newb with a black supra that needs some TLC

G

gts_guy

New member
Hi all,



Long time lurker, first time poster. I have a black 94 Supra TT that has the original paint. When viewed with light it looks as if the thing was washed with a brilo pad. The scratches are not deep and there is some light oxidation on the hood (my guess is that this is from the heat of the engine and the material to keep it cool has been removed). She is put away for the winter, but during this time I would like to make her as perfect as I can. I already own a PC. What products and pads would you pro's recommend for the scratches and the light oxidation?



Many TIA
 
Without seeing the paint, it's tough to come up with a specific regimen. Since that is the case, I'll come up with something pretty general.



1. Wash the car (obvious, but what the heck)

2. Use a clay bar to remove surface contamination.

3. Use a good paint cleaner to remove oxidation.

4. Hit the swirls with a swirl remover. There are plenty of good ones on the market. You may need to try a couple different grades and multiple passes to get it done.

5. Do a final polish to removing any leftover hazing from step four.

6. Use your choice of last step product or products. You can go with a glaze and a wax, a wax, a sealant or a sealant topped by a wax. It's up to you.



Pad selection should include at least one cutting pad for the first swirl removal pass. A few polishing pads would be great for oxidation removal and the subsequent swirl removing steps. The polishing pad is perhaps your most often used pad, so you may need a few of them. A finishing pad is an option for you last step product. I prefer to apply my LSP by hand, but will give the PC a turn if I am pressed for time or energy. (read: lazy)



I'm sure others will chime in with product selection help or alternative procedure suggestions. :)
 
:welcome

Scott P offers good advice on where to start. For polishing I would suggest 3M Perfect It III Rubbing Compound (PI III RC) followed by PI III MG (machine glaze).



Start with MG on a polish pad and see what results you get, then move up to an orange pad (light cutting/polish) if needed, then step up to the PI III RC if needed. You'll notice a pattern here: always start with the least aggressive product/pad and then step up if needed.



Work small areas (~2 x 2) with a fast PC speed and slow arm passes. You may need to make multiple applications depending on how bad the paint defects are. If you use RC then follow up with MG on a polish pad.



Here are some sources for pads:



http://www.exceldetail.com/excelproductsPC.html



http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-daspad-kit.html



http://www.autopia-carcare.com/tps-padkit-da.html



If you order a pad kit I'd suggest getting an extra polish pad or two along with an extra finishing pad.
 
Just to clarify Eliot, about you say to use the MG with a polish pad, then the cutting pad, if that doesnt work, then goto the RC.



Should the polishing pad be used 1st then the cutting when working with the RC?
 
JBM said:
......Should the polishing pad be used 1st then the cutting when working with the RC?
Click to expand...

Not knowing the condition/hardness of the paint, that's what I would tend to recommend for someone just starting out.



I've been able to remove some fair defects with RC or DACP on a polish pad. There are times I start with an orange pad, but until someone has the experience to judge for themselves the polish pad is a safe option. It also lets them get a feel for what different pad/product combo's can do.
 
Thanks for the tips, another thing, do you have to be carefull of body lines( going through the clear) when using the RC and the cutting pad?
 
JBM said:
Thanks for the tips, another thing, do you have to be carefull of body lines( going through the clear) when using the RC and the cutting pad?
Click to expand...

Iâ€â„¢ve never had a problem with the PC, but if youâ€â„¢re using RC and a cutting pad Iâ€â„¢d be very aware of those areas, not dwell on them, or apply much pressure. If it makes you feel safer then by all means tape them off until you get a good feel for it (hint: use 3M brand blue painters tape). An even better idea would be to practice on a beater or an old hood/trunk lid/fender from a junk yard or body shop to build up your confidence.
 
:welcome JBM. Glad you joined the site.



I'm with Mr Ness, 3M products are great for a paint that's in less than "ideal" condition. Just GO SLOW with your process. Since you have the time you can do it right without inflicting any damage to the paint by being overly aggressive.



Have fun and be sure to post some pics !
 
GTS_Guy- Welcome to Autopia!



GTS_Guy/JBM- Regarding the 3M PI-III stuff, if you need something stronger than the MG/polishing pad, I'd go with the RC (05933) and a polishing pad instead of the MG (05937) with a cutting pad.



IMO the MG is a good, but sorta mild polish, and trying to make it "work better" by using a cutting pad just doesn't work. The RC, despite its name, is really pretty mild stuff too, but with it, a cutting pad *can* add to it's aggressiveness.



Nobody can say about the "going through", or just excessively thinning, the clear. But generally, with those two products and some common sense (know when to say "good enough") you should be OK.
 
Thanks alot Dr., and thanks everyone for the tips.



I have a home project i did, and i went through my "spray on clear" using the PI 2 RC, so i was weary about the body lines.



I do like the tape off the edges idea, and most likely will only need to use such a product once in a blue moon now that i have found this site, and have an appreciation for a good shine :)



I will post pics once i get my pads and whatnot ordered.
 
Great info, this gives me a place to start. Would it help any if I posted pictures?



I can not feel any surface defects, would I still need to clay it just to be safe?



Thanks so much for the replies!
 
I always clay. It's not as critical with a dark color, but I like knowing that I've done all I can to remove any contamination. It *can* make a difference appearance-wise, and some people feel it makes their polishes/waxes go on/off better.
 
After seaching like crazy this weekend for the 3M products I finally found an autobody supply store. They did not have the PerfectIII line, but they did have some Meguiars stuff. The guy recommended the following.



Detailing clay with Mirror Glaze #34

#83 with a 8006 pad

#9 with a 9006 pad



This is to just remove the swirls and oxidation, does this sound ok or should I just return it and order online (I wanted instant gratification, but I am not willing to kill my supra for it)



Thanks!
 
gts_guy said:
After seaching like crazy this weekend for the 3M products I finally found an autobody supply store. They did not have the PerfectIII line, but they did have some Meguiars stuff. .......
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, #83 (DACP), some like it, some don't. While I find the 3M twins (RC & MG) to be my polishes of choice I have also had pretty good luck with Meg's #83 and #80.



I work #83 on a polish or a light cutting (orange) pad in a small area, fast PC speed with slow arm passes. I work it until it pretty much dusts away. More than one application may be necessary, depending on your paint defects. If a follow up is needed #80 is a good choice on a polish pad. Don't work it as long as #83; when #80 changes color (usually clear, sometimes pink) it's time to buff it off with a MF.



If you're not in a big hurry then you may want to order the 3M products. Or you may want to try #83, a lot of members really like it, but if I was working 10 year old black paint that looked like it had been "washed with a brilo pad" I think I'd start out with the 3M, just my two cents.......
 
gts_guy said:
After seaching like crazy this weekend for the 3M products I finally found an autobody supply store. They did not have the PerfectIII line, but they did have some Meguiars stuff. The guy recommended the following.



Detailing clay with Mirror Glaze #34

#83 with a 8006 pad

#9 with a 9006 pad



This is to just remove the swirls and oxidation, does this sound ok or should I just return it and order online (I wanted instant gratification, but I am not willing to kill my supra for it)



Thanks!
Click to expand...



Many people use the Megs products that you have and get good results. There is nothing wrong with them and they won't do any harm. Having said that I prefer the 3M Perfect It III products over the Megs though. I find the 3M PI III RC to be more abrasive than #83 and 3M PI III MG is more abrasive than MEGs #9. Also the 3M works better by hand and the 3m products have no fillers.
 
I guess I will give it a try tonight if I have time after I clay it. I have 2 other vehicles I can use the #83 on, if it does't work well on the supra.



If #83 does work, will that #9 be a good next step or should I go back and get the #80? Or should I use something that is a little less abrasive?



Sorry for the redunant questions, I hate to be a bother but I would hate it worse to mess up my black beauty!
 
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