Tripping from One Problem to Another
I screwed up with my car so badly.
A big chip of paint came off an awkward, difficult to reach, but visible part of the roof. I put a base coat and a paint coat, and although sanding things done would've been better, I didn't have a precision tool that would allow me to sand only the parts I wanted to sand. When it came time to apply the clearcoat, the bottle flipped out of my hand and poured down the door, which was dirty because I didn't intend to do anything with it. Panicked, I tried to swipe it off with my hand the moment it happened, which left some dirty rough spots. Dirt was also trapped beneath in places.
Someone suggested using rubbing alcohol and elbow grease, and I did. I wasn't told anything about being really selective or what else might happen, and there was a part I wiped because a reflection made it look like there was something on the paint. I got all the smear off. While applying the alcohol and later when I wiped it down with water to get alcohol remnants off, wet, it all looked great! I was so happy! (I had no idea of the damage I was doing!)
Today I came down to see the dry door and saw clouded paint and the big, rounded strokes of everywhere I applied the alcohol. It looks bad in photos but even worse in person. Bad enough that I wish I left the smeared paint alone, which affected a smaller area and at least everything looked shiny.
This is after I put it through a professional car wash, general hot wax, and general polish today. I am so deeply unhappy and angry with myself. Someone suggested "personalized attention" waxing and buffing but I'm disabled and poor and trying to DIY is how I got into this mess. If that would even work.
A big chip of paint came off an awkward, difficult to reach, but visible part of the roof. I put a base coat and a paint coat, and although sanding things done would've been better, I didn't have a precision tool that would allow me to sand only the parts I wanted to sand. When it came time to apply the clearcoat, the bottle flipped out of my hand and poured down the door, which was dirty because I didn't intend to do anything with it. Panicked, I tried to swipe it off with my hand the moment it happened, which left some dirty rough spots. Dirt was also trapped beneath in places.
Someone suggested using rubbing alcohol and elbow grease, and I did. I wasn't told anything about being really selective or what else might happen, and there was a part I wiped because a reflection made it look like there was something on the paint. I got all the smear off. While applying the alcohol and later when I wiped it down with water to get alcohol remnants off, wet, it all looked great! I was so happy! (I had no idea of the damage I was doing!)
Today I came down to see the dry door and saw clouded paint and the big, rounded strokes of everywhere I applied the alcohol. It looks bad in photos but even worse in person. Bad enough that I wish I left the smeared paint alone, which affected a smaller area and at least everything looked shiny.
This is after I put it through a professional car wash, general hot wax, and general polish today. I am so deeply unhappy and angry with myself. Someone suggested "personalized attention" waxing and buffing but I'm disabled and poor and trying to DIY is how I got into this mess. If that would even work.