'87 White (Single Stage) Vette Kicks PC's Butt

M

Mikeman

New member
Yup. I polished half of this roof MANY times with 1zUP, Sonus DAS Orange pad, speed 5. The paint is smooth; but it does not look much better at all. Even greasy fingerprints from mechanics did not come out entirely. Is a rotary my only hope?



18902hpim0155-med.jpg








18902hpim0153-med.jpg




18902hpim0157-med.jpg
 
Your problem might be the 1ZUP. I kind of hesitate to suggest this, but try Mezerna Powergloss. With a PC you will need to follow up with FP and possibly IP, but I guarantee itll make a dent in the swirls. Also, bump the PC up to 6, and spray the pad occasionally with deionized water. If you dont have Powergloss (my favorite compound), Poorboys SSR3 or Meg's #83 should do the trick.
 
Thanks guys!



I've always considered that 1zUP to be real aggressive stuff. It's very gritty to the feel. It does seem to break down quick however. I'll kick the PC up to speed 6, and try some Powergloss (if I can find it), or SSR 3. I love the 2.5; but I'm out of it right now.



This is some very tough paint!!!



Mikeman out.
 
There are just some deep swirls that a PC cant tackle within reasonable time. A rotary I bet, would clear those swirls right up, using a PC will take forever and may still not produce the results a rotary will yield. I say try with the PC and PowerGloss and if that doesnt work then rotary will be in order.
 
Mikeman said:
Hmmm.....could I use Meg's #84 with the DAS Orange pad? Do they have wool pads for the PC??



Mikeman out.
Click to expand...



Sure they do... same as the 6.5" wool pads with velcro backing that they use for rotaries. I think meguiars makes some.
 
Wash, clay, polish cleaner then use machine glaze that will bring back the color, shine & depth. I would be careful using a rotary on a Corvette, fiberglass heats up real quick.

What the pic's above tells me is this. Most of the oils is out of the paint is gone and you have to use a machine glaze to bring back the oils back to the paint. Corvettes are a tricky one sense they are made out of fiberglass they don't glaze like reg paint does. What I'm about to tell you might not be your case but if so it might help you.

Sometimes you might have to glaze more then once because the haze some times comes back after its in the hot sun. Best to use a machine glaze using a PC on 5 1/2 using a polish pad applying med to hard pressure at first then let off...... lightly buff for gloss. Take out in hot sun let cook for a few hours, reglaze if needed if haze comes back in some areas.
 
IMO a PC using a pretty heavy polish like 1ZUP leaves behind swrils and hazing because of the action of the machine. It just does not have enough speed in a single spot to polish it shinny with that product. I suggest doing a spot with a step down polish like 1ZPP or DACP to see if you get an improvement. If you don't then go for a rotary. BTW are you sure you are working on a single stage paint, as I use to own a Red 1986 Vette and it was clearcoated. I would think that all Vettes from that era are clear coated since my car was.
 
Jetskie should be correct about the Clear coat. You can check the option tag in the car (probably in the centre console). It should say BC/CC beside the paint code number... bottom left hand corner?? That is to say only if it hasnt been repainted.
 
Thanks for all the feedback, guys!



I'm sure it's SS paint. My pads are white. The side view mirrors however, look like failing clearcoat. I'll try to get some decent pics of the mirrors. I'm off to work on the beast now.



Thanks again!



Mikeman out.



EDIT: At least 50% of the car has been repainted (SS White)! That explains the failing clearcoat on the mirrors. I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier. The body is perfect. It's probably been wrecked at least once, and they just bought new fiberglass panels.
 
01bluecls said:
There are just some deep swirls that a PC cant tackle within reasonable time. A rotary I bet, would clear those swirls right up
Click to expand...



I was having a hard time today on a white BMW paint even with the rotary and ssr3 (yellow edge 2000 pad) I need to come see you and buy some powergloss off of you asap! :D
 
Rotary, SSR 3, and cutting pad don't work?? What is it with white paint? If the paint is that tough, how do people get it all swirled up in the first place?



I'm giving up on the Vette. I'm dealing with at least three different paint jobs. Every panel reacts to the polish differently....not my kinda job. Hmmm....I think I'll stay away from anything white from now on. :)



Mikeman out.
 
Mikeman said:
Rotary, SSR 3, and cutting pad don't work?? What is it with white paint? If the paint is that tough, how do people get it all swirled up in the first place?



I'm giving up on the Vette. I'm dealing with at least three different paint jobs. Every panel reacts to the polish differently....not my kinda job. Hmmm....I think I'll stay away from anything white from now on. :)



Mikeman out.
Click to expand...



Let me defend the rotary and say that I am not an expert with for sure. The yellow edge pad is not very agressive imho. At 2700rpm I would surely mess up some of the trim on the car so I called it a quit.



I will get the car swirl free!
 
SS white is evil stuff cause its made with titanium dioxide as a pigment. I try to avoid it like the plague, cause most people who buy white cars arent exactly autopians, and they figure it'll look better than black with no care :angry. They swirl the hell out of it and go "well I dont want to spring for the 3step polish, its a white car....", followed up by "but I want it to look new when you're done". This business makes me misanthropic sometimes, I swear.:grrr
 
Titanium dioxide.....very interesting, Timmah.



Have you ever done a white car with greasy (automotive grease) fingerprints on it? I can't even get these out of this SS white paint. It's like the grease soaked deeply into the paint.



Mikeman out.
 
Mikeman, the prints are likely from when the paint was still wet. It cured after they were put there. You may have some luck with 2500 grit wet sanding.
 
Ahaa!! That explains everything. This Vette owner is exactly the type of guy who would slap some paint on the car, then handle it with greasy hands before it cured, figuring I'd polish out the prints. I'm not doing any more work for this guy. This is my third car from him. The other two were a real fight too.



Mikeman out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top