NEWBIE on '05 KIA Sedona

G

gmercoleza

New member
I've been lurking for a short while and just picked up a PC 7336 for $94 at Lowe's yesterday, using the Home Depot coupon. I used my wife's minivan as a guinea pig and plan to eventually do my 2 Mercedes. It's less than a year old, but actually came from the factory with a nice set of cobweb scratches and swirls which have been accumulating steadily. Since I'm new, it took me a couple hours and I only have the front (fenders, hood, bumper/air dam) done. It's hard to squeeze this stuff in after work. I'll try to do the rest this weekend. This was my process:



* automated touchless car wash (to help "strip")

* hand wash with Blue Coral

* Clay Magic claybar

* rewash by hand with Blue Coral

* dry with Absorber chamois

* Meguiars #9 with stock white pad included with PC 7336 - 3 to 4 passes on "2" setting, final pass on "5" setting

* NuFinish polish/sealant



For a newbie, I think the results are quite remarkable. The cobweb scratches and swirls are about 90% gone and I think I will leave it that way rather than damage anything. Interestingly, the Meguiars #9 seems to be very mild and it took me about an hour to do the hood. What's the next step up from the #9? Will it help speed things up while still being safe? Should I have used a cutting pad? The white pad that came with the PC doesn't seem very agressive. Of course I'm new to this, so maybe it's just me.



Before you all laugh at me for the NuFinish, I will tell you that I use Zymol HD Cleanse and Vintage on my 2 Mercedes. But we are new to Texas and I have found that with the heat down here, Vintage just doesn't last if the vehicle isn't garaged. It'll last maybe 3 to 4 weeks before needing another application. I find the NuFinish can last 3 to 4 months and it can withstand the occasional automated carwash better. My wife will occasionally drive through the carwash (about 50/50 hand wash and carwash), while my 2 Mercedes are only exclusively hand-washed. NuFinish has worked great, but if someone can recommend an ultra-durable wax or sealant, perhaps something synthetic or polymer based that will last a long time and can withstand some carwashes, that would be great.



Now for the pics. Before and after on the hood and fender. Wax hadn't been applied yet when the pics were taken. Notice the hood was loaded with cobweb scratches and the fender had 3 or 4 scuffs in the clearcoat, one of them particularly bad (up towards the top). I was shocked that this PC and Meguiars #9 worked so well in my inexperienced hands. To be fair, I have done body work in the past, and this was not at all unlike using a palm-grip random orbit sander. It was eerily similar.



Let me know what you think.



van_hood1.jpg




van_hood2.jpg




van_fender1.jpg




van_fender2.jpg
 
Oh, forgot to add: "Before" pics were before buffing with the PC, but the car had already been washed, clayed, rewashed, and dried. This should give you some perspective.



Anyone have any suggestions on maintaining this paint? It seems like the Asian cars have paint you can scratch with your fingernail. Can maintaining a good wax coat help protect against these types of scratches?



With regard to my other cars, they are pre-95 back when Mercedes used Glasurit (before switching to water-based paint) and they are ROCK HARD. My 300E was even in a hailstorm and didn't get one scratch. So I'm wondering will the #9 even make a dent? They're in pretty awesome shape right now, but I'm ready to take them to the next level.



Any suggestions would be appreciated.



Oh, here's a pic of the 300E after wash, clay, HD Cleanse, and Vintage:



15c44ddc.jpg
 
The before and after hood shot looks really good. I haven't used it but alot of

people here rave about the durability of collinite 476s.
 
Good thing Asian cars tend to have softer paint because #9 isn't very aggressive. You might want to get a quart of #80 Speed Glaze and #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish if you want to stick with Meguiars or Optimum Polish and Compound if you want to try something else.



The Mercedes will probably require #83 or Optimum Compound to start since they have much harder paint.



Really good job on the Kia, the paint looks excellent! :)
 
Scottwax - thanks for the info, I thought the #83 was for major restoration or for bringing back really old, oxidized paint. But if it will yield the same results in less time I'm game! Are you saying I can use #83 safely without fear of burning through or thinning the clear coat? Also, if I stick with Meguiars for now (since that's what I can get locally), what pad would you suggest I use with the #83? When I bought my supplies I also got the #3 glaze with a Meguiars finishing pad and a velcro backing plate. I now think that combination would be far too gentle to yield any noticeable results. Should I go back and trade that stuff in for one of their cutting pads and the #83? Thanks for confirming that the #9 is really mild - I thought it was just me!



Lebowski - I can't really compare the CC on the KIA to anything else, since it's the first car I've ever buffed. It seemed to take longer than I thought it would, and I guess that's because the #9 just isn't very aggressive. To tell you honestly, aside from spending so much time on it, I really don't mind the mild approach. For a newbie, I figure it provides less opportunity to damage anything or thin the CC too much.
 
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