Swirls on Audi high gloss b pillars

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Detail Newbie

New member
Hi guys. Is it safe to use a DA polisher on this or am I better to polish by hand?



What product would you recommend?



Thanks for any help that you can provide.
 
They *are*, however, softer than most Audi clear, or at least mine are.



And don't polish them a zillion times, they're a big PIA to replace.
 
Detail Newbie said:
What product would you recommend?
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I've polished those piano black strips on our cars and have had some success using KAIO. I try to follow up after a routine wash with FK425. That works really well on that surface.



Welcome aboard, Detail !
 
Are you referring to the polished trim that surrounds the windows, and completely wraps the windshield on the convertibles?
 
I'm pretty sure we're talking about the "B" pillars, between the two side doors. My (D2 series) cars have the same stuff on the leading edge of the "C" pillar and on a little place on the rear doors.



I *DO NOT* like M205 for this. I don't like how it cuts on plastic and the oils make it very hard for me to accurately gauge what's going on. I prefer "dry" polishes with fewer oils. Most mild compounds (Optimum Hyper Compound comes to mind) and many "swirlmark removers" (but avoid ones that fill unless you *want* that) work fine.



Overall I generally prefer my milder steps to be products with diminishing abrasives, just gotta watch that the initial cut isn't so severe that the "worked/broken-down" product can't fix it; this plastic stuff can be funny compared to regular paint.



I don't get anything out of KAIO and ZAIO doesn't play nice with Audi plastics IME. The KAIO is fine after the correction though, as a base for a sealant (if you're not OptiCoating such surfaces; that's a hint ;) though I've never done it).



This thread reminds me that I gotta work on the same B pillar plastic stuff on the Crown Vic, only on that car it's *really* trashed and already starting to get compromised. I'll probably start with Hi-Temp Heavy Cut/"357", followed by the old 3M PI-III MG 05937, and then see what else I want to try. Might just stop after the 05937 and KAIO/KSG it, but if it doesn't turn out reasonably nice I'll go a "filler-rich route" and top with something else.
 
Oh, I see. Now that I think of it I do have quite alot of tiny scratches on the plastic between the doors. Would 3d UNO or Wolfgang 3.0 be ok for this? What about Meg's plastic X? I was also considering this for my interior wood trim.



I was originally talking about the metal trim around the windows. It gets cloudy on these cars pretty often due to acid rain or car care products that aren't ph balanced. Ill have to search around and see if anyone has discussed that.
 
BklynRX7 said:
Oh, I see. Now that I think of it I do have quite alot of tiny scratches on the plastic between the doors. Would 3d UNO or Wolfgang 3.0 be ok for this? What about Meg's plastic X? I was also considering this for my interior wood trim...
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I have no experience with Plastic-X on anything other than plastic, and I wasn't all that impressed with it on that. Maybe just user-error :nixweiss



Also, no experience with either of those polishes on it, but *IIRC* the Wolfgang is a variation of Menzerna, so watch for lots of polishing oils, which IME are *NOT* what you want when dealing the plastics.



For wood trim, I use a gentle polish (regular polish, made for paint) and I almost always go very easy, stopping well short of true perfection. Then I wax/seal it up and live with it. The clear finish is often quite thin and I don't want to risk taking off too much of it. IMO this can be a good situation for filler-rich products, but be *sure* to keep such stuff (and your LSP) off the surrounding vinyl.



I was originally talking about the metal trim around the windows. It gets cloudy on these cars pretty often due to acid rain or car care products that aren't ph balanced. Ill have to search around and see if anyone has discussed that.
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That's been discussed before, with varying opinions and experiences.



I have never received a straight, definitive answer as to what that finish is, and I've had guys at Audi look into it too :think: :confused: :nixweiss



The prevailing opinion is that it's clear anodized aluminum. Once that finish gets compromised (and yeah, it sure does happen), what to do can be a :nixweiss



I do a *VERY* gentle polishing, more of an "oxidation removal" than an "abrasive polishing". Then I seal it up with something durable (I'll probably use OptiCoat next time). I've been able to keep things from getting worse with this approach...for years.



Others here polish it aggressively, effectively removing the remaining ?anodizing?/finish, and then seal it with something. They say that works great. I don't want to do that as I'd rather have whatever ?anodizing?/finish remains stay there.
 
It's a tricky area to work on. You have to tape off the area because most likely there is a lot of rubber near by. I used PC and the Megs 3inch cutting disc and MF Compound D300. Then used LC 4 inch orange pad and Menzerna Super Finish PO 106. Then Menzerna Powerlock by hand. Came out a treat.



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gatoman...that looks great. I use the Megs D300 and Menzerna Super Finish PO 106 on my paint but I wasn't sure if this would be too harsh on the pillars. Glad to see it works. I'm using a Griot's DA so I'm guessing I can get similar results with mine.



Thanks.
 
Detail Newbie said:
gatoman...that looks great. I use the Megs D300 and Menzerna Super Finish PO 106 on my paint but I wasn't sure if this would be too harsh on the pillars. Glad to see it works. I'm using a Griot's DA so I'm guessing I can get similar results with mine.



Thanks.
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Should work just fine. However, if you can get a 3 or 4 inch pad on there, it's much better. The larger backing plates on the DA make it too hard to allocate cut in a small area with precision. Also keep in mind that if you use the smaller backing plates/pads, they spin faster and in a narrower rotational axis, almost like a rotary, which means heat, so be careful, keep the pad moving and flat.
 
Thanks guys.



One other question I have is more of a general question relating to claying. After washing the car, most instructionals that I've seen say to use detail spray as you dry. If you're planning on claying the car right after washing, do you still need to dry the car before you clay? Seems like a waste of detail spray and effort if you have to dry the car then respray. Thanks, again.
 
Detail Newbie said:
Thanks guys.



One other question I have is more of a general question relating to claying. After washing the car, most instructionals that I've seen say to use detail spray as you dry. If you're planning on claying the car right after washing, do you still need to dry the car before you clay? Seems like a waste of detail spray and effort if you have to dry the car then respray. Thanks, again.
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Depends on the weather conditions. If it's hot out, there's no way you can clay the whole car without some of that water drying on the car and potentially leaving water spots. You don't need to use a QD to dry the car, some people use it to aid in lubrication so as not to inflict more swirls. I would wash the car and dry it normally. Then clay using the QD one panel at a time.
 
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