Is This Really Bad???

F

fieval_72

New member
Hello All,



Guess I'm a newb here. Been learning much from this site. My question is about my black car. I'm attaching some pictures and I hope you can help me out with this. I don't have much equipment but what I do have is this: 3M One Step Cleaner Wax Medium, 3M Heavy Cut Compound and some wax from here locally. I can't get all the good stuff that I read about like Klasse or Zaino so I have to make do with what's around me locally. What can you "prescribe" for me? Is this really bad? My buddy is coming back from the States tomorrow with some Meguiar's Hand Polish and Polymer Sealant; will this be enough. I don't think there's enough time to get anything else. Is this enough to remedy this problem? Thanks in advance and I hope you guys can help.



-J
 

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USE THAT HEAVY CUT SPARINGLY, only on the localized scratches. It is heavy duty stuff and may take off alot of clear if used on the entire car.

Try to find some 3M Fine cut rubbing compound and use that to buff out the swirls.



Those specs are probably contamination, use clay to remove it.



The polymer sealant should leave a nice finish.
 
Sorry to say but you'll need a high speed rotary to get that finish looking like a mirror.



If all you have is hand power then I suggest you ask our resident expert on that, Scottwax.



Just remember that many of the abrasive leveling or cutting products out there require heat from a polisher to break them down and your hand can't generate enough heat to do that so you may only be putting in more scratches.



Anthony
 
Anthony Orosco said:
Sorry to say but you'll need a high speed rotary to get that finish looking like a mirror.



If all you have is hand power then I suggest you ask our resident expert on that, Scottwax.





Thanks for the incite...looks like I'm done :nixweiss ....Scottwax....help!!!!;)
Click to expand...
 
Well, your best bet will be to wash the car, clay, rinse and dry, then go over the heavy marks with your compound and hand polish, get some swirl mark remover for dark colored cars (3M makes it) and work that into the finish over the entire car (this will fill in your swirls). Finish with the sealant.



That's what I would suggest, anyway
 
Thanks again LAJeeper,



Unfortunately I have NO access to the 3MSMR. Ain't this pathetic. So much to do....but my hands are tied!!!!! Argh!!!
 
Quote: Is This Really Bad???

~One man’s opinion /observations~



Be careful using the 3M Heavy Cut Compond it’s a very aggressive abrasive



Have you tried www.3M.com they have agents in Korea



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
 
Yes sorry to say this, but the damage appears to be very severe and deep so doing this by hand is going to be a very tough proposition, requiring a ton of time, multiple steps, and lots of sweat.



Also, you seem to have a severe gap in your product selection. You have very strong or moderately strong products, and then the virtually non-abrasive Hand Polish (this is product #81 correct?). Maybe the 3M product isn't so bad and is designed to leave a fine finish, but I haven't used it myself.



You could attempt this of course, and it probably won't hurt to at least try, but be very very careful with that Heavy Cut. Rub some of it between your fingers and you'll know what I mean. Try the milder 3M first!
 
4DSC,



I rub some of the "brownish" looking 3M Heavy Cut between my fingers and I could feel the fine grit. Sort of like facial exfoliator; not too different in concept I suppose. I had the opportunity to try that Heavy Cut on a tester cut today and if I'm careful with just the right amount of pressure it does a good job of removing most of the deeper swirls. I'm thinking if I follow that up with the One Step Medium it might help. You're absolutely right...I have serious gaps and I hope you guys can help me fill them. Thanks a bunch.



TogWT,



I was aware that they had reps here but when I went into the website it didn't say much about automotive products. The funny thing is the Heavy Cut is called that but the description on the bottle says for minor scratches. In fact if they have 4 different "scratch/swirl" erasers here they ALL say the same thing; minor scratch remover. Go figure.....hehehehe....



Thanks again guys. Please keep the suggestions coming.
 
What I was originally trying to get at is that if the scratch is too deep, you should not try to totally remove it, as it might be deeply or all the way through the clear coat. That is something you don't want to thin out too much or risk breaking through by polishing too deeply, so set yourself a limit and try not to exceed that.



There is a rough rule of thumb that if the scratch is so deep that it catches your fingernail as you touch it, it is too deep to totally remove safely and you're better off just trying to round off the edges and make it less noticable.
 
Update:



4DSC,



Your absolutely right. I'll touch-up the deep ones and do what I can with that. Over the weekend I tried some of the 3M Heavy Cut on spots, particularly by the front mouldiing where there was some paint rubbing. I was so excited about trying this I forgot to take pictures but it worked out great. As soon I as applied the Heavy Cut I could feel resistance when rubbing it around. Then after about 5-7 passes the resistance would disappear. I stopped rubbing and buffed off. I went over the area with the One Step Medium and it looked so much better.



But just like everyone has said, this stuff is too strong. One interesting thing I've noticed about my paint. The surface is NOT glass smooth; there is texture on the paint. Slight "waved/rippled" texture through out the whole car. I guess this is the way it came out of factory but I've never seen paint like this before. The point being, the spots I went over with the Heavy Cut are now glass smooth. Come warmer weather I'll have to get my hands on a machine and do the whole car with a milder compound/polish. Thanks for the info folks.



-J
 
Quote: I've noticed about my paint. The surface is NOT glass smooth; there is texture on the paint. Slight "waved/rippled" texture through out the whole car."



Most of us call that "orange peel". If you have an overhead fluorescent light, check the reflection. Compare that to the windshield reflection. It won't be the same...



It is found on most vehicles, usually most exaggerated on less expensive cars.



I just finished a BLACK '00 Porsche Carerra Cabriolet. The "new' owner was *ecstatic* about the Klasse Twins and P21S topper. But, I still saw the 'orange peel' (and severeal dust nibs!) from the factory paint.



The only way to correct it would be to wetsand, and I'm not going to do that on an $80,000 car...



Jim
 
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