How do I know if I need a compound polish?

[stevehecht]

I'm about to purchase a PC from AG. I'll be using it on a 1990 BMW, but I'm not sure if I need a compound in addition to a finishing polish. The car has been clayed, polished, and waxed 1-2x year for the past three years. It is originally a Florida car but has spent the last 3.5 years outside 24/7 in Massachusetts. I have eliminated all but the finest swirls over this time, but there is an area of what I think is oxidation on the trunk--the black paint has disappeared and there is a light patch there instead. Can this be helped by a compound polish?

Also, generally speaking, how often should one polish one's car? I suppose it depends on how many coats of wax has been applied over the year? Could you say after 3-4 coats it's time to clean and polish?

 

[rohnramirez]

The best way to know if you need a compound is to perform a test spot. Use a polish first, if you're not getting the desired results, you may want to step up to a compound for better cut.

It is recommended to only polish when you need to remove paint damage or restore gloss and clarity. When you just want a clean wax-free paint, clay it then use a paint cleaner or a chemical wax stripper. Then you're ready for a new set of protection.

 

[Rsurfer]

The best way to know if you need a compound is to perform a test spot. Use a polish first, if you're not getting the desired results, you may want to step up to a compound for better cut.

It is recommended to only polish when you need to remove paint damage or restore gloss and clarity. When you just want a clean wax-free paint, clay it then use a paint cleaner or a chemical wax stripper. Then you're ready for a new set of protection.

:iagree:Good advice..least aggressive first.rops:

 

[Pristine Image]

I have eliminated all but the finest swirls over this time, but there is an area of what I think is oxidation on the trunk--the black paint has disappeared and there is a light patch there instead.

It is possible that the light patch you are seeing is the lack of clearcoat. It seems you polish your car quite frequently and depending on how much clear coat you took off each time and how much you had to begin with it might be possible you've "burned" through to the paint in that spot. If you can, take a good picture of that area and post it.

Come to think of it, considering it's a 1990 vehicle you may have single stage paint rendering what I've said useless. However, still post a picture of the area in question as you'll get better advice when the experts here know what they're "working with" as opposed to just a word description.

 

[stevehecht]

The best way to know if you need a compound is to perform a test spot. Use a polish first, if you're not getting the desired results, you may want to step up to a compound for better cut.

It is recommended to only polish when you need to remove paint damage or restore gloss and clarity. When you just want a clean wax-free paint, clay it then use a paint cleaner or a chemical wax stripper. Then you're ready for a new set of protection.

Are there recommended paint cleaners for car paint to buy on AG or do I just go to my local hardware store?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I have eliminated all but the finest swirls over this time, but there is an area of what I think is oxidation on the trunk--the black paint has disappeared and there is a light patch there instead.

Can this be helped by a compound polish?

When you apply any kind of polish to the paint, when you turn your applicator pad over, do you see black paint? Or just the color of the product you're using?

If you see pigment coming off you have a single stage paint, if you only see the color of the product you're using then you're working on a clear coat.

If you're working on a clear coat and you see a whitish, opaque area on a horizontal surface this is a surefire sign of clear coat failure and no amount of polishing will fix it. Here's why, the problem is throughout the layer of clear paint, not just on the top or "topical".

With a topical problem, you abrade the surface till you remove enough paint to remove the affected portion of the layer of paint.

With a problem that is throughout the entire layer of clear paint, abrading it just removes bad paint and uncovers more bad paint, the problem cannot be abraded away.

The only honest answer to this problem is repaint or live with the problem. Any polish or wax that you apply and improves the appearance will be short lived.

It is possible that the light patch you are seeing is the lack of clearcoat.

My first thoughts...

Come to think of it, considering it's a 1990 vehicle you may have single stage paint rendering what I've said useless.

This 1991 I buffed out for the 2002 Bimmerfest in Santa Barbara, California had a basecoat/clearcoat finish, that doesn't mean his does, but they are from the same era...

Meguiar's Booth at the 2002 Bimmerfest in Santa Barbara, California

Are there recommended paint cleaners for car paint to buy on AG or do I just go to my local hardware store?

You can go local, not sure you can get good information and support for polishing paint to perfection by the people that stand behind the counter...

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

:xyxthumbs:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Here is the best example I've been able to find that shows beginning clear coat failure, it's from a thread I created on MeguiarsOnline called the The Clearcoat Failure Photo Archive


Photos Courtesy of MeguiarsOnline

Does the whitish area on your trunk lid look like this?

 

[stevehecht]

^Here are the photos...I have confirmed that my car is single stage. So, that is oxidized paint and nothing can be done? Notice that the local body shop slopped some new paint over most of one of the areas. Outside of being dirty, can you tell if the paint looks dullish and would profit from a cleaning of old wax and polishing?

Mike, I have written to Dr. G on the Optimum forum to find out if the Hyper Polish can be used for single stage. According to your video with him, the product was designed for clear coat. Any opinion on that?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Yeah, well, that's primer peeking thru from under that touchup, so polishing isn't going to help too much...

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

^Here are the photos...I have confirmed that my car is single stage. So, that is oxidized paint and nothing can be done? Notice that the local body shop slopped some new paint over most of one of the areas. Outside of being dirty, can you tell if the paint looks dullish and would profit from a cleaning of old wax and polishing?

For everyone's viewing pleasure... I took the liberty of downloading one of your attachments then uploading into your gallery here on AGO and now inserting it into this thread... it's really easy to do this kind of stuff...

Mike aka Setec Astronomy is right... that's primer peeking through... more and more polishing will just make that area grow larger and larger.

This is an indicator the paint on this panel is probably thin everywhere as whoever did the buffing buffed too much... or with too aggressive of pad and products...

Mike, I have written to Dr. G on the Optimum forum to find out if the Hyper Polish can be used for single stage. According to your video with him, the product was designed for clear coat. Any opinion on that?

Usually anything that works on a clear coat will work on a single stage, the only products I now that specifically work better on single stage paints as compared to clear coat paints are non-abrasive polishes that contain the right polishing oils to penetrated and bring out the full richness of color, like Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze, plus all the other "pure polishes".


Always go by what the manufacture states as they know their product line best but I don't think you'll have any compatibility issues using Hyper-Polish on single stage paint.

:xyxthumbs:

 

[stevehecht]

For everyone's viewing pleasure... I took the liberty of downloading one of your attachments then uploading into your gallery here on AGO and now inserting it into this thread... it's really easy to do this kind of stuff...

Yeah right, that's easy for you to say!

Mike aka Setec Astronomy is right... that's primer peeking through... more and more polishing will just make that area grow larger and larger.

This is an indicator the paint on this panel is probably thin everywhere as whoever did the buffing buffed too much... or with too aggressive of pad and products...

Usually anything that works on a clear coat will work on a single stage, the only products I now that specifically work better on single stage paints as compared to clear coat paints are non-abrasive polishes that contain the right polishing oils to penetrated and bring out the full richness of color, like Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze, plus all the other "pure polishes".


Always go by what the manufacture states as they know their product line best but I don't think you'll have any compatibility issues using Hyper-Polish on single stage paint.

OK, so my take-away here is that I go easy on the applied pressure and use a light cutting pad and a non-abrasive polish like the Meg #7 (or Hyper-Polish). I'll check with Customer Service to find out what the other non-abrasive polishes might be, unless you've got them on the tip of your tongue. Thanks, Mike.:dblthumb2:

 

[Rsurfer]

Yeah right, that's easy for you to say!

OK, so my take-away here is that I go easy on the applied pressure and use a light cutting pad and a non-abrasive polish like the Meg #7 (or Hyper-Polish). I'll check with Customer Service to find out what the other non-abrasive polishes might be, unless you've got them on the tip of your tongue. Thanks, Mike.:dblthumb2:

Isn't #7 a glaze and not a polish. What is a non-abrassive polish? Don't all polishes have abrassives? Or are you talking about a chemical paint cleaner.

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Yeah right, that's easy for you to say!

OK, so my take-away here is that I go easy on the applied pressure and use a light cutting pad and a non-abrasive polish like the Meg #7 (or Hyper-Polish). I'll check with Customer Service to find out what the other non-abrasive polishes might be, unless you've got them on the tip of your tongue. Thanks, Mike.:dblthumb2:

#7 is a glaze like Ron said. Hyper polish is an abrasive polish. A lot of chemical paint cleaners are labeled as polishes, but they're not true polishes.

 

[stevehecht]

#7 is a glaze like Ron said. Hyper polish is an abrasive polish. A lot of chemical paint cleaners are labeled as polishes, but they're not true polishes.

I had the same confusion when I looked up Meg #7. But I was just repeating what Mike had said earlier in this thread:

the only products I now that specifically work better on single stage paints as compared to clear coat paints are non-abrasive polishes that contain the right polishing oils to penetrated and bring out the full richness of color, like Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze, plus all the other "pure polishes".

...so let's hope Mike comes back to clarify.