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2007 Toyota Matrix brought back from deaths doorstep


TTQ B4U
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A fellow CR Member contacted me about his wife's 2007 Matrix in efforts to remove several years of neglect, most of which were due in part to the previous owner as the vehicle is "newer" to them. It has 95k+ miles on it but overall in decent shape.

 

The good news is that Toyota's white much like Honda's tends to be single stage paint, thus no clear coat to fail. Instead what happens is the oils in the paint evaporate out and the paint oxidizes from the outside in thus producing a chalky residue, much like old aluminum siding. The other fix that was needed to was to restore the headlights which had moderately bad UV failure and crazing. The upside is they were still fixable, but the downside is they were neglected long enough for the damage to cause a slightly clouding inside and stress cracks to appear.

 

The cure here involved a three step process. Compound, polish and then seal. Being single stage paint isn't compatible with most ceramic coatings, I sealed this one up with some of the best out there. The headlights were sanded, polished and sealed with two coats of UV sealant specially designed for headlamps.

 

The compounding was done with foam pads and Meg's 101 Compound. Polishing and the first layer of sealant was done with HDSpeed which contains HDPoxy a synthetic sealant. Wanting to insure the paint would be sealed up well beyond what Ohio Winters will throw at it, I also applied a coat of Collinite 476 which is among the most durable and long lasting Hybrid Synthetic Carnauba Waxes available on the market.

 

The weather was warm for January but sprinkles wouldn't leave and kept me from garnering any real good outdoor photos. White is tough enough to capture, let alone when I'm stuck with poor lighting and a cell phone. Here it goes anyway.

 

Before:

 

Notice the hood bare even shows the reflection of the two sets of T5 High output bulbs in the fixtures above. The headlamps look like they are suffering from Jaundice too.

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_100521%20web_zpsr7hajphj.jpg

 

 

You don't get any more chalky and dull than this:

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_100407%20web%20before_zpsoqw7ci24.jpg

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_122956%20web%20before_zpskxxht0wo.jpg

 

So chalky and oxidized you can almost feel it in the photos

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_100438%20web_zpsgnjccnqi.jpg

 

 

After washing the vehicle completely it's time to chemically decontaminate it. This baby was so dry just about ever spec of ferrous partials to touch it found a home embedded in into paint.

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_083700%20web%2022_zpsmwv2jayx.jpg

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_083647%20web_zpsm0nkbqpj.jpg

 

 

I use a mix of compounds to allow for longer working times. The left has is oxidized, the right has seen first crack at removing it.

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_122246%20web_zpswqns07cz.jpg

 

 

Here's a shot of the rear door after basic compounding

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_174419%20web_zpsz9gomydh.jpg

 

 

Once polished though, all is good again

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_175644%20web_zpspvd7stk0.jpg

 

 

The roof finally reflects once again

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_175850%20web%20after_zpsf5nge8se.jpg

 

Windshield Cowling Restored from UV Damaged gray to black

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_175726%20web_zpsurrhjnrw.jpg

 

B-Pillars back to the satin finish they were originally when new

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_175710%20web_zpsajihyaq5.jpg

 

 

All shined up and the lights are clear again. The slight haze drives me nuts but it's on the inside thus requiring them to removed and opened up to fully fix.

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_175554%20web_zpsdgqxioto.jpg

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_122300%20web%20after_zpsvbuqwrhg.jpg

Ready for pick up by customer

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_175743%20web_zpszlaajr1c.jpg

 

 

Overall I was pleased with the correction and the outcome and if his texts can be quoted, the word Amazing popped up a few times. I do appreciate Adam trusting in my work and hope that he will come to provide some input here on the board.

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Edited by TTQ B4U
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I have seen so many Toyota whites do this I stopped even paying attention it almost seems normal, any idea what causes this? I mean we have all seen the Mitsubishi black and Buick white clear peel but this white just seems to become chalk
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I have seen so many Toyota whites do this I stopped even paying attention it almost seems normal, any idea what causes this? I mean we have all seen the Mitsubishi black and Buick white clear peel but this white just seems to become chalk

 

It's just plain oxidation caused from lack of care and keeping it sealed up. UV light damage happens quick, especially to single stage paints. The best thing to do is keep a good coating of protection on and use a good quality detail spray after each wash. I like the newer Wipe on Walk away products for between polishings too.

 

There are lots of good detail sprays and Wipe on Walk Away sealants on the market. Wolfgang Deep Gloss Liquid Seal is the one I recommend. Will do wonders at keeping the paint from fading.

 

One last pic and bit of information on this car.

 

The Wheels are just plastic covers but I cleaned them up and sealed them with Sonax Wheel and Rim Shield. It does wonders for resisting brake dust and dirt and when washing it will make it 200% easier to blast it off.

 

I'm not a huge fan of Endurance as it's too glossy for me but it does hold up well to the rain we're getting and knowing it was going to see rain on the way home or even the day after, it was a good selection and will easily last for a couple weeks.

 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah133/PDQS4/OLD%20Gallary%20of%20Images/2007%20Toyota%20Matrix/20170121_175535%20wheel%20web_zpskcelpyfa.jpg

 

If Adam wants to really put a finishing touch on them for under $20 He could plastidip them, add some plastidip gloss over top and paint the brake dust shields flat black.

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I have seen so many Toyota whites do this I stopped even paying attention it almost seems normal, any idea what causes this? I mean we have all seen the Mitsubishi black and Buick white clear peel but this white just seems to become chalk

 

Toyota white is also known to have weak adhesion in the pdr world.

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Toyota white is also known to have weak adhesion in the pdr world.

 

What's that mean exactly? Does it crack or flake off when fixed? This car had some dings on the roof. Looked to be from hail. A nice size likely not-hail on the hood.

 

Just curious.

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We could not thank Tim enough for the awesome job he did to my wife’s car. He was very thorough on explaining each step to my wife so she could understand what he was going to do. When we left after the dropping the car off, I could tell she had a very basic understanding but yet still had no idea the transformation that was about to happen. I have polished cars before but never with the results had Tim produced with this faded paint. The paint finally had depth, the black trim was finally black again, and lastly the headlights finally lite up the road. She was beyond excited and actually came home and cleaned the inside of the car as well. Tim communicated throughout the day with us giving updates and pictures showing the progress. Tim truly has an art to bring a cars’ paint back to life.
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Thanks for the kind words Adam. Glad to hear she was excited and happy to now have a like-new looking car!

 

Some of the products we discussed that will serve you well going forward:

 

 

  • Detail Spray as noted above
  • Rinseless Wash - I love Wolfgang Uber
  • Trim Care - Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant aka WETS or Chemical Guys Tire and Trim Gel. Both are very good and very simliar. Both block UV and prevent fading. I also like Adam's In and Out Spray for under the hood and the honeycomb like grill area up front. Works great on the windshield cowl area too.

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I made some of the Wolfgang Uber detail spray after Tim introduced it to me and it works wonders. 1oz. Uber in 1-gallon of distilled vs. the 1oz/3gal. wash.

 

Really nice stuff. Also really seems to keep the trim and tires black.

 

 

Do you use 1 oz to 1-gallon for the quick detail? I was mixing some up tonight but was going to use 3 oz to 1-gallon because I read 1oz to 1-gallon was for clay lubricant.

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I made some of the Wolfgang Uber detail spray after Tim introduced it to me and it works wonders. 1oz. Uber in 1-gallon of distilled vs. the 1oz/3gal. wash.

 

Really nice stuff. Also really seems to keep the trim and tires black.

 

Agree. I love the versatility of Wolfgang Uber. It works great as a detail spray that protects the vehicle on a weekly / or wash basis. The difference is that it's not a long term protection product. The Wipe on Walk Away products range from 3-6 months making them an easy way to provide longer term protection and ease of use.

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Do you use 1 oz to 1-gallon for the quick detail? I was mixing some up tonight but was going to use 3 oz to 1-gallon because I read 1oz to 1-gallon was for clay lubricant.

 

I thought I did 1-1, but I see that it says 3-1. I only did about a third of a gallon though so I might be close. I just use it mainly to touch up right after I rinseless wash...there is always some more dirty residue on the lower doors / rockers that i touch up with it.

 

Agree. I love the versatility of Wolfgang Uber. It works great as a detail spray that protects the vehicle on a weekly / or wash basis. The difference is that it's not a long term protection product. The Wipe on Walk Away products range from 3-6 months making them an easy way to provide longer term protection and ease of use.

 

Good info!

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