Help me make sure I don't hate myslef on Monday

N

noahabel

New member
Hello, gentleman, it's time for me to ask for a little help. I'm going to take my detailing to (hopefully) the next level this weekend and try to really perfect some basic paint damage on my 98 Arctic Silver M3/4. I've done a couple details with my PC 7424, one on a pretty old and abused red pearl 300ZX and another on my girlfriend's abused 2002 Audi A4. I can't really say that I was happy with the results either time. The Z was left with a lot of scratches and I never really got the pearl to pop. The A4 was pretty much untreated the last 3 years (my gf has gotten an earful for this already) and much of the paint was still covered in water spots and some very rough areas. My old process-



PC Orbital and LC 6" pads - wool,yellow and white.

-Dawn wash x2

-Zaino clay

-Zaino Wash

-Menzerna IP via wool & yellow pads - speed 6 for much of it - spray with 50/50 IPA/water solution

-Menzera FPII via white pad - lower speeds - wipe with MF only

-Zaino Z2 (now pro) x3



Now, admitted, the Z was in pretty bad shape and no orbital could solve most of the problems - but it looked good for a 12 year old car. The A4 is not up to my standards. So now I've picked up an Edge2000 8" pad set and some SSR3 in preparation for my Bimmer detail this weekend. The paint has some usual swirls, slight holograming and a couple scratches and some blemishes which may be clear coat overspray.



The plan:

-Remove body trim, mask all plastic (duh)

-Dawn x2

-Zaino Clay

-Wash (Zaino wash?)

-Start with Edge Green and IP - step up to Edge Yellow or Black if needed. Wipe with IPA/Water and MF

-Edge Blue (or White?) and FPII - wipe with MF (or IPA too?)

-**Wash???**

-Z-16 before and in between 3 layers of Z5

-Z-16 before and in between 3 layers of Z2-Pro (day 2)

-Maybe Megs #16 as a topper



So the plan isn't that different, unless you'd advise I pick up a cheap rotary, maybe the Vector Waxxpro (Pep Boys) or the Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight). I was thinking I'd need a circular in order to address the truly tough spots. This is also why I picked up the SSR3 - just in case I needed more cut.



My main concerns are:



-Do I really need a rotary to address some common swirls, and do I need it for some more defined defects like the scratches and blemishes? Can an Orbital, some more abbrasive pads and SSR3 provide me with enough cut to address my needs?

-Should I wash the car after compunding/polishing or is an MF wipedown good enough?

-Is there anything I can do to better prep the paint in between the FPII and the Zaino? No glaze I have heard of seems to allow the Zaino to bond.

-Will #16 do anything to enhance the shine/depth on a Zainoed silver car?

-If I have to clean the pads in the middle of a step, can they be used when damp?

-Can Zaino be applied by machine?



Sorry the long post, I'm just nervous about having everything I need before I get cracking on this in the morning.



I will post again when I retackle the A4, which I'm certain needs a rotary and some SSR3 to smooth out some fairly rough paint.



Thanks, guys!
 
A few comments:



I don't see the benefit to washing with Dawn. Car wash shampoo should get all the loose dirt off, and the IP will remove any wax or sealant.



I don't see any need to use isopropyl alcohol. FP2 doesn't leave any oil behind.



For the FP2, I would use a regular polishing pad (green).
 
Thanks for the ideas. But can't clay remove inclusions and embedded debris, more so than a polish can abbrade them away? I always thought clay was good prep for a compound/polish regimen.



As for the IPA, is there no benefit to completely removing any IP residue before moving on to FPII? Doesn't it also help clean the area being compounded to determine your progress?



I won't bother with IPA after the FPII step, but should I wash instead, as maybe a good prep for the Z5?



As for the pads, would you guys suggest I start using IP with the Edge Yellow and save the Green for the polish of FPII?



Anyone have any thoughts on my need for a rotary?



TIA.
 
noahabel- Disclaimer: I haven't used IP, Zaino, or the Edge pads.



You might find that the PC bogs down too readily with the large pads. Only way I can do much of any correction on b/c paint is to use *smaller* pads, usually 4". Dunno about the Bimmer, but IMO you *will* need a rotary to get the Audi in good shape.



I dunno about a double Dawn wash, I'd just wash it once and I haven't found Dawn to be all that special.



I would clay it. I wouldn't plan on rewashing unless I somehow messed up and left a bunch of clay residue.



I'd just wipe off all the IP residue carefully, maybe using a QD, before using the FPII. Don't see any need for the alcohol mix.



If you have to clean the pads you can try first blotting them with a towel and then *carefully* spinning them dry (or at least "drier"). Watch that the pad doesn't fly off the PC and land in something nasty. I only spin them in a large plastic tub- they *will* sometimes fly off. But yeah, you can wash them out, dry them as best you can, and keep going.
 
So after attacking the car today, I ran into some hiccups:



1. I got the Vector Rotary from PepBoys ($49.99 on sale) and used a yellow Edge pad (2nd most aggressive) with IP and got almost nowhere with the considerable scratches I hadn't really seen until today. So I went to the SSR3 and black pad (most aggressive) and after some time, got to "perfecting" my appllication, going slow and steady at ~1200RPM until the SSR3 broke down enough to do some correction.



2. After the SSR3 I still had a number of areas (mostly horizontal surfaces) with some noticable faint scratches, but the swirling and hologramming was gone. I went back over the entire car with a yellow pad and IP which seemed to help some.



3. I ran out of time before getting to the polish/wax steps but not before I....



Gouged a nice 8" line of paint off my rear bumper with the edge of my yellow Edge2000 pad!!! I lost concentration for a few seconds, and left the edge working on the bumper while I buffed the side panel right above it. Man do I feel retarded. I'm going to give it a crack at repainting myself - using wetsanding. I tried Langka before and was not happy.



Since I still have to polish, should I try the FPII with my rotary or DA? Would Zaino Z-PC Fusion offer me any more of a corrective scratch repair than I managed to get with SSR3 and and a very aggressive pad, and is it any better than FPII? Will the polish step, done properly, help eliminate the few remaining scratches that compounding couldn't get? Does Z5 actually do any real scratch filling? Am I dreaming?



All in all I'm happy with the state of my 8 year old paint, it had a lot of shine left in the clear coat after I clayed despite the unsightly scratching. I just hope I can manage not to screw up any more with that rotary.



And I'm going to wash after I polish, there is just too much splatter on the glass to leave to Stoners IG.



Thanks for the advice, fellas.
 
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