Correcting a Body Shop buff job

[4everRS]

Hi guys. Sorry to make my first post a "I need help" plea. It is the standard poor buffing with holograming in the paint. No real serious damage to the finish, but needs to be corrected. I am at the point that I think if I want this done right, I feel I need to do it myself. Here are a couple pictures:

From the other side:

My car is a 2003 Audi RS6 - Daytona Gray paint.

The hologramming cannot be seen unless under sunlight. It was cloudy today in MN and I felt better because I couldn't see the problems . I am planning on using a 7424 and have been pouring over hours of video from the great Mike Phillips. I think I can handle it. I consider myself fairly mechanical - not perfect, but alright. I brought it to the shop as I am usually a busy guy and wanted to get rid of some spiderwebbing where the sun hits the paint.

What do I use for pads and liquids to use??? I would like to make it a process like Mike shows in this series of video's:

YouTube - autogeek's Channel

Will this do?

 

[4everRS]

In addition, I placed an order for wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant and deep gloss spritz along with a few other products through AG. The order was placed before I saw the inadaquet buffing job, so it didn't include any buffing compounds. I will need to buy these.

Is Meguires UC enough with an orange pad?, or should I be taking a multi-compound and pad approach? (as in the AG youtube 3 video series on the lexus as link in my previous post?)

Advice is greatly appreciated

 

[bodavenport]

I am a big fan og Megs UC followed by M205. I think UC is much more user friendly and I think that the minor loss of polishing ability as compared to 105 is minimal.

 

[Shade Tree]

First off ....... :welcome:

That buff doesn't look as bad as the majority I have had to correct ........ (in the pictures) those swirls look to be more hand induced than machine. Maybe the angle shows something different?

Anyway, if they aren't machine trails then chances are a mild polish will remove the swirls with very little effort. Lots of Meguiars fans here, but I'm still a Menzerna user. Power Finish and then a quality sealant & you're better than new. :dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

And this is the exact thing this article talks about..

The story of 3 H's - Horrendous, Horror Story and Hack Detailers...

I agree with Shade Tree, in that I've see a lot worse, just check out the swirls in the black Mustang in the above link.


Of course the above Mustang left here without the swirls...

DISO = The Dealership Installed Swirl Option

A DA Polisher like the Porter Cable 7424, Megs G110v2 or the Griot's Garage 6" ROP, (all the same type of tool), will easily remove those swirls and restore a clear, defect free finish.

The Wolfgang Twins or the Menzerna Twins will easily tackle this job.

Get 5.5" flat pads, get a few light orange cutting pads, some white polishing pads and a few gray finishing pads and be sure you have some good quality microfiber towels for wiping off polish and wax reside. The Wolfgang Twins are probably the easiest product to use if you're new to machine polishing.


Check out both of these threads...

The Wolfgang Twins

Proof You Can Do It! - Joe The Detailer - Black Porsche Turned into Black Pearl!


Our Customer Care department is very good at helping to insure you get everything you need to undo the damage like you have in your car's paint.

1-800-869-3011


Also, if you're new to machine detailing, maybe just tackle a portion of the car the first time, for example the front clip, working from start to finish it will take a few hours and you won't get burnt out and you'll have the rest of the day for something else. Then tackle the rest of the car now that you know what's involved or section by section it over a few weekends.

 

[Shade Tree]

Alright Mike ........... call me Tony! lol

 

[4everRS]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Mike - Wow, the story of the 3 H's is how I feel exactly. I spoke with a friend of mine that does body work, but also knows how to polish. After I emailed him these Pics, he called 5 mins later - "I'd have to really be pissed at someone to do that to their car" was his opening comment. I just can't believe that these shops are doing this. I know I'm preaching to the choir here but it is really rediculous.

I will be applying the "twins" approach. I will also apply the Wolfgang sealant after. I am looking at the CCS pads, how many will I need to do a sedan? And what size 5.5"? 6.5"?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike - Wow, the story of the 3 H's is how I feel exactly.

"I feel your pain" -Bill Clinton

"I feel your paint" -Mike Phillips
​

I will be applying the "twins" approach. I will also apply the Wolfgang sealant after. I am looking at the CCS pads, how many will I need to do a sedan? And what size 5.5"? 6.5"?

Stick with 5.5" pads, they will rotate better and fit the thinner panels on modern cars better...

Can't be exact on which pads you'll need without doing a "Test Spot".

The goal would be to remove the swirls using a white polishing pad and Total Swirl Remover. This will leave a more clear, nicer finish than using Total Swirl Remover with a light orange cutting pad.

The only way to know if the white polishing pad will be enough will be by doing a Test Spot.

the below video goes over in detail how to do a Test Spot using a DA style polisher. While in the video I show how using a Porter Cable 7424XP, the exact same principals would apply for working by Hand, or any tool, including rotary buffers, the Meguiar's G110v2, the Griot's Garage ROP and even the Cyclo.

How to Remove Swirls with the Porter Cable 7424XP

That said, in case you need them it's a good idea to have a few of the light orange cutting pads. As for how many pads you need and how many pads you want, that's two different things... as more pads are better...

You could probably get away with 2-3 each of the orange and white pads and if you want to apply the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant by machine then you would also want a finishing pad, gray, blue or red will all work fine.

2-3 Light Orange Cutting Pads
2-3 White Polishing Pads
1 Finishing Pad


If you call Customer Care and cite this thread they will be better able to help make sure you get everything you need to do it right the first time and not be missing anything.

1-800-869-3011


:xyxthumbs:

 

[4everRS]

Guys, I feel as though I am beating a dead horse here so I apologize in advance. Please give me your feedback (even critizism).

I have been thinking about this issue day and night and likely have OCD. Unhappy with the quality of the work, and wanting to inform the shop about how I felt about it, I went back to talk to the owner. I didn't go to rant and be pissed, just to show him the concern I have. He looked at it and recognized that it wasn't right. He walked inside, grabbed a bottle of wizards "mist and shine" and started spraying. He did half the hood and buffed it off.

The holograms were gone on that side. I was pretty surprised. And I felt stupid, (but glad I didn't go in there like a raging bull). He did the other side, and the hood looks good again. I will post picts when the sunlight is better.

What happened here? Did the wizards "fill-in" the marks. Was it residue that I couldn't feel by touch. I did nothing to the car since I took it from the shop the first time.

There is still some "spider-webbing" in direct sunlight that will likely be apparent when I post some example picts, but no ghostly, hologramming images.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Probably a little filling and also "clearing" up the top coat so it looks better...


Hopefully there really are no swirls... a good detergent wash would show if there were swirls or no swirls but it can be hard to wash perfectly good paint with a detergent wash.

It about killed me to do this and it wasn't even fresh paint...

 

[4everRS]

At least it was only a Saturn (sorry saturn owners)

 

[proudpoppa]

yes wizards fills like crazy. generally they use shine master, which is labeled as a breathable polish/sealant safe for use on fresh paint. it looks decent but just straight fills.