So you know how I keep mentioning that my car's paint has this very fine textured look to it even though it is polished smooth? I'm starting to think that this is due to tiny pores in the paint. It manifests itself as a non-specular haze around reflections of lights at night.
I remember polishing the top of my car with 3M SMR, then #7, then 2 layers of MPPP, and it looked glassy smooth for at least 2-3 months or so, but eventually the texture came back.
Recently, I cleaned off a section with MPPC and then applied 3M IHG, to try to "fill" these pores. It didn't work very well, coz when I put UPP over it, it made no difference in reducing the haze. Maybe the UPP has enough cleaners/solvents in it to undo the oils.
Today, I tried a similar test, but I used 3M SMR (for light cars) instead, thinking that the SMR had solid fillers instead of oil only. When you initially apply SMR, it feels gritty, but after a while, it seems that you are only pushing oil around. Anyway, this first application made the haze go away a bit. A second application made it go away by some more. If it were oils only, then the second application shouldn't have made a difference. Thus I think each time you apply, you are jamming more of the solid fillers into the pores. Ok, so now I put a layer of UPP over it. Yay, the haze did not come back. I don't have my camera with me, but you can see a huge difference in the haze between a SMR-filled and non-filled section.
So then I gots to thinkin, wouldn't this be a good test to see how long a wax lasts? Coz if the wax gives out, the fillers fall out too and the haze comes back. So now, what I'm going to do is try to keep the section "topped up" with either UPP or S100, and see if the haze comes back or not. If not, then I think we may have a good test here. Also, it would mean that 2 layers of MPPP only lasts about 2-3 months.
I remember polishing the top of my car with 3M SMR, then #7, then 2 layers of MPPP, and it looked glassy smooth for at least 2-3 months or so, but eventually the texture came back.
Recently, I cleaned off a section with MPPC and then applied 3M IHG, to try to "fill" these pores. It didn't work very well, coz when I put UPP over it, it made no difference in reducing the haze. Maybe the UPP has enough cleaners/solvents in it to undo the oils.
Today, I tried a similar test, but I used 3M SMR (for light cars) instead, thinking that the SMR had solid fillers instead of oil only. When you initially apply SMR, it feels gritty, but after a while, it seems that you are only pushing oil around. Anyway, this first application made the haze go away a bit. A second application made it go away by some more. If it were oils only, then the second application shouldn't have made a difference. Thus I think each time you apply, you are jamming more of the solid fillers into the pores. Ok, so now I put a layer of UPP over it. Yay, the haze did not come back. I don't have my camera with me, but you can see a huge difference in the haze between a SMR-filled and non-filled section.
So then I gots to thinkin, wouldn't this be a good test to see how long a wax lasts? Coz if the wax gives out, the fillers fall out too and the haze comes back. So now, what I'm going to do is try to keep the section "topped up" with either UPP or S100, and see if the haze comes back or not. If not, then I think we may have a good test here. Also, it would mean that 2 layers of MPPP only lasts about 2-3 months.
:nixweiss