Dont Let Other People Clean Your Car!!
 

I have been very busy the last few months with work and a Kitchen renovation project that I have been letting someone else clean my car. Well today I checked my tire pressure and noticed that all 4 of my calipers are now peeling and faded..

They must have used acid to clean the wheels and this ate the red off of my formerly
perfect calipers...

I am frustrated... this is just another project I will have to do myself. I know that repainting and re-decaling these isnt that bad of a job, but mine were perfect 2 months ago and now look like crap!

Be careful who you let work on your car!!!

I generally agree with you, about not letting people wash your car.

I would add though there are detailers that take more care with washing a car than I do, or anyone I know.

The detailer that comes to my office is smart about. He offers a standard level of service to "normal" owners that just dont know the difference.
But, he offers another level for guys like us. He uses a foam gun and microfiber towels to wash the cars.

Before I let anyone wash my car I would ask them about their technique.

maybe you just need to clean then spray some clearcoat?

let us know what you do to fix it!

Tell me about it. The last owner of my car had the dealer detail and wash the car the entire time of ownership. The calipers are peeling and I suspected it was due to that acid based wheel cleaner,the dealership confirmed this is why they stopped using acid based wheel cleaner.....

I have the same problem, but it was the PO who did something to the calipers.

Is this another thread or can I ask here, where and how do I get them re done????

I want my red calipers to be red and shiny again :(

Go here:
http://www.xenonmods.com/boxster/caliper/

and here:
http://www.g2usa.com/

Great links..

However, if you dont have the place and time to do it yourself . What to do then?

How much does it generallly cost to get someone who is good to wash your car?

I had a bum offer to wash mine for me the other day and I guess now I'm glad I didn't take him up on the offer, though it was tempting.

Quote:

"I had a bum offer to wash mine for me the other day and I guess now I'm glad I didn't take him up on the offer, though it was tempting."

Posted by LoveBunny.

With a NEW Boxster! If Perfectlap were dead and gone, he'd be rollin' over in his grave to hear you say that!

I once let my teenage son clean my car and in his hurry the cloth he was using caught the upper edge of the "B" on the plastice badge that says Boxster on the trunk and snapped a piece of it off. I have since debadged the trunk completely even though I did buy a brand new Boxster & S badges from the dealer for some stupid amount of money.

Hey, I didn't say I'd let the bum do it!

I guess I really never thought someone could mess up your car just washing it, but now I know. I'd like to find someone/someplace to take it that can clean it well though.

be extra-careful
 

LoveBunny, you need to be extra careful with a black finish. The clear-coat on essentially all cars is vulnerable to swirl-marks, but it is much more visible on black finishes than others. Many mobile detail folks make compromises, whether it be with contaminated wash & rise water, or dirty polish & drying towels - and just once can be enough to do damage that it will take a professional to fix. In my opinion, you are better off going a little longer between washes if you must do so to make sure it is done properly. Perhaps one of the 'locals' on this board will be able to suggest a place or person you can trust to do it safely.

Oh, I never knew that. I've never had anyone wash a car for me, so thanks for the info. I guess I'll just make time to do it myself. Be cheaper anyway.

I did the exact same thing last year. The new badges I bought at the dealer are still sitting on the dryer in the laundry room :D

Nick

Update...

I spoke to my paint rep today.. for those of you who don't know, I run a large collision center.. anyway, I can use the standard Sikkens base and clear coat for
my caliper repaint job. The temp rating is fine for calipers and minor engine paint work. I will just need to remove the wheels, d/a the surface and re-base and clear the calipers. Luckily, I can do this in a paint booth and bake on the finish. I am going to put the new decals on top of the base coat and then clear over them so there wont be any issues with missing letters.

I will keep you guys posted with the results! I ordered my decal set from Xenonmods.com for 7.99... not bad at all.

I too have the dreaded caliper clear coat chipping and peeling. I am
going to redo them this summer. A question about this link.

[QUOTE=Lil bastard]Go here:
http://www.xenonmods.com/boxster/caliper/

Wouldn't the primer also have to have a high temp rating?

It would seem to me that the primer would just bubble and peel, taking
the new paint with it. Any thoughts? :confused: