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Took the Shine off of a truck. Help.

APW

Well-known member
I had a guy take a 1987 Chevrolet through my two-step touch-free automatic and he said when he came out the other end all the shine was gone. He showed me it before picture of just a week ago where the truck was really shiny and now it's very dull. What can be done to restore his paint?
 
Could the paint actually be dull but it had a coat of some type of shiny but low quality wax or even just an oil? Could be scamming for a paint job.
 
Have seen this before. It depends on what was put on to make it shine. Good aggressive chemicals can and do remove some waxes.
 
had it too, dude in a late model truck said he waxed it two weeks before and came to the wash when it got some road dirt from a gravel road and after he was done it was dull again. it took the wax right off but he insisted that i owed him a new paint job. told him to just get down the road and just wax it again.
 
A friend of mine who was actually a tech for a company that mainly serviced touchless autos bought a used car and took it through a Laser 4000, after which the paint looked like crap and the clearcoat looked like it was almost starting to lift off the car. He said he yelled and cussed at the owner, telling him he was owed a new paint job, but I'm still certain the dealer used a clear dressing that hid the condition of the paint until he washed it. I know my friend to be an idiot, so I'm certain the Laser didn't do what he claimed.
 
Tell him that is why clearcoats were invented. He has oxidized single stage paint. The purpose of a touchfree wash is to remove dirt and oils. That is what it did. You might do your business well by offering to pay for the can of wax or something...
 
Those years of GM vehicles had bad paints. I've had them go through my IBA's with those dulling results. The presoaks treat the oxidized paint as dirt and "lifts" that oxidation and makes it look dull. 30 years ago when there were a lot of those GM's around we would have all kinds of problems. Now it's one every couple years. Offer the guy $50 and tell him it just needs a good (that being the catch) wax job. Even show him by doing a wax job on a small circle with your own paste wax and microfiber towel. It'll shine up like new. Back then I had a red Chevy pickup and a white Lumina. Both in those years. Paints were horrible. Repainted the Lumina and gave it to the kids. Sold the Red pickup.
 
Had this happen a few times . No CC on paint . I just did a cheap liquid wax job on both looked like new money took about a hour and $10 bottle of wax . Happy customer told them not to put that car in a car wash any more . Good PR.
 
It is oxidation being lifted off a single stag paint. Being it is single stag you can buff it back to a shine pretty easy. The "dead" paint on top will need to be removed for the shine to restored. This happens when the surface temperature of the paint is hot and the chemical you are using is too strong.
 
Well I paid $65 and had it hand waxed at a local detail shop and the guy is happy again. Does anyone have signs posted stating you are not responsible for older paint jobs?
 
I don't think you need a sign, but it would help in a lawsuit...perhaps.

If a $65 wax job made him happy that's good, but I'd be very clear that he should not go thru the same wash again.
 
I don't think you need a sign, but it would help in a lawsuit...perhaps.

If a $65 wax job made him happy that's good, but I'd be very clear that he should not go thru the same wash again.
He said he would Never take it back through there. lol. Funny part is he takes his newer vehicle through there all the time.
 
I had a guy take a 1987 Chevrolet through my two-step touch-free automatic and he said when he came out the other end all the shine was gone. He showed me it before picture of just a week ago where the truck was really shiny and now it's very dull. What can be done to restore his paint?
So I take it that the wash he purchased included just wash and rinse?
 
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