My Flex Hates Berlina Black

A

akimel

New member
Those of you who own a Flex 3401, have you experienced problems polishing a Honda S2000 in Berlina black with it? I worked a large part of the Thursday and Friday morning on the driver-side door; and no matter what polish or pad I used, no matter what speed I chose (speed 4 and 5--I did not try speed three or below nor did I venture to speed 6), it left behind a scouring or hazing of the paint. The polishes I tried: SwirlX, M205, and M80. The pads I used: Soft Buff 2.0 polishing pad, Soft Buff 2.0 finishing pad.



Here is what the paint looked like after M205 and a finishing pad:



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No doubt the problem is my technique. I invite any and all suggestions on the proper use of the Flex. The front end of my car has been re-painted, and I was able to effectively polish it with M105 (polishing pad) and M205 (finishing pad). But I got no where with the Flex on the original factory painted panels. I do not know if other Hondas are like this. All I know is that my S2000 is like this.



On the advice of Mike Phillips, I finally switched back to my G110. The paint responded well to the M205 applied by the G110 with a polishing pad, and I was able to restore the door and to effect a decent polishing of the other original factory-painted panels, though without significant paint correction. I had neither the time nor energy nor confidence to attempt more effective correction. I also wanted to go back over the original paint panels with M205 and a finishing pad, but after two and a half days of detailing, I had simply run out of steam. It was time to bring the marathon session to a close.



I gave the car an ONR rinse (for some reason my car had become a dust magnet) and pulled out my tub of Fuzion. It is a joy to apply. I love the wet look it bestows.



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I am weary, exhausted, frustrated, discouraged. This is not what I was hoping for for this spring detail. I requested the Flex (it was given to me as a present) precisely to take my S2000 to a higher level. This I failed to accomplish, at least on the factory-painted half of the car.



I welcome your suggestions and counsel. TIA.



Cheers,

Al
 
Al, there's been some other threads on some of the new really soft blacks that seem impossible to get swirl-free (I think BMW's were some of the subjects). Sounds like maybe the repainted parts are harder than the notoriously soft Honda paint. Sorry but I'm not having any luck finding one of those threads. :(



EDIT: Here's one: http://www.autopia.org/forum/click-...ck-bmw-645ci-developed-different-process.html but I thought there was another by ebpcivicsi.
 
The only polish I've ever been able to get to finish down perfectly on soft Honda paint is Menzerna Final Polish II on a red LC pad. Normally I'd say any no bite pad will do, but this time I'm specifically recommending *that* pad as it's the very softest I've found. You *really* need to be gentle. Use just the weight of the buffer for your last few passes.



Honda paint is one that I just can't get to finish down well with a DA style buffer. The best results I've gotten are a rotary and the polish/pad combo above at 1k rpm.
 
Hey Al,



The black Chevy I'm working on will not finish down with M205 on the Flex either. What is weird is that it works awesome on the rotary though and I can use PO85RD on the Flex and it will finish down perfectly.



Some paints are just a PITA. :nixweiss
 
I second what SuperBee suggested above. On my nighthawk black pearl anything more aggressive than FPII and a black/blue/red lake country pad will leave hazing or tracers. I just used the FPII/black combo via DA this weekend with very nice results.
 
etml12 said:
I second what SuperBee suggested above. On my nighthawk black pearl anything more aggressive than FPII and a black/blue/red lake country pad will leave hazing or tracers. I just used the FPII/black combo via DA this weekend with very nice results.
Click to expand...



NHBP varies per car. The paint on my girls Acura RL was much harder than the 8thgen Civic's I've done in that color. ;)
 
SuperBee364 said:
What year Acura? I did my uncle's last fall, and I believe his was an 06. It still had the silly-soft paint.
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'05 RL.



I did a newer TL Type-S in the same color and it was super soft too.
 
Thanks, Supes, for the recommendation of the Menzerna Final Polish II. It's pretty expensive (though I suppose I could just sell the bottle if it doesn't provide a solution to my Flex/paint problem). Are there any other polishes that might work? What about Optimum Finishing Polish? Or would that be too abrasive?



Al
 
SuperBee364 said:
Honda paint is one that I just can't get to finish down well with a DA style buffer. The best results I've gotten are a rotary and the polish/pad combo above at 1k rpm.
Click to expand...



That's odd. :confused:



I have a dark blue '06 Element, and my in-laws have a red '07 Fit that I take care of. I solely use the Flex on them. I primarily use Menzerna PO203 on a Green LC German pad, then finish with whatever I feel like using (Zaino PC, Menzerna Finishing Polish, Meguiar's 80, etc...) with a Grey LC pad. Even after a wipe down, no problems. I keep the speed around 5, start with pressure, then let up.
 
Good suggestion with Optimum Polish, it will finish down as fine as Menzerna FPII (which I use and HIGHLY recommend, you SHOULD get the Menzerna)



But the Optimum Polish will work as well, it is the lightest polish I've ever used!



Also, from the pictures, it looks like you might be making some marring with the MF towels that you are using?



Make sure you use BRAND NEW MF on paint like that. I make sure to keep at least 5 BRAND NEW MF towels on hand for every job just in case I come across a car like yours that marrs with ANYTHING.



I had that happen with a Black Corvette once... Just marred no matter what I did!



Until I used Optimum Polish on a D/A PorterCable on a Black finishing pad... That took care of all light marring leaving a PERFECT finish.
 
SuperBee364 said:
The only polish I've ever been able to get to finish down perfectly on soft Honda paint is Menzerna Final Polish II on a red LC pad. Normally I'd say any no bite pad will do, but this time I'm specifically recommending *that* pad as it's the very softest I've found. You *really* need to be gentle. Use just the weight of the buffer for your last few passes.



Honda paint is one that I just can't get to finish down well with a DA style buffer. The best results I've gotten are a rotary and the polish/pad combo above at 1k rpm.
Click to expand...



I'm so glad someone else feels this way... I've been saying for years how RO/PC/G110 leave not only a marred surface (man we really need to make a autopia/detailing dictionary since I know someone else is thinking something different than I am when using the word marring.. anyway..) but, and this is hard to explain, unclear, faded, resembling bird crap etching in a very consistent manner.... I'm not talking about swirls or holograms or anything like that, put simply it's very unclear compared to when done with a rotary... rotary creates a mirror like finish while a RO creates a swirl-free finish that lacks clarity and looks somewhat oxidized...



Aki I'm assuming this paint is extremely soft and I can suggest a few things without actually seeing the type of paint it is in person...



1. forget M205

2. try M80 with some finishing pad, as Supe (the guy who copies all my helpful replies and shares them with no credit) said... if you can, try it with a M9006 pad, or red, blue, or black LC pad.. (preferably flat)

3. use speed 6



I honestly can't say much more than that not knowing what's in your arsenal of supplies, but as was mentioned before, something like FPII would be great, as well as M03 on M9006 pad.



Let me know what you try and how it goes.. hopefully you fix it up soon.
 
lecchilo said:
Supe (the guy who copies all my helpful replies and shares them with no credit) said... if you can, try it with a M9006 pad, or red, blue, or black LC pad.. (preferably flat)

3. use speed 6



I honestly can't say much more than that not knowing what's in your arsenal of supplies, but as was mentioned before, something like FPII would be great, as well as M03 on M9006 pad.



Let me know what you try and how it goes.. hopefully you fix it up soon.
Click to expand...



Don't fee bad, Lecchilo, I do that to *everyone*, not just you! :D



I'm actually not really kidding... the majority of the things I know and/or do when I'm detailing are nothing more than the knowledge I've gotten here from other people; very little of my "technique" is actually my own. Most of the time, the stuff I post is nothing more than stuff other people have already said. I seem to be better at remembering stuff that other people say than I am at developing my own technique.



So don't just sit there... post something so I can use it later!!:nana:
 
SuperBee364 said:
Don't fee bad, Lecchilo, I do that to *everyone*, not just you! :D



I'm actually not really kidding... the majority of the things I know and/or do when I'm detailing are nothing more than the knowledge I've gotten here from other people; very little of my "technique" is actually my own. Most of the time, the stuff I post is nothing more than stuff other people have already said. I seem to be better at remembering stuff that other people say than I am at developing my own technique.



So don't just sit there... post something so I can use it later!!:nana:
Click to expand...



haha I better state I'm joking.. not only will people think you don't know anything, but, worse yet, they'll think "I" know something! :bolt
 
Yeah, we did kinda derail his thread, didn't we.



I was going to pit M80 up against PO85RD today, but I can't find my bottle of M80. I'm definitely going to make sure I have a bottle of M80 handy for the next soft Honda I get, though. Since M80 has kaolin clay in it, which is a very good filler, it should finish down every bit as well as FPII, even if it uses some concealing to do it. On Honda paint, a little cheating might just be the ticket. I think your suggestion of using M80 would work just as well as, if not better than, FPII.
 
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