UV protect red paint

[wayne-dear]

Yeah, my 1st ever post in here
What is the best way to protect my Rosso 130 paintwork from going pink, the car lives outside and i am not a fan of waxing and polishing, so it needs to be something easy

[aamrit]

A good wax with a high UV protection rating is the only way to go im afraid.
Collinite 476S is brilliant and there are quite a few others out there too.

Bad news is, the paint will fade due eventually to the pigments and UVs, wax just helps slow it down.

Ask any painter or bodyshop and they will tell you that all red cars are a nightmare when it comes to colour fade and ageing.

[zulu ferret]

Queried many times on AO in the past? It is or indeed was, classified as a 'Bleeding 'Colour, so unless it it's mainly garaged? :

[PhilzAlfa]

My Rosso red 156 has gone pink on the front bumper. Do all reds do this or would something like the Miro(?) metallic red that I have seen a 156 GTA in be immune?

[GIZTO29]

Why dont you try a sealant then, namely Optimum Opti-Seal which will be right up your street mate. Check out the vid. It takes 5 mins to do your car and the finish is something else. Its a different look to your traditional warm finish from a wax and has a glassy new clear coat appearance.
YouTube - Steves Opti-seal Demo
Its £18.95 and is available from Detailed Obsession
Thanks Phil

Would a clear vinal wrap be any help? as well as protecting from stone chips

[Davey_saxo]

My money goes on FK1000 sealant. Top class and it gives a good level of gloss as well as being a sealant.

[10,500RPM]

Originally Posted by PhilzAlfa

My Rosso red 156 has gone pink on the front bumper. Do all reds do this or would something like the Miro(?) metallic red that I have seen a 156 GTA in be immune?

I think all reds fade but not at the same rate. Reds with no clearcoat fade and oxidise in a very short space of time. Red Alfas fade faster than most clearcoated cars but Hondas Milano red is the worst you will see on a modern car imo

Originally Posted by Smallville

Would a clear vinal wrap be any help? as well as protecting from stone chips

Possibly, it would be worth reading up on 3M's paint protection film because that seems to be a lot tougher than most protective films and they might have added UV potection because they have a bit of cash to spend on R&D.

[10,500RPM]

Originally Posted by Davey_saxo

My money goes on FK1000 sealant. Top class and it gives a good level of gloss as well as being a sealant.

It is supposed to have high levels of uv protection, it's cheap and lasts 4 months+ on paintwork.

[Ralf S.]

Aye! I like the wrap idea.


Ralf S.

[wayne-dear]

I am not wrapping my car (unless its chrome)
Ok so if i use Opti-Seal or FK1000 do i wash and wax the car first then do it or wash the car, seal it then wax it, i am lazy old school and usually just take it down the hand car wash that use 2 sponges and 2 tanks

Thanks for the info so far

[Ralf S.]

Wash it. Clay it. Polish it. Wax it.

It's the rough old oxidised paint that makes cleaning your car a chore.. Once it's smooooth after the clay and ploish, you'll want to rub your privates all over it, never mind just wax it.

Ralf S.

[wayne-dear]

Originally Posted by Ralf S.

Wash it. Clay it. Polish it. Wax it.

It's the rough old oxidised paint that makes cleaning your car a chore.. Once it's smooooth after the clay and ploish, you'll want to rub your privates all over it, never mind just wax it.

Ralf S.

...Anyone want a job doing this for me, paid in cakes and pies (all fresh)

[rmaxeman]

Originally Posted by aamrit

A good wax with a high UV protection rating is the only way to go im afraid.
Collinite 476S is brilliant and there are quite a few others out there too.

My only experience is with Collinite 476 - it's good stuff and it's one of the longest lasting waxes I've used. I used it on the GT (red as you know) last October and it's still beading water like I'd put it on yesterday dirt slides right off

[PhilzAlfa]

Originally Posted by Ralf S.

Wash it. Clay it. Polish it. Wax it.

It's the rough old oxidised paint that makes cleaning your car a chore.. Once it's smooooth after the clay and ploish, you'll want to rub your privates all over it, never mind just wax it.

Ralf S.

I thought Alfa paint was covered in another coat of something clear? If you try rubbing my red 156 with T-cut, you can't get any oxidised paint off, so it's impossible to polish it up.

[wayne-dear]

Originally Posted by rmaxeman

My only experience is with Collinite 476 - it's good stuff and it's one of the longest lasting waxes I've used. I used it on the GT (red as you know) last October and it's still beading water like I'd put it on yesterday dirt slides right off

The jobs yours then mate, you can do it on thursday when your hanging around

[rmaxeman]

Originally Posted by wayne-dear

The jobs yours then mate, you can do it on thursday when your hanging around

So how many pies are we talking about...

but seriously, if you want to borrow my tin of collinite, I'll bring it along on Saturday

maybe you could practice on our cars at the hotel

[zulu ferret]

Colleague owned a red M5 from new. Front and rear went pink! Nuff said:

[wayne-dear]

Originally Posted by rmaxeman

So how many pies are we talking about...

but seriously, if you want to borrow my tin of collinite, I'll bring it along on Saturday

maybe you could practice on our cars at the hotel

At most its getting a wash on saturday morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by zulu ferret

Colleague owned a red M5 from new. Front and rear went pink! Nuff said:

The daft thing is though ZF is i had an old Citroen BX for years, in red, not a hint of fade, kept out in all weathers

[10,500RPM]

Originally Posted by PhilzAlfa

I thought Alfa paint was covered in another coat of something clear? If you try rubbing my red 156 with T-cut, you can't get any oxidised paint off, so it's impossible to polish it up.

It is clearcoated but, I think clearcoat oxidises but to a much lesser extent than paint. Basically any oxidisation or swirls & bonded contaminents will kill you shine and give dirt something to cling onto so the shinier your car is the easier it will be to wash **general rule of thumb, not entirely accurate**.

Clay, polish, seal and smile

[Ralf S.]

Aye! I was being dramatic about "oxidisation".. But it's that "heavy" feel to rough/weathered/swirled/tired top coat that is the (literally) drag. Once you clayed it, you can't keep your hands off it.

Well, I can't anyway..


Ralf S.

[PhilzAlfa]

Originally Posted by 10,500RPM

It is clearcoated but, I think clearcoat oxidises but to a much lesser extent than paint. Basically any oxidisation or swirls & bonded contaminents will kill you shine and give dirt something to cling onto so the shinier your car is the easier it will be to wash **general rule of thumb, not entirely accurate**.

Clay, polish, seal and smile

The thing is the red paint appears to fade under the clear coat layer and because the red paint is covered in this clear layer you can't get to it to polish it. No amount of T-cut and polish fixes the problem. I have previously been told that the only solution is a respray.

[10,500RPM]

Originally Posted by PhilzAlfa

The thing is the red paint appears to fade under the clear coat layer and because the red paint is covered in this clear layer you can't get to it to polish it. No amount of T-cut and polish fixes the problem. I have previously been told that the only solution is a respray.

It definitly does. I have seen a few Milano Red Hondas that were what most people would class as "unacceptably" pink. A respray is the only option. You can still get a great gloss becuse the clearcaot is still perfectly intack but it will remain pink.

[aamrit]

Most older Alfas have a clear coat on top, a respray is the only way forward to get rid of the pinking.
As said already, to slow it down you can either use a good sealant or wax.

I even spoke to a Meguiars rep and classic car restorer about this a while back to get first hand info.
a G3 cutting compound plus a good mop & polish was recommended but not guaranteed because of having a clear coat.

You can even try and get the panel done separately by a specialist body shop who will use a colour spectrometer on the nearest panels to get an exact match of the aged paint, it still wont be 100%.
Ask any paint specialist bodyshop and they will all tell you that a clear coat Red on any car is a nightmare.

[Icheb]

If you're going to Epsom, you will no doubt see a 166 which is pink on one side but a lovely and shiny Rosso 130 on the other. Half a respray . Come on spring

Bleedin' Alfa Red