting. When you will shop for this kind of product, there are few grades available. You need the one that contains the finest abrasive.

I put a little amount of polishing compound onto a damp sponge and buff the scratched area in a circular motion until scratches disappear. But don't overdo it. I'd suggest trying a small area first, to get used to the process. Then I wash off the area completely.
Now it's time to use a liquid wax. I squeeze a little amount of wax onto a sponge and spread evenly on the scratched area. I wait a little allowing product to haze, then, using a soft towel, I buff the wax.

 

                                                        Now you see the result.