Advice - need more aggressive product

C

cjv998

New member
Hi everyone. I polished my Miata yesterday, and I'm not entirely happy with the results. The sun was behind some clouds, so it was hard to tell what level of correction I was getting. I went out this morning, and while the car has more gloss, there are still a lot of swirls left behind.



I used IP on an orange 6.5" CCS pad.



Here's a before shot:



IMG_1786.jpg




And here are some after shots:



IMG_1812.jpg




IMG_1814.jpg




IMG_1810.jpg






Doesn't seem like I got much more than 40-50% correction, at best. I'm used to soft Honda paint (and even on that, I wasn't getting 100% correction). Do I really need to step up to something that much more aggressive than my IP/orange pad combo for this paint? And if so, any suggestions on what to get?
 
cjv998 said:
... I polished my Miata yesterday, and I'm not entirely happy with the results. The sun was behind some clouds, so it was hard to tell what level of correction I was getting. I went out this morning, and while the car has more gloss, there are still a lot of swirls left behind...
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[Insert lecture about using good lighting when polishing ;) ]



At least you just had minimal correction, and not some much worse surprise.







..I used IP on an orange 6.5" CCS pad....[and]...Doesn't seem like I got much more than 40-50% correction, at best... Do I really need to step up to something that much more aggressive than my IP/orange pad combo for this paint? And if so, any suggestions on what to get?
Click to expand...



When I first clicked on this thread, I had two thoughts: 1) "wonder what size pad, probably something like 6" " and 2) "wonder which machine, probably a PC".

I've never worked on your paint, and I've never used IP either (gee, raises the question of what do *I* know doesn't it?!?) but I think you'd be doing better with a smaller pad and some additional applied pressure.



Sure, you could step up to something like M105 or the new Optimum (spray) Hyper Compound, and I bet you'd get much more correction. But even with those, if you're not using a Flex 3401 or a Griot's 6" RO then I think smaller pads are gonna be very helpful.
 
I have to agree with Accumulator.. I would downsize your pad, as I NEVER use a pad that large, especially if using an orbital. I find that I get much better correction from smaller pads (although it takes a little longer), the largest being a 5.5" pad on an orbital (PC). I would not go larger than that, especially on an orbital. If you are using a rotary polisher, then it could be a few things, such as a dirty pad or poor polisher technique, dirty MF towel if removing in a circular motion (which, again, I never do).
 
Thanks for the replies so far. I am using a PC, your guesses are correct.



I do have smaller 4" orange pads I used for the bumpers and mirrors. Come to think of it, I did seem to get a better finish on those areas....we may be on to something here.



Really though, from what I've read, it seems like IP and an orange pad isn't a very aggressive combo. Maybe I should just go ahead and step up to a more aggressive product. (Maybe a foamed wool or lambswool pad and a bit more aggressive polish? Or would that be taking it too far?) It would also help to have something more aggressive for when I detail other people's cars too (which I've considered getting into). I do have a bottle of FF106 I could finish with if I stepped up to something more aggressive. (Need to order some new white pads though.)
 
cjv998 said:
Thanks for the replies so far. I am using a PC, your guesses are correct.



I do have smaller 4" orange pads I used for the bumpers and mirrors. Come to think of it, I did seem to get a better finish on those areas....we may be on to something here.



Really though, from what I've read, it seems like IP and an orange pad isn't a very aggressive combo. Maybe I should just go ahead and step up to a more aggressive product...
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I'd try the Optimum (spray) Hyper Compound with the 4" orange pads. This has quickly become my recommendation after having previously suggested people try M105.



Wool pads *can* work via PC/etc. but a) it's not always as simple an upgrade as you might expect and can lead to issues, b) I'd still recommend the 4" pads, and c) with 4" pads *I* generally prefer the orange foam over PFW (just a personal preference and others go the other way).



The OHC/4" orange might not be the most aggressive combo you could try, and it might not be quite as aggressive as you'd like, but I do think it'll improve the results with virtually zero chance of something going haywire. And it finishes out quite nicely, so the follow up step won't be a big hassle.
 
AeroCleanse said:
It cuts and finishes faster than System 51. System 51 is less expensive though. System 51 uses non diminishing abrasives while GTechniq P1 uses a nanocomposite particles (smaller).



Polishing // G|Techniq
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Are the abrasive diminishing or non-diminishing in the P1 / P2? I was going to try some out as well...
 
RaskyR1 said:
Are the abrasive diminishing or non-diminishing in the P1 / P2? I was going to try some out as well...
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That I don't know. All the information is on that page as well as videos. I know for me P1 works faster and easier than System 51. Haven't seen a need for P2 yet.
 
AeroCleanse said:
That I don't know. All the information is on that page as well as videos. I know for me P1 works faster and easier than System 51. Haven't seen a need for P2 yet.
Click to expand...
Same here and I've used Meg's 105/205, Ultimate Compound, Optimum HC and HP, the whole Menzs line and GTechniq P1 with a DA or rotary can't be beat.
 
There are several more aggressive products you could use. One of my favorites is Megs M105, which you can probably find at your local advanceauto for around $30. I would not jump to a wool pad just yet. From what I see in those pictures I think the combination of a smaller pad and slightly more aggressive product will do the trick. Also not sure how much experience you have - might want to watch some videos to get a feel for whether you are moving along slow enough / overlapping enough. Now go make it shine!
 
I used M105 a few times, still have most of the bottle left. I don't use it anymore, dusts way to fast and doesn't cut very quickly.
 
I agree with Accumulator (again) but I'd also suggest something that hasn't been mentioned, or at least something I didn't notice mentioned. Try a milder pad/polish combo and see what results you get. Do a test spot of the IP/orange as well as something like M205/white next to each other and compare the results. As much as I want to say go with something aggressive, especially since it looks like that's definitely the case, there's still the slight chance that IP/orange might be too aggressive for that paint and that they're causing some of the swirl marks you see now.



Whatever direction you take, make sure to tape off a few spots on the hood and try stuff out, don't just polish the entire car with whatever products you have.
 
Tomorrow morning I'll try taping off a section of the hood and see what a 4" pad will do for me with IP.



I should add, this detail was done in full sunlight for the most part. Would that affect the effectiveness of IP?



If the 4" pad and more pressure doesn't get the job done, I'm thinking about stepping up to Menzerna's Powergloss. Any thoughts?
 
powergloss on the PC SUCKS! it leaves the finish way too chewed up! I only use it with a rotary, wool and on hard paint!



orange, 105, and 5.5"pads speed 6 should knock all that out no problem. I have done it before on mazda paint, works like a charm. Not too hard of paint, but not super soft either!
 
Alright, I ordered Meg's 105 (the new DA version) and a bunch of 5.5" pads - so now I have orange pads in 6.5", 5.5", and 4". Surely I can get one of those to work. :)



This paint is just harder than what I'm used to dealing with. And now I'll be ready to tackle other people's swirled cars too, since I'll have some more aggressive products to handle their 15 years-worth of improper wash techniques.
 
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