Obtaining mirror/glass like finish?

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imported_Tonyz

New member
Id say that my paint work isnt the best at the moment. I normally wash and polish (AG resin). Sometimes put a layer of extra gloss on if its been a few months.



Now i getting used to all the regimes etc you guys do and im nothin near it! lol although supllies will be starting to build up soon!



Now my paintwork has quite a few swirls and some scratches where someone has attemped to 'remove' them. Im getting the doors resprayed as its having some bodywork done so that should improve some of the appearence.



Heres a photo of what the paintwork is like..



indicator%20after.jpg






It has some kind of bubbly effect whereas most peoples on here is really smooth looking. whats the cause of this? How can i get rid of it?



Ill try getting some better pictures up tomorrow.



Also how do you find good detailers in your area? Anyone from the UK near bucks wanna lend me their PC ;)
 
The lack of smoothness to the reflection is Orange Peel. Most cars have it. It's a paint defect.



My OP:

S100%20handle.jpg




It has nothing to do with how expensive or cheap the car is either, as my Mazda 323 had no OP at all and was $7000 new. My Saturn also had no OP. My Miata is the first car that I've had with it.



As for the cloudyness of the reflection, unless you've clayed this year, I think it's particles imbedded in your paint. Grab some Clay Magic or other brand of clay and have at it. You could search on clay here for more info. But, basically, don't push, and you can never have too much lube (regardless of what others here might say, since you aren't rubbing the particles into the clay with friction).



Looks clean though. I don't know the name of the wax/sealant you named, but I would suggest one of the main lines. AIO/SG or NXT. Zaino if you don't want to experiment around.
 
i've quickly learned that waxes/glazes aren't going to make your car look outstanding, it's all the prep work. i.e. removing surface contaminants via claybarring/chemical polishing, polishing scratches/swirls out.



your paint IS a lighter color so it's more difficult to get the mirror like finish you'll get with blacks or dark blues.



a) start with a wash, make sure every inch of your car is dirt/dust free

b) inspect your paint, feel it with your hands, gritty? then claybar is your friend.

c) after claybarring your paint should be pretty free of little specks aside from small dents/chips.

d) I personally use a PC with DACP on a yellow pad to get swirls out, if that's not working for you then you either need to get something more abrasive by polish or by pad.

e) inspect your paint again! are you satisfied with the reflection and the clarity? if not then you need more prep work, glazes and waxes will improve the reflection and clarity BUT if you're not satisfied with it pre wax/glaze then you're not going to be satisfied with it post wax/glaze



hope this helps. prep work is your friend!
 
Like was said in the above post, prep-work is key. Throwing some expensive wax over a poorly-prepared car won't get the same results as putting some time into polishing. When you get some more supplies it will be easier to pick the right polish for the job.





On a side note - pictures can hide a lot of imperfections. Low light (out of direct sunlight) and taking pictures at dusk will always enhance how the paint looks because defects become less visible.







-FordTaurus
 
Postwood, that pic is brilliant! i can see what you mean from the OP effect now. Would a repray cover this and give it a new lease of life?



I havent clayed but i definately know that it needs doing! its rougher than sandpaper! lol



Thanks for the advice guys :)
 
A poor respray (or even a decent one) can have orange peel. It's created by a few factors such as improper prep, improper drying, stuff like that. My car had a respray but still has orange peel in the resprayed areas. If you want a paintjob without orange peel, prepare to spend lots of cash.
 
Is the clearcoat thick enough to safely buff out OP, or would it matter? I'm thinking that a slick clear over an OP'd color coat would hide it, but maybe not.



If safe, what would it take, or are we certainly talking a wet-sand project?
 
Rlockyer - Hard to say if your clear is thick enough to wetsand out the OP. Risky thing to do at best, though.



The OP is almost certainly in the clear, even so-so painters usually get the basecoat paint smooth.
 
Hmm... wonder what a clear-only respray to thicken it up would cost? I need to touch up all of my chips and figure out what to do anyways... modern paint sucks. I've got a 1" diameter "chip" in my plastic front bumper.
 
Tony this is a respray and no OP .. its also been clayed, buffed out with the Menzerna twins and a sealant applied with a #16 topper .. so resprays if done by a good painter can be OP free .. I live in a lil hick town of 7000 and it was done here at a local GM dealer.



12805dsc00680.jpg
 
Tony-if you want orange peel free paint, you can wetsand and buff your current paint job, but it is very time consuming and if your clearcoat is thin, could trash the paint. Right now, I would focus on working with what you have without drastic measures first. Claying, a good compound, swirl remover, glaze and wax, all used properly should make a huge difference.



What is your experience level?
 
Rlockyer said:
Hmm... wonder what a clear-only respray to thicken it up would cost? I need to touch up all of my chips and figure out what to do anyways... modern paint sucks. I've got a 1" diameter "chip" in my plastic front bumper.
Click to expand...



Nah, you can't add more clear (to an extensive area). They'll do this to *some extent* when "blending", but you can't do what you're contemplating and have it turn out right.



Given the huge chip, maybe you oughta get some parts of the car reshot, preferably by somebody better.
 
Jesstnz, :D We're such showoffs.



Tonyz, clay that baby. Don't worry about the orange peel. As others have said the only way to get rid of it is to wetsand.



After the clay, and maybe NXT sealant, I'd focus on the tires and wheel wells. Someone posted, oh, maybe a year ago, about how a study was done and people first look at the hood of the car, then the wheels.



Be glad you have a light color. They hide dirt better. Black is a pain with dirt. But you can't beat it for reflections.
 
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