I am very upset, Optimum SUCKS!! (PICS)

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05corolla

New member
:hairpull :mad: Today I got my new Optimum Polish in the mail and I decided to try it out on my '05 Corolla. It had minor swirls and I wanted to polish them out. At first I tried a white LC pad with my PC at about speed 2 to spread the polish out evenly and then I increased to speed 4 to work it in. I worked very slowly and did about 4 to 5 passes over the entire hood. Results: NOTHING!! So I tried the same process again at a higher speed, and again, nothing! So next I move up to an Orange LC pad and tried the same two processes and NOTHING worked. The paint feels fabulous, but the swirls are exactly the same, no change at all!! And yes, before someone says it, I did wash, dry, and clay the car before all of this!



WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!? or What should I try next??



Pics: (These are all afters since nothing changed!)

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Before blaming Optimum...and going as far as Optimum sucks I would back up a step. Optimum does not suck, they make great products and are not at fault for not removing your swirls. Did you try using Optimum Compound? Speed 6 helps alot too. Im sorry but I dont think it's right to start a thread saying Optimum sucks when clearly the products are performing just as they were meant to perform. Those swirls look like they require OC
 
I just bought some Optimum Polish yesterday. I don't know if it works, but I checked and it does seem to have a stellar reputation around here. That's all I can say
 
Optimum polish definitley doesnt suck. I consistently get great results w/ it. I usually use it on 4.5 or 5 and an edge blue pad.

You may just need a stronger polish. Try some ohc and mix it in a little w/ the polish.
 
I agree with what you guys are saying here, and I did use speed 6 on the PC for a few passes, but this car is almost brand new, and shouldn't require a compound. From what all the rave reviews on this very site have told and shown me, the minor swirls I have should have easily been taken away by OP.
 
A orange pad and OC will clean that up nicely. I use the polish to remove the haze from OC and clean and minor swirling





BTW did u go very slow with overlapping passes? u have to take your time atleast 5-7 minutes per panel to get the results from the polish u r looking for.





Also apply pressure!
 
05corolla said:
I agree with what you guys are saying here, and I did use speed 6 on the PC for a few passes, but this car is almost brand new, and shouldn't require a compound. From what all the rave reviews on this very site have told and shown me, the minor swirls I have should have easily been taken away by OP.
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Obviously not :nixweiss
 
Just because a car is brand new doesnt mean it doesnt require a compound. You would be surprised at brand new 07 cars needing a compound. And this car is a 2005 so it is already 2 years old and not new anymore. It has had plenty of life to get a lot of improper car washes. I would get the OC and give it a shot.
 
A lot of us here have and similar frustration with our first efforts are paint correction with a PC. Technique and the combination of the right polish and pad are something learned. I still have a long way to go. My first thought is that you need A) a more aggressive pad, then B) stronger compound.



If you still aren't happy with the results after that, put on a nice glaze with some fillers, wax, then stand back and admire. Yeah, it's a temporary solution but it beats pulling out your hair.
 
I used OP on my Black 06 Ford Escape Hybrid, and it worked great! I found that I needed to do 2 passes with a LC White Pad, and worked it very slowly...worked like a charm.
 
go to showcargarage.com and invest in the p/c dvd you will learn alot on how to use the p/c the right way i did.
 
Just because it is new doesn't mean it doesn't need compounding. Sometimes that is just what it takes, and your first time using a PC won't be perfect. And Optimum doesn't suck, it is your attitude that sucks.
 
05corolla said:
I agree with what you guys are saying here, and I did use speed 6 on the PC for a few passes, but this car is almost brand new, and shouldn't require a compound. From what all the rave reviews on this very site have told and shown me, the minor swirls I have should have easily been taken away by OP.
Click to expand...





Bud, take a few steps back, and listen.



NO ONE, can tell you what that paint needs. What we do here is point you in a 'general' direction, and merely give you 'suggestions' as to what may work. Paints differ from car to car, even cars of the same model and year can have paints that react differently.



Obviously the combinations and your technique isn't sufficient in tackling your particular situation. Therefore, as the others have said, you need to change it up a bit. Try a more aggressive pad, and then up the aggressiveness in your polish. Optimum polish is an awesome refining polish, that also has the ability to remove a lot of swirls on **some** paints when aided with a more aggressive pad, and or rotary.



Each car is different, that is why you should always do a test-spot to determine what combination is required to do what you want. As always, you may not always replicate someone else's results with the same process and technique. There are just far too many variables to say for sure. YMMV!!!



Good luck, and listen to the advice that we're giving you.

--Gabe
 
O5Corolla,



If you want, I can send you 4oz of Optimum Hyper Compound and Optimum Compound for you to try (Gratis). Try those out, and if one ends up working for you, then at least you know that you needed something more than OP on your paint.



Send me an email: RCBuddha1@gmail.com
 
I agree with everyone else. I think this had to do with more technique than anything. The Optimum Polish works great like it is supposed to. I would move up the Optimum Compound. You can also mix the HyperCompound and Polish to make Compound also.
 
Like others have said, it’s not the age of the car but the severity of the defects and hardness of the paint that dictate what products (polish/pad) you need to correct them.



Do you remember the following thread where you said you had “hideous swirls�?



http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/82246-so-polish-should-i-get.html



You selected the wrong product to get the job done. In that thread most members suggested both a light cut polish and a heavier cut polish in case it was needed. You should accept this as a learning experience instead of starting a thread saying a product sucks. The first time you’ve used a PC and you’re judging a product because it didn’t do what you thought it should :nixweiss ?
 
Juztang said:
Eliot-just wondering if you decided to go with the Metabo polisher?
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Not yet, I hardly ever use a rotary, but if I decide to get another one I think it will be a Metabo because of the size/weight.
 
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