Precision Detailing: Wetsand on a 1997 Mazda Protege

[GTFreddy]

This car was getting ready to be sold but it became a victim of a hit-and-run in a parking lot.



Process:



Wash

Clay (It took off some of the paint transfer)

(Damaged area)2000 grit sand paper.

(Damaged area)3M Perfect-It III Extra Cut Rubbing Compound on Yellow Pad via Rotary

(Damaged area)3M Finesse-It II Machine Polish on Blue Pad via Rotary

SSR 2 on Orange Pad via UDM

SSR 1 on White Pad via UDM

Pinnacle Souvern Liquid Wax on Black Pad via UDM

303 on tires and trim.

Stoner's IG on glass.



You can see some of the damage right on the left side of the bumper.

Here's a closer look.

The car looked 'tired'

So I washed the car and I clayed the entire car with emphasis on the damaged area. The grey clay took car of some of the paint. This is what it looked like at that point.

.



So I wet sanded the area with 2000 grit sandpaper that was soaked for a few hours. The area was obviously dull after so it needed to be hit with the rotary and touched up with the UDM afterwards.

After the wetsand and first rotary pass.

Of course the area missing the paint was still there, but it looked alot better.

Finished product.

 

[IanB]

Nice job, wetsanding (as I discovered this past weekend) is no picnic.



IB

 

[MrRumble]

Huge improvement! How long did your whole process on the vehicle take?

 

[GTFreddy]

Yeah I think you just have to take the wetsanding really slow and check your work often to make sure you are removing just enough. The last thing you want to do is cause more damage than good.



The whole process took about five or six hours. The wetsanding went by rather quickly, it was the process that followed that took long, in particular finishing the paint from the rotary to the UDM.