How much buffing to burn through paint?

[cjv998]

Hey everyone, ran across this thread a few days ago, and thought I'd get some input.



[NA] Is this paint salvageable? - MX-5 Miata Forum



So, I'm wondering how much buffing it would actually take to burn through the paint on the edges of those panels? I was under the impression that proper technique and products (i.e. using a PC and decent pads and polishes) kept you from burning through paint.

 

[Accumulator]

You can't ever really say as every situation (every car, what it's been through, what you're doing..etc. etc.) is different. That Miata is single stage, right? Not that it really matters...except that cut-throughs like that on single stage can often just be lived with and/or touched up easily enough to at least look better, if not perfect (BTDT).



Paint on panel edges, crown lines, and the like is typically thinner than paint in the middle of a panel. So you gotta take it easy on those potentially thin areas.



Whenever you use abrasives, you take off paint. Take off too much and you'll have problems. Yes, you *CAN* do that with "merely" a PC and good/mild pads and products. It's just less likely with that kind of approach than it is with something more aggressive.



So IMO, anything more than gentle, once-a-year correction might bode ill for the long-term health of the paint.

 

[Blinky]

Paint on panel edges, crown lines, and the like is typically thinner than paint in the middle of a panel. So you gotta take it easy on those potentially thin areas.



Whenever you use abrasives, you take off paint. Take off too much and you'll have problems. Yes, you *CAN* do that with "merely" a PC and good/mild pads and products. It's just less likely with that kind of approach than it is with something more aggressive.



So IMO, anything more than gentle, once-a-year correction might bode ill for the long-term health of the paint.

I'm with you there and think real hard before reaching for the buffer. Can I live with this imperfection that only I can see under critical lighting? Can I not carefully buff this by hand with small pad or mf cloth? These sorts of questions cross my mind.

 

[Accumulator]

I'm with you there and think real hard before reaching for the buffer. Can I live with this imperfection that only I can see under critical lighting?...These sorts of questions cross my mind.

Spend enough time here at Autopia and you start to think that nothing but perfection is acceptable. Maybe you shouldn't bend over backwards to spot (and then dwell on) problems that aren't all that readily apparent.



I'd start with a simple "how does the car look? Does it look like it needs correction or not?" approach. And don't overlook the use of products that do some concealing/filling. No, IMO that's not "cheating" or othewise doing something wrong.

Can I not carefully buff this by hand with small pad or mf cloth?

Sure, but unless you really work at it your efforts will probably be too gentle to accomplish much (much less overthin the paint).