Monday, April 29, 2013

Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration - 4 primary benefits of using detailing clay to clay paint - FZ Restoration Livermore



Using detailing clay to clay your car's paint will,



1: Claying safely removes Above Surface Bonded Contaminants

2: Claying paint enable your choice of wax or paint sealant to better bond or adhere to the paint.

3: Claying paint restores a silky, smooth, clean surface.

4: Claying paint makes polishing easier, more effective and safer.


Let’s take a little deeper look at these benefits...


1: Claying safely removes Above Surface Bonded Contaminants
Over time, if your car is parked outside for any length of time during each day then any dirt or air-borne contaminants that land on the paint will tend to bond to the paint if they are not removed in a timely manner. Once they bond to the paint some of them won't come off just from normal washing. This is where detailing clay comes into the picture.

Detailing clay uses special abrasives that have the ability to basically sand-off any contaminants sitting on top of the surface without installing scratches into your car's paint at the same time. I

n the old days, people would use coarse rubbing compounds to remove above surface bonded contaminants and while these types of products would work they would also,


Instill scratches into the paint

Remove perfectly good paint


That's two negative things you don't want to do your car's precious clear layer of paint.




2: Claying paint enable your choice of wax or paint sealant to better bond or adhere to the paint.

Claying paint restores a clean surface so a coating of wax or paint sealant can maximize the bond between the paint and the protection ingredients. This helps to insure the wax or paint sealant coating will last a long time and thus protect a long time, and this is something all people want out of their choice of car wax or paint sealant.

The number one question I hear people ask on the topic detailing usually goes like this,


"How long will brand X Car Wax last?"

And the technically correct answer is,


"It depends upon how well the surface is prepared to accept the wax"

You see, a good chemist will create a car wax or paint sealant formulation to bond or adhere to car paint, not a layer of dirt. When contaminants build-up over the surface they create a layer or film of gunk, a mixture of whatever is floating around in the air where you live and park your car. The protection ingredients cannot get to the paint until this layer of contaminants is first removed.

If above surface, air-borne contaminants are present on the paint when a wax or paint sealant is applied, the wax or paint sealant will not last very long because it won't be able to bond very well to the top coating of the actual paint itself.


3: Claying paint restores a silky, smooth, clean surface
I think we can all agree that a great looking paint job is a glossy looking paint job and gloss comes from a smooth surface.

When air-borne contaminants build-up on your car's finish they create an irregular surface or texture that feels rough or bumpy to the touch. This un-even, bumpy surface due to above surface bonded contaminants reduces gloss. Claying your car's paint will remove the contaminants, this restores a smooth surface and this in return restores a high gloss finish

If you're a detailer, claying restores smoothness and this shows up to your customer's eyes as gloss and makes for happy customers.



4: Claying paint makes polishing easier, more effective and safer
In the context of this section, when we say polishing, we mean abrading the paint to remove below surface defects and/or refine the existing finish to a higher level.



By removing any above surface bonded contaminants first, you enable your polish and pad to immediately go to work on the paint with nothing on the surface in the way.

You make the polishing action smoother as your polish and pad will move over the surface easier with less potential for hopping or grabbing.

You reduce the potential for accidental marring of the paint during the buffing process since there are not contaminants that can come loose and become trapped between the pad and the paint.
source: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/27969-4-primary-benefits-using-detailing-clay-clay-paint.html
by Mike Phillips


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration - Ride in the Bugatti Veyron With Supercar Driver - FZ Restoration Livermore



Video: Ride in the Bugatti Veyron With The Supercar Driver
Riding in a Bugatti Veyron has got to be an incredible experience. Not only is the Bugatti Veyron one of the most expensive cars ever produced, it’s also considered as a technological marvel which is still yards ahead of its competitors.
However, how would it feel to not only ride shotgun in a Bugatti Veyron, but to be in Bugatti’s official development car, tuned with the stiffer suspension fitted to the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse and driven be Le Mans racer Olivier Thevenin?
 
 
 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Vintage & Exotic Car Restoration - Video Of A Flaming Lamborghini Miura SV - FZ Restoration Livermore






Remember when Raphael got to hang out with the Lamborghini Miura, one of the most beautiful cars ever made? You're about to see one go up on smoke. Before you watch this, you may want to send the children, the elderly and other sensitive people into another room. This bound to upset them.

We don't know the backstory on this one quite yet, although it was sent to us by the same folks behind the famed Rolls-Royce and Ferrari Enzo hoonage videos. They were apparently filming this Miura for their next video when it decided to pretend it was a newer Lamborghini (Edit: Actually, fires were a problem with the early Miura models) and go up in flames.

No word yet on the cause of the fire. We may get more details on this later, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, feel free to go find a dark secluded place where you can cry alone. I know I had to.
source: http://jalopnik.com/this-video-of-a-flaming-lamborghini-miura-sv-is-the-sad-470979130
by Patrick George


http://www.fzrestoration.com

Friday, April 5, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration - A Scratch Fix Should Be Done Right Away - FZ Restoration Livermore



A Scratch Fix Should Be Done Right Away

Auto Repair
With rocks, shopping carts and other common hazards, it’s not very uncommon to find a scratch in your car, either in the paint or the windshield. Left untreated, any scratch can cause major problems, from rust and corrosion caused by a paint scratch exposing the metal to a small windshield scratch that expands until a complete windshield replacement is in order. To prevent this sort of damage, it is important that whenever your get a scratch to fix it right away.
When you do get a paint scratch or windshield scratch, you can fix it yourself or use a professional repair company. Whichever method you use to fix your scratch depends on how severe your scratch is.

Professional scratch repair

To fix a deep paint scratch that goes all the way through the paint to the metal, a paint and body repair center will do the best job in completely repairing the scratch. To fix this type of scratch, the technician will have to strip the affected panel, prime it and paint it. A paint and body center will have the ability to exactly match the color of your vehicle. This is a much more expensive way to fix a paint scratch than simply fixing the scratch on your own, but sometimes do-it-yourself scratch fixing products are simply not adequate for the job at hand.
Professional glass repair companies can fix a glass scratch in your windshield. Most services are mobile and can come directly to you. Depending on your insurance coverage, you might get your glass scratch fixed without paying anything out of pocket.

Do-it-yourself scratch repair

For minor scratches, scuffs and swirl marks in your paint, you can fix a scratch by using a scratch removing wax or scratch removing polish. All you need to do is wash the scratched area, rub in the wax or polish and buff it out. Another way to fix a scratch in your paint yourself is with a color-match scratch repair kit. Simply find the right color shade for your car and apply the paint or coloring directly to the scratch with either the tip of the tube or with a syringe if the scratch is too small for the tip, then wipe away any excess paint.
If you have a scratch to fix in your windshield or other auto glass, use a glass sealer. All you have to do is brush the glass sealer into the crack and wipe off the excess. All these do-it-yourself scratch repair products are available at virtually any auto parts store for around $10-20.
No matter if you get a paint scratch or a glass scratch, fix it right away. The damage your car could sustain from not having a scratch fixed can be both severe and expensive.
 
 

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration - Car Frame Repair Options - FZ Restoration Livermore



Car Frame Repair Options

Auto Repair
Structural damage to your vehicle caused by a collision may require a car frame repair. Unfortunately, the process of straightening a car frame is not only difficult, but potentially dangerous. For this reason, experienced auto body technicians with the proper tools to get the job done should only handle such repairs. When dealing with a car frame repair, technicians may suggest one of the three following options.

Car Frame Straightening

Frame straightening serves at your best shot for restoring your car to the same condition it was in prior to the accident. However, bending metal back into alignment is no easy task. To ensure precise accuracy, auto shops employ computerized tools to determine proper alignment. Ultrasound technology is also required to measure the degree of damage, and lasers are then used to determine the necessary amount of alignment. If done correctly, then the vehicle can be restored to original condition.

Car Frame Welding

In some cases, traditional car frame straightening techniques are insufficient for proper repair. One possible alternative solution is to cut out the bent portions of the frame and weld in new straight metal pieces. However, it is important to note that welding can significantly reduce the structural integrity of the metal at the weld points. This can result in insufficient support if done incorrectly. However, a professional welder with significant experience should be able to provide adequate results in most cases.
If you have some welding experience and are considering doing the job yourself, you may want to think twice. Your frame is constantly under impact shock and other forces that make even a decent welding job inadequate. For the necessary results, choose the superior expertise of a professional welder.

When Car Frame Repair Isn't an Option

Due to the difficulty and high costs often associated with car frame repair, many auto body shops may simply suggest scrapping the vehicle. This is because a bent frame means that the car will never drive the same, and may have resulted in poor wheel alignment and structural damage. In such cases, listing the vehicle as a total loss with your insurance company will likely mean you'll be cut a check for the estimated value of the car. Hopefully, this payment will be enough to get you into a new vehicle.
 

Monday, April 1, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration - Repairing Auto Aluminum: Not Difficult, Just Different - FZ Restoration Livermore




Repairing Auto Aluminum: Not Difficult, Just Different
As aluminum use rises in the auto industry, so does the need for understanding and applying "best practices" when repairing automotive aluminum components. A review of both the similarities—and differences—encountered during the repair of aluminum panels compared with those of traditional materials shows that working with aluminum is not difficult; it is merely different.
 
In fact: 
• Some procedures for working with aluminum are easier than with conventional materials. 
• Most tools for working aluminum are similar to those for working conventional materials. 
• The skills necessary for working aluminum can be learned as easily as those required for other materials. 
• Real repair costs are not very different from those of traditional materials. 
• Programs in place and others under development offer training for repair of aluminum panels.
In addition to offering a full line of all-in-one aluminum welding systems, Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. is the exclusive welding partner of many of NASCAR’s top racing teams.The Body Repair Industry
Over the past century, body repair shop practices, tools, and techniques have been developed to work mainly with automotive steels. As the auto industry looks to the future, however, it is increasingly turning to aluminum as the material of choice for use in automotive body structures and closure panels. As a result, a growing number of repair shops nationwide are acquiring expertise in aluminum repair.
In fact, comprehensive programs are being put in place that address aluminum’s different characteristics. The development and implementation of repair instructions for specific aluminum vehicles has been led by manufacturers. The InterIndustry Conference on Auto Repair (I-CAR) and others from the auto insurance and repair equipment supply industries have worked side-by-side with experts from the aluminum industry to develop training guides for correct repair of aluminum panels. A nationwide training program began in 1996.
Tools: Adapted or Developed for Aluminum
Tools for working with aluminum are generally similar to those used for working with steel. However, good practice dictates that the same tools not be used on both metals because of cross-contamination. This causes problems with welding, finishing and potential bimetallic corrosion.
Files, sanding discs and associated equipment are as effective when working with aluminum as with other metals. Cutting and general working of aluminum is much easier than steel, and the techniques involved are similar to those used in wood-cutting. Reciprocating saws and band saws—both with high blade speeds—are normally used.
 
Use of Heat for Metal Straightening 
When an aluminum part is damaged, the deformed area is work-hardened (strengthened). Pulling on the part to straighten it will deform undamaged areas that have not been work-hardened before correcting the damaged area. Local heating of the damaged area will temporarily soften the heated area so the damaged area can be corrected. The Aluminum Association provides information on the effects of elevated temperatures on material properties and recommendations for the use of heat for straightening (visit www.aluminum.org to learn about these publications).
 
A technique known as heat-shrinking can be used to remove dents from aluminum skin panels. When the area around a dent is heated with a torch, the stresses generated by restraining the metal that wants to expand push the dent out.
 
Another difference between heated aluminum and steel is that aluminum does not change color, even at its melting point.
 
Therefore, it is important to use temperature indicators to keep track of the metal temperature during working. Heat can be used in cases where a technician needs to disassemble an adhesive-bonded joint. As long as the temperature is kept within the recommended range, heat will soften the adhesive and enable the joint to be chiseled open with less mechanical damage and no long-term effects on material properties.
Conventional Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)

The conventional method for welding common metals is with the GMAW process, commonly known as metal inert (MIG) gas welding. Aluminum lends itself well to this type of welding. Virtually all repair shops possess MIG welders. The more powerful and adaptable pulsed MIG machines required by aluminum are starting to penetrate the larger repair shops. Lap and fillet welds, butt welds with a backing added for the repair, and MIG plug welds are all approved for replacing other joining methods and for repairing original MIG welded joints.
 
The Bonding Advantage
Aluminum panels have been bonded together with adhesives in the aircraft industry for decades. This structural bond yields exceptionally strong and reliable joints that improve the rigidity of the final assembly, particularly for stamped sheet auto bodies. Automotive engineers designing for precise handling and the quiet, solid feel of a high-quality car consider high stiffness very important. Using a suitable surface pretreatment, adhesive-bonded aluminum joints can be repaired without any sacrifice in strength or stiffness and will outlive a normally protected steel structure in most situations. 
Semi-structural bonding is used widely in steel and aluminum bodies in areas such as hood hem flanges and roof panel joints. Equivalent bonding products are available for these applications, and new repair adhesives have been developed to bond joints spot-welded in the original assembly.
Riveting

A wide range of coated steel and aluminum stem (pop) rivets are available for every type of application including high loads and severe corrosion conditions. A conventional countersunk aluminum rivet may be used for flanges that require a flush surface on both sides. Precision drills are available for standard rivet sizes and assembly is straightforward once the parts have been aligned. The tools required for riveting are inexpensive and simple to use.
 
Equipment for automated punch riveting is not suitable for repair workshops, but tools for removing this type of rivet are becoming available. Vehicle manufacturers will specify a generic or proprietary fastener, which can replace these rivets and spot welds.
Miller Electric Manufacturing Co.’s Spectrum 375 Cutmate is one of several the company offers for cutting aluminum auto sheet.Spot Welding
Production spot welds can be neatly removed with a conventional spot weld cutter by adjusting the drill depth to cut through only the damaged part. Equipment for spot welding aluminum in production is too large and powerful for the repair workshop. An alternative joining method is generally recommended.
Refinishing
Aluminum panels are finished the same way as conventional materials, including the use of body fillers. All major paint suppliers offer aftermarket paint repair systems, which include products designed and tested for specific materials (aluminum, steel, galvanized steel, SMC, etc.). Whatever the material, the supplier will warrantee the quality of the finish, provided the products and procedures for their complete system are used. Most procedures are standard for all suppliers, and finish systems are warranted as long as directions are followed.
 
Costs
There are few fundamental differences between the repair of steel and aluminum panels, and the typical repair shop can be outfitted relatively easily for both. The difference between the material costs of steel and aluminum are insignificant in comparison to the cost of replacement parts. For an experienced technician, the labor time required for aluminum repair is equivalent to that required for steel. To gain appropriate experience, the first step is training. Such training is rapidly spreading, and those who complete instruction are more valued assets to their employers.
 
As the aluminum content of vehicles increases, more and more repair facilities will learn to better accommodate aluminum-intensive vehicles. As more aluminum-intensive vehicles come onto the market, repair shops will react—as they always have—to economic pressures and equip themselves to handle damage repairs, much like they did several years ago to adjust to the universal changeover to computer engine controls.
 
Conclusion
Comparing the relative ease and costs of repairing aluminum and steel, it is clear aluminum is not more difficult—just different. Different techniques are required, as is a clear understanding of the differences between steel and aluminum alloys and how they affect the repair process. Such understanding is readily available, as are the necessary specialized tools for proper repair of aluminum. As for training, I-CAR programs have been in existence for several years, and manufacturers and suppliers are providing the necessary instructional materials to assimilate repair of aluminum into everyday shop practices.
As automotive aluminum use continues to climb due to its performance, safety, and environmental advantages, its repair will become as commonplace and routine as that of traditional materials.