First experience with PC and 1Z, mixed results

T

TN9thSi

New member
Well, the bug finally bit me today. I have the day off and I was determined to try out the new PC and 1Z products. Went to work on my Lapis Blue Metallic Mazda6 to remove some swirls/marring. Here's my process with a DP orange pad and 1z PP.



1) Mist pad with water

2) Apply polish directly to paint (small area)

3) Spread polish with PC off

4) Set PC to setting "3" and begin working the polish

5) Continue working in overlapping motion

6) Allow polish to haze and buff with MF

7) Repeat above steps



I was very happy with the results. Nothing but a clean reflection. Too bad the car was too dirty to do the rest.



Now I moved to my Sisters black Olds with a ton of swirls and scratches. I used the same process, except set the PC to "5" and also just worked on a small area. The results were not as pleasing this time around. Sure it looked 100% better, but it was still kinda dull and I could still see some fine swirls as I moved across the finish.



Now, I need some help in removing the rest of these marks. Should I use a DP yellow pad? Or try some UPP? The car is a '97 model and the paint is in fair condition, less the swirls/scratches. I just couldn't get the results I wanted, but not bad for a first try I guess. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
You can either work the area longer or move to a more aggressive pad/polish combination. Either way, on black you will want to do a second step with a softer pad/polish combo to get rid of the hazing/marring. The Metallic Polish and a white pad should work for you. Use pretty light pressure and higher speed for this step.



I hope this helps.
 
I think the surface may have been too warm as I noticed PP starting to haze just a few seconds after applying. What would you recommend for something more agressive? Would UPP do the job or is it too harsh?
 
Try your least aggressive methods first and work your way up. Go with the yellow pad and 1ZPP first, it may take you a couple of applications though so don't rush it. If you don't see any improvement then you can consider moving up to 1ZUP, but keep in mind 1ZUP is an aggressive cleaner that is meant for dull oxidized paint and LIGHT scratches; thus it wasn't designed to be a "swirl remover." Post your questions in the einszett vendor forum and Mike should chime in on your situation.
 
I would suggest a yellow pad and speed 5. Go over the surface again if you see no improvement. This has worked for me on my wife's black mustang. I usually follow with MP on a white pad at speed 4. Good luck.
 
TnM6i said:
I think the surface may have been too warm as I noticed PP starting to haze just a few seconds after applying. What would you recommend for something more agressive? Would UPP do the job or is it too harsh?
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I think the first thing is to decide whether the marring you still see is something the PP did not remove or something the PP itself caused.



If the former, then yeah, go to the UP, then back down to PP. I sure wouldn't hesitate to use a cutting pad with the PC, I do it all the time. The UP *IS* sorta harsh, it'll definitely leave some marring of its own. Or just rework the area with PP/yellow as others have suggested. And yes, you might have a situation where you need to follow up with MP, although those aren't all THAT common. PP is designed to leave a ready-to-wax surface. Still, *I* like to use MP, FWIW.



BUT, I suspect the "problem" is FROM your use of PP. I suspect that it isn't breaking down properly. I don't moisten the pad with water, I just work some PP into the pad and let THAT "prep" it. Water can make products act harsher than usual as it hinders their breaking down. And if the PP started to haze that fast, that's not good. It takes a while for the abrasives to break down, and if it solvents/carriers flashed off that fast the abrasives probably DID NOT break down. Even by rotary, 1Z polishes stay "wet" for a long time. So don't work on such a warm surface.



FWIW, I always use speeds like 5-6 when applying 1z PP/UP by PC. Even at that speed, it takes a while for the polish to break down, and I still hardly EVER work it until it's really "dry".
 
Excellent advice, Accumulator! I will give it another shot and see what I can come up with. Still, I was pleased with the intial result, this being my first ever experience with a PC and with 1Z.



I know that the PP or MP is all I'll probably need on my car. The swirls installed by the bodyshop were easily corrected. Since the car was fairly dirty on the lower half, I only QD'ed and worked on the top-most area of the doors, just down to the handles. All I can say is that I can't wait to do the rest! And on my parents' white Regal GSE, the results were also great.
 
TnM6i- OK, cool. Glad to hear the imperfect results on your sister's Olds aren't getting you down. Remember that every car is different and some are gonna be more sensitive to various factors than others. For someone just starting out with the PC it sounds like you're doing fine. There IS a learning curve to this, even though the 1Z/PC combo is pretty easy to get the hang of.
 
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