EBPcivicsi
GOT PREP?
CLIFF’S NOTES BELOW
Sorry for the length, but I wish that someone would have shared this with me when I was first starting out, perhaps someone can take something from this experience.
So this paint really gave me fits, typically GM is paint is fairly hard; this was so soft that it took me forever to find the right combination of pad/speed/product.
The car had been painted in the front and the body shop left buffer swirls all over the hood and front quarter panels, really terrible buffing. The repainted areas were even softer than the OEM finish, which is hard to believe.
I first started out with a wash and clay; the clay quickly became contaminated as the passenger side was covered in over spray as well as tar.
Before beginning to buff I wet sanded a few random scratches with Meguiars unigrit 3000 grade papers.
After washing I pulled the truck in and taped it off, that’s when the fun started. Originally I thought that I was going to be dealing typically GM paint. The swirls were deep AND numerous, so I decided to try out a wool pad with #85 on the hood, holy dulling paint batman!! I then switched to a foam pad and tried a 50/50 blend of optimum polish/optimum compound, it cleaned up the haze from the previous combo, but left hazing of it’s—it also did not have the cut needed to remove the marring. I then tried Meguiars #84 compound power cleaner on a cutting pad, no way—too much marring. After trying an assortment of other products I finally discovered what I needed to do. Having had some experience with soft paint I have learned that anything more aggressive than a light-polishing pad is going to have too much to finish down. So I began experimenting with the Hi_Temp products. Hi-Temp extreme cut with a Meguiars polishing pad @1700 RPM’s removed the swirls left only a very slight haze. This product really finishes down nicely. While removing the polishing residue on this car I had to mist the area with a spray detail and keep the microfiber towel folded in such a manner that the edged did not come into contact with the paint, if I did not it would mar the paint.
I then had the left over haze to deal with left behind by the HT extreme cut. I knew that I was going to use a polishing pad, but needed the product. I remembered how well the 3M perfect III machine glaze had worked on the Porsche, it saved me again. What a fantastic product, it leaves a nearly perfect finish. I applied this product at 1200 RPM’s with a Meguiars polishing pad.
I always follow my work with a porter cable or cyclo polisher, this time I decided to use the same 3M PI-III MG with the cyclo via green cyclo brand pads. The paint was so soft that I had to make sure that the pad was fully loaded before polishing a section. If the pad was not completely saturated with product it would micro mar the finish. Once I learned this I tried to switch to the PC with a finishing pad (same product) for whatever reason, this was worse. So I continued with the cyclo making sure that the pads were fully loaded. Again, I misted the area with a spray detailer increase lubricity when removing the residue.
The paint was near perfect at this point. I followed up with 1Z metallic polish by hand (again drawing from my experience with the Porsche), then proceeded with two applications of Optimum polymer wax.
I also did the engine and interior, but no pics.
This job to 11+ hours to complete.
Cliff’s notes:
Paint was really soft, needed major correction, process was:
Wash
Clay with Meguiars aggressive over spray bar
Wet sand random scratches using Meguiars unigirt 3000 grade papers
Apply Hi-Temp extreme cut via rotary @1700 RPM’s with a Meguiars polishing pad
Apply 3M Perfect-it III Machine glaze via rotary @1200 RPM’s with a Meguiars polishing pad
Apply 3M PI-III MG via cyclo polisher and green cyclo brand pads
Apply 1Z metallic polish by hand
Apply two coats of Optimum polymer wax
Tires are dressed with Meguiars all-season dressing
Before, these buffer swirls came free from the body shop—no charge. They also burned some paint off of the front fender flare for free as well.
Sorry for the length, but I wish that someone would have shared this with me when I was first starting out, perhaps someone can take something from this experience.
So this paint really gave me fits, typically GM is paint is fairly hard; this was so soft that it took me forever to find the right combination of pad/speed/product.
The car had been painted in the front and the body shop left buffer swirls all over the hood and front quarter panels, really terrible buffing. The repainted areas were even softer than the OEM finish, which is hard to believe.
I first started out with a wash and clay; the clay quickly became contaminated as the passenger side was covered in over spray as well as tar.
Before beginning to buff I wet sanded a few random scratches with Meguiars unigrit 3000 grade papers.
After washing I pulled the truck in and taped it off, that’s when the fun started. Originally I thought that I was going to be dealing typically GM paint. The swirls were deep AND numerous, so I decided to try out a wool pad with #85 on the hood, holy dulling paint batman!! I then switched to a foam pad and tried a 50/50 blend of optimum polish/optimum compound, it cleaned up the haze from the previous combo, but left hazing of it’s—it also did not have the cut needed to remove the marring. I then tried Meguiars #84 compound power cleaner on a cutting pad, no way—too much marring. After trying an assortment of other products I finally discovered what I needed to do. Having had some experience with soft paint I have learned that anything more aggressive than a light-polishing pad is going to have too much to finish down. So I began experimenting with the Hi_Temp products. Hi-Temp extreme cut with a Meguiars polishing pad @1700 RPM’s removed the swirls left only a very slight haze. This product really finishes down nicely. While removing the polishing residue on this car I had to mist the area with a spray detail and keep the microfiber towel folded in such a manner that the edged did not come into contact with the paint, if I did not it would mar the paint.
I then had the left over haze to deal with left behind by the HT extreme cut. I knew that I was going to use a polishing pad, but needed the product. I remembered how well the 3M perfect III machine glaze had worked on the Porsche, it saved me again. What a fantastic product, it leaves a nearly perfect finish. I applied this product at 1200 RPM’s with a Meguiars polishing pad.
I always follow my work with a porter cable or cyclo polisher, this time I decided to use the same 3M PI-III MG with the cyclo via green cyclo brand pads. The paint was so soft that I had to make sure that the pad was fully loaded before polishing a section. If the pad was not completely saturated with product it would micro mar the finish. Once I learned this I tried to switch to the PC with a finishing pad (same product) for whatever reason, this was worse. So I continued with the cyclo making sure that the pads were fully loaded. Again, I misted the area with a spray detailer increase lubricity when removing the residue.
The paint was near perfect at this point. I followed up with 1Z metallic polish by hand (again drawing from my experience with the Porsche), then proceeded with two applications of Optimum polymer wax.
I also did the engine and interior, but no pics.
This job to 11+ hours to complete.
Cliff’s notes:
Paint was really soft, needed major correction, process was:
Wash
Clay with Meguiars aggressive over spray bar
Wet sand random scratches using Meguiars unigirt 3000 grade papers
Apply Hi-Temp extreme cut via rotary @1700 RPM’s with a Meguiars polishing pad
Apply 3M Perfect-it III Machine glaze via rotary @1200 RPM’s with a Meguiars polishing pad
Apply 3M PI-III MG via cyclo polisher and green cyclo brand pads
Apply 1Z metallic polish by hand
Apply two coats of Optimum polymer wax
Tires are dressed with Meguiars all-season dressing
Before, these buffer swirls came free from the body shop—no charge. They also burned some paint off of the front fender flare for free as well.
Great job!