Cleaning Matte Green Paint.

[JustAnotherMidlifeCrisis]

I have the XPower in matte green as well.

My routine:

1. Jet wash with water.
2. Autoglym snow foam.
3. Wait for a few minutes then rinse with water.
4. Wipe lightly with a microfibre cloth to remove excess water.

When tar flecks or other more stubborn grubbiness appears I'll use finishing spray/tar remover and a microfibre cloth as required.

To be honest I want to avoid requiring perfection because it isn't available. The car will eventually have blemishes and I just want to keep it in decent condition without much effort.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

I have the XPower in matte green as well.

My routine:

1. Jet wash with water.
2. Autoglym snow foam.
3. Wait for a few minutes then rinse with water.
4. Wipe lightly with a microfibre cloth to remove excess water.

When tar flecks or other more stubborn grubbiness appears I'll use finishing spray/tar remover and a microfibre cloth as required.

To be honest I want to avoid requiring perfection because it isn't available. The car will eventually have blemishes and I just want to keep it in decent condition without much effort.

IYO!

Perfection is available.

Just depends how fastidious you want to be.
I am dreading my first stone chip!

I won't be able to stop looking at it.

Funnily enough my previous BMWs have always been terrible for chips.

I had a brand new 530i in 2000 and it had a cracked windscreen a 3 bonnet stone chips within the first 100 miles.

I was furious!! (I can laugh now!)

There is nothing more satisfying IMO than wiping off the last drip, then standing back and admiring your work.

Especially when your wife rocks up at exactly the right time with a nice cup of coffee and a digestive biscuit.

 

[Rolfe]

And hands you a bottle of kitchen degreaser.....

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

And hands you a bottle of kitchen degreaser.....

I'm very cabable around the house I'll have you know!

 

[JustAnotherMidlifeCrisis]

IYO!

Perfection is available.

Just depends how fastidious you want to be.
I am dreading my first stone chip!

I won't be able to stop looking at it.

Funnily enough my previous BMWs have always been terrible for chips.

I had a brand new 530i in 2000 and it had a cracked windscreen a 3 bonnet stone chips within the first 100 miles.

I was furious!! (I can laugh now!)

There is nothing more satisfying IMO than wiping off the last drip, then standing back and admiring your work.

Especially when your wife rocks up at exactly the right time with a nice cup of coffee and a digestive biscuit.

Your posts indicate a higher level of fastidiousness than I am likely to be able to sustain, sir.

Just meant that I want to make peace now with the inevitable bumps and scrapes that the future will bring. With sufficient heroism I suppose one could address them all and attempt total correction but I can't see myself winning that medal. If after three years of ownership the car looks like a well-preserved 3-year-old car, and all I have to do in the meantime is what I have described above, that will probably do me.

If in three years I bump into you at an XPower meet n greet and your vehicle overwhelms with its mint preservation, I will dutifully doff my cap and get you to pay for my coffee.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Your posts indicate a higher level of fastidiousness than I am likely to be able to sustain, sir.

Just meant that I want to make peace now with the inevitable bumps and scrapes that the future will bring. With sufficient heroism I suppose one could address them all and attempt total correction but I can't see myself winning that medal. If after three years of ownership the car looks like a well-preserved 3-year-old car, and all I have to do in the meantime is what I have described above, that will probably do me.

If in three years I bump into you at an XPower meet n greet and your vehicle overwhelms with its mint preservation, I will dutifully doff my cap and get you to pay for my coffee.

I swore to myself when I got this car that I would clean it once a month and no more.

I'd rather fallen out of love with cleaning in the last five years since I moved to West Wales.

Living rurally and at the bottom of a dead end country lane, a mile from the main road will help achieve that.

Filthy in Winter, Dusty in Summer.

I used to show cars and my teenage dream was to be on the cover and centre spread of Fast Ford Magazine.

I achieved that dream as a 32 year old man, appearing in Fast Ford, August 1999.

I've always had a passion for the upkeep and look of my various vehicles.

Some people see a car as purely a method of getting from A to B and I get that.

I used to see a bicycle I rode 13 miles to work the same way.

I've had a passion for cars from a very early age and was always known as a "Car Boy"

That really took off in the Army where I was surrounded by "Car Boys"!!
We had access to Tax Free XR2's, XR3is, Golf GTI's, MG Metro Turbos, et al!!

Like a kid in a candy shop!

Anyway I digress (as usual)

The MG4XP is such a good looking car, and looks best clean.

So much so, that I washed it twice last week!

Looking forward to seeing you all at this meet?

Who's sorting that out then?

Someone central ideally

 

[salty]

I swore to myself when I got this car that I would clean it once a month and no more.

I'd rather fallen out of love with cleaning in the last five years since I moved to West Wales.

Living rurally and at the bottom of a dead end country lane, a mile from the main road will help achieve that.

Filthy in Winter, Dusty in Summer.

I used to show cars and my teenage dream was to be on the cover and centre spread of Fast Ford Magazine.

I achieved that dream as a 32 year old man, appearing in Fast Ford, August 1999.

I've always had a passion for the upkeep and look of my various vehicles.

Some people see a car as purely a method of getting from A to B and I get that.

I used to see a bicycle I rode 13 miles to work the same way.

I've had a passion for cars from a very early age and was always known as a "Car Boy"

That really took off in the Army where I was surrounded by "Car Boys"!!
We had access to Tax Free XR2's, XR3is, Golf GTI's, MG Metro Turbos, et al!!

Like a kid in a candy shop!

Anyway I digress (as usual)

The MG4XP is such a good looking car, and looks best clean.

So much so, that I washed it twice last week!

Looking forward to seeing you all at this meet?

Who's sorting that out then?

Someone central ideally

View attachment 22934

That's very nice! But your X Power would still av it! (In a straight line anyway)

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

That's very nice! But your X Power would still av it! (In a straight line anyway)

Oh Yes. No contest.
But it would be worth a lot more!!
And appreciating, not depreciating like my XP.
Lesson......Keep your cars for 25 years a make a fortune!

I was chatting about this a while back with a m8 and when you factor in all the costs over the 25 years, then you might be breaking even if you sold it.

Lot's of variables of course!

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

So a disaster has befallen my wheels.










My first stone chip.
I suppose, as ever, it was only a matter of time.
I'd sell it and get a fresh one but I don't think I could take the moohoosive smash in the testicles called depreciation.

Only kidding!

Mustn't grumble, just on 5000 miles so not too bad really.

Had to purchase a new pressure washer as the other has passed away.

 

[dsimpkins]

Regrettable, yet inevitable. I have picked up a stone chip on my bonnet, it's tiny, most would not notice, but I know it's there.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Regrettable, yet inevitable. I have picked up a stone chip on my bonnet, it's tiny, most would not notice, but I know it's there.

Thats exactly it pal.

Mines also tiny, but just knowing its there, my eye will forever be, being drawn to it. Well thats until the next one distracts me!

 

[Matt x power]

I have the XPower in matte green as well.

My routine:

1. Jet wash with water.
2. Autoglym snow foam.
3. Wait for a few minutes then rinse with water.
4. Wipe lightly with a microfibre cloth to remove excess water.

When tar flecks or other more stubborn grubbiness appears I'll use finishing spray/tar remover and a microfibre cloth as required.

To be honest I want to avoid requiring perfection because it isn't available. The car will eventually have blemishes and I just want to keep it in decent condition without much effort.

When do you do a contact wash with soap and water?

 

[Rolfe]

Are you going to try a touch-up stick, Bricktop? I'd be interested to see how that works with the matte paint.

I haven't noticed any stone chips on Caliban as yet (over 7,000 miles), but I did shell out actual money to have a scuffed wheel arch repaired professionally. God knows how that happened.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Are you going to try a touch-up stick, Bricktop? I'd be interested to see how that works with the matte paint.

I haven't noticed any stone chips on Caliban as yet (over 7,000 miles), but I did shell out actual money to have a scuffed wheel arch repaired professionally. God knows how that happened.

Yes.

I'm getting one made up for the car.

Probably won't be the last chip, so will be a good investment.

Luckily, it's quite difficult to see unless you know where it is!

I Will only have to drop the paint into the chip.

Pen comes complete with a tiny applicator to make it child's play.

 

[Kithmo]

Is the green a paint finish or a wrap ?
I thought it was a wrap.

 

[salty]

Yes.

I'm getting one made up for the car.

Probably won't be the last chip, so will be a good investment.

Luckily, it's quite difficult to see unless you know where it is!

I Will only have to drop the paint into the chip.

Pen comes complete with a tiny applicator to make it child's play.

View attachment 24272

Toothpick can work too, tiny drop on the end.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Toothpick can work too, tiny drop on the end.

No need when your paying through the nose for a bodyshop to make it up for you !

Not yet available cheaply in Halfords anytime soon???

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Is the green a paint finish or a wrap ?
I thought it was a wrap.

Paint.

 

[Torryhun]

Noticed my first stone chip on Thursday when washing, Chipex kit arriving on Monday

 

[Ian Key]

View attachment 24268

View attachment 24269

Looking smart when clean. You just need to invest in a proper drive surface to keep it that way