T-cut, how? tips/opinions welcomed

The place to pick up tips on bringing that showroom shine back to your E30.

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dobbie82
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Post Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:55 pm

Whenever i use t-cut i cant get a decent shine to the car that i'm inflicting it upon (one car had been t-cutted so many times that when i bought it and went to t-cut it, primer began to show!)

Any better idea's for getting rid of light key scratches etc?


Hannah
c76jon
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Post Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:00 pm

hi

i suggest this stuff

very very good

P21-S
Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser

get it here



http://www.seriousperformance.co.uk/sp/ ... sh_wax.php

half way down page

quite a mild abrasive but really easy to use and does wonders for paint aswell as removing light imperfections

t/cut is very hard work imho

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gareth
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Post Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:48 pm

whatever you do, don't forget to wax the car afterwards!!!! otherwise it'll all dull in a very short period of time.
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bmwe30mtech
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Post Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:56 pm

I thought t-cut was only used by people selling cars, because they wont own them any longer and want them to look good! Does it not ruin paint work?
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gareth
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Post Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:10 pm

as above...

it will ruin the paintwork if not followed by wax to replace the protective coating. if waxed regularly, paint will never deteriorate. was lasts a few months before it's mostly gone. jet washes and car washes remove it very fast. really a wax is needed after each one. also, once waxed, it takes 1/4 the time to clean and rain will clean it for you too!
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Ratfink
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Post Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:27 am

Go and buy a rubbing compound called G3, its what they use in the trade and it works a treat!
c76jon
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Post Mon Oct 10, 2005 1:37 pm

g3 is quite a course abrasive
imho its better to try least abrasive first and work up

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Ratfink
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Post Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:41 pm

Ive always used G3 on a rag for light scratches...it takes ages with anything else
gcorky
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Post Wed Oct 12, 2005 9:58 pm

mer is pretty good easy on -off too
HartgeH27
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Post Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:36 pm

Ratfink wrote:Go and buy a rubbing compound called G3, its what they use in the trade and it works a treat!
Be very very careful with G3 which is an excellent cleaner but if you too enthusiastically can DAMAGE paintwork. It is extremely abrasive. Use in small amounts and it is fine but do not work it hard.

The car cleaning polish/wax debate has been and will forever go on but for my two penny worth (many a happy customer can testify) is as follows for simple cleaning rules:

Use the Meguiars three step cleaning system:

Stage one is a mild form of paint cleaner

Stage two is a crystal polish

Stage three is a caranuba wax

The results are amazing (they can be equalled with other products but I can recommend through experience) and will last for at least 6 months.
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Fr0ztz
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Post Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:32 pm

Just picked up a 1990 red e30, the paintwork on the tops of doors boot roof and boot are very dull. Is safe cut going to do it?
doug325i
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Post Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:30 pm

Tcut works by taking a layer of paint off... With the layer of clear laquer "in the way" you will not be able to change the colour of the paintwork.

All Tcut is good for on E30s (unless resprayed) is taking out surface scratches, same goes for any other abrasive polishs.

Laquer can be a real pain on older cars.


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c76jon
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Post Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:01 pm

i suggest that the red he is talking about is a solid colour ie non metallic thus there is no laquer which will explain the dull paint which will be oxidisation
an abrasive product will remove this oxidisation

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doug325i
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Post Fri Nov 04, 2005 9:38 am

c76jon ; Good point... :D

I have only owned metallic BMWs - assumed the laquer was on all.

In this case an abrasive may well do the trick. No allways nthat easy on red cars... Im speaking as an ex alfa owner!

You soon get used to alfa pink...
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john-rambo
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Post Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:37 pm

i personally think that g4 used with a buffer followed by g10, gold top machine glaze and auto glym wax thats what i do when i valet cars for customers as i am in the autobody repair industry.