Should I polish my out-of-sight SUV top?

DWPC

DWPC

New member
I've cleaned and clayed my Cayenne; ready for polish tomorrow. The top plane is mostly above eye level except to NBA players, so I'm wondering if I should skip machine polishing the "flat" portion roof to avoid unnecessary removal of clear coat thickness, and just go straight to glaze and sealer (1Z Glanz Wax) on it. All surfaces below the top "crease" would get the DA machine polish treatment.
 
It's your car, some people will one step it to save time instead of a two-step. For personal vehicles only of course, but it's your call. For me it would probably bug me that it wasn't done, but I can easily see the roofs of all me vehicles so it's more noticeable.
 
From a correction aspect I would say it isn't necessary if it doesn't bother you. From a long term protection aspect I would say it is a good idea to give it just a light polishing to clean the paint. A smooth surface will release dirt easier as well making it easier to keep clean. The amount of paint removed from just a light polish would be insignificant.
 
I always do atleast a 1 step on the roof. Honestly, as long as I remove 90% of the swirls in one pass I'm usually happy (On an SUV).
 
It depends on how OCD about detailing you are. If you're like me, you wouldn't even ask the question and just do it. This is why i no longer have my vehicle professionally detailed, steps skipped. On my personal ride, i make sure the wheel barrels, suspension components, brake calipers, muffler, and other hidden components are just as clean and shiny as the paint.
 
Here's the thing -

If you dont clean the paint good enough up there, whatever LSP you put on is not going to stay very long..

I always do the roof/s and they all look as good as the rest of the vehicle.
My personal vehicle looks amazing all the time and so does the roof...

If you are are just a recreational cleaner of cars, then you can do what ever you want.

If you are Detailing professionally, then the entire vehicle gets done - it all has to match...

Good luck !
Dan F
 
Okay, I'm convinced...a light polish on the top. Its in pretty good shape; I don't think any dealer prep guy ever put a wheel on the top.
 
Do you only clean half your body in the shower????
Youll find most people here are perfectionists.
it aint done till its all done....
 
I was only questioning whether to machine polish for unseen cosmetics vs. leaving the max paint thickness on the top for protection. Masking the sunroof and rail tracks will take longer than the polishing.
 
Think of it this way --

If you really clean, decontaminate, claybar, and run some compound on your top - just as you would do on the rest of the vehicle, you will be getting a lot or hopefully all of the still embedded dirt out of the paint..

I do this all the time - I correct the paintwork and find brown junk on my foam pad that is not the color of the paint or the compound I am using..

Unless your top paint is so horrendously scratched and messed up, you are not going to remove a whole lot of clearcoat anyway, so dont worry about this..

Now that your top is really cleaned, corrected, and very glossy, it is the perfect time to Opti-Coat it and you will never have to do anymore to it again !

It will be totally protected, have an extra layer of product on it that will not come off for a long time - years - and you are totally set !

And it goes without saying that if you do this to the rest of the Cayenne, it will be the only one around that looks that good, and again, the protection will make it so much easier to clean, and you will not have to do much more to it - ever - if you are careful how you wash it so you dont scratch it, and even then, this product is pretty resistant to scratching..

Good luck with this !
Dan F
 
^ that's exactly what I did, but just OC'ed the roof and bumpers - the parts I hate working on the most. Saved the rest for conventional product fiddling.
 
i drive a xterra. roof and rack is a PITA. roof was sealed. way to go. do it once. done. but you bet, every wash I DO THE ROOF. i get out the step ladder for this. roof air dam i also sealed with wolfgang exterior sealant.
 
The out of sight areas become out of mind. That's why I always spend the time on the roof of SUVs. Roof racks are like trash traps. The end caps hold all the big debris like leaves and can start rotting out the hardware holding the roof rack on. It is wise to take the end caps off at least once a year to remove leaves and such to keep things clear for water to flow properly. I always advice my clients to take the cross bars off if they don't use the rack more than once a year. This helps reduce drag and keeps the tracks from building up as much debris. So for the length. Just had to get that out there. So like Mike Phillips says, if it has paint it gets polished. :)
 
Since im doing fhis on my cell without my glasses
if you're worried about the cc go get a pc or flex and do it
since it sounds like you dont bave alot of experience with a rotary
 
ShaunDugan said:
The out of sight areas become out of mind. That's why I always spend the time on the roof of SUVs. Roof racks are like trash traps. The end caps hold all the big debris like leaves and can start rotting out the hardware holding the roof rack on. It is wise to take the end caps off at least once a year to remove leaves and such to keep things clear for water to flow properly. I always advice my clients to take the cross bars off if they don't use the rack more than once a year. This helps reduce drag and keeps the tracks from building up as much debris. So for the length. Just had to get that out there. So like Mike Phillips says, if it has paint it gets polished. :)
Click to expand...

The rack on my Cayenne is just recessed tracks that I blow out with air before each washing. I don't have the crossbars and am glad I don't or I'd be tempted to carry lumber up there and scuff up the paint when loading/unloading. Like I said, I was just thinking about the reduction in CC mils in an area where there really isn't any need for cosmetic correction.
 
Since I see (now) you have a pc, just do it.
You can do it at a different time if it's too much real estate to handle at once, but don't sweat the clear coat removal unless you sit in one section for a long time with lots of pressure
 
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