Is it possible to remove too much clear coat?

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slvrstang

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I have some pretty bad watermark etchings on one side of my car from the previous owner and I'd like to pick up a DA polisher and some polishes to try to polish them out. The only thing I'm worried about is removing too much clear coat and permanently damaging the vehicle.
 
Yes. It is possible.
However, with proper technique/products on a dual action polisher, it would be quite hard to do. Follow Mike's "Use the least aggressive product to get the job done" and make sure you do a test spot.
 
Does anyone have any knowledge about how well Ford painted their 2001 Mustangs? I know certain companies/cars are known for starting with a very thin clear coat.
 
I have no knowledge of those mustangs clear coat but every car is going to be different on paint depth. If you're worried about the clear, I suggest getting one of these:
Defelsko Paint Thickness Gauge, Paint thickness meter, coating thickness gauge, auto paint meter, car paint meter

Not necessarily that model, seeing as it is $700, but there are other, cheaper options. In fact, I thought there was a cheaper paint thickness gauge on AutoGeek but for some reason I can't find it right now...HTH.
 
If you don't know the history of the car, it would be wise to use a PTG before using anything aggressive on your paint. Maybe a body shop will measure it for a few bucks. Using a DA would be pretty safe IMO.
 
You would have to spend some major time compounding paint with a DA Polisher to remove so much paint for it to be a problem.

At this point you have four choices,

  1. Live with the defects
  2. Try to remove all of the defects
  3. Improve the paint to the point where the defects are hard to notice
  4. Get the car repainted


Out of all the above options, #3 is a pretty safe bet and most people are pretty happy with the results.

#2 can be done safely for most cars...


"You never know what you can do until you try"


:)
 
Yes you can but I would go with the improve until they can hardly be seen for a daily driver or take them out all together if it is a play toy
 
What do you guys think about zaino products? I have some z-pc abrasive polish, how does that fair against other top polishes?
 
slvrstang said:
What do you guys think about zaino products? I have some z-pc abrasive polish, how does that fair against other top polishes?
Click to expand...

they make some nice sealants (they call them polishes but really just synthetic waxes). Their polish, IMO, is a lighter polish and would not cut at a level like Menzerna SIP or Megs 105.
 
So here's what I'm thinking of getting

-Porter Cable 7424 & Foam Pad Kit

This kit comes with 5 pads of my choice, what pads would I need to remove watermarks?

This kit also does not come with any polish. The previous poster suggests Menzerna SIP or Megs #105, but the price difference on those is quite large with the Menzerna coming in at 45$ with the Megs @ 10$.
 
Not sure how to edit posts, but here are some pictures of the damage.

img0119d.png


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Mike covered it all above but I generally would go with his # 3 if it is a dailey driver. He knows of what he speaks !
 
Well I got my stuff today and tried the PC on a test spot. I made a pass with white+85RD then I made a pass with orange+SIP and then yellow+SIP. There are still scratches and spots in the paint. Should I accept this or go over the area again with yellow+SIP? How many times can I polish the same area with this before going through the clear too far? 5? 10? 50 times?

I hope that the zaino sealant fills some of the scratches when I apply it after polishing.

PS: Is that small washer included with the PC for anything specific? Does it need to be used with the 5" attachment it comes with?
 
Tried D/A with Edge Yellow Pad+menz IP 85rd3.02 once, 5 x 1 minutes at the same spot on original toyota paint, still couldn't get through the clear coat. But I don't have a paint thickness gauge so couldn't tell how much clear coat was removed.
 
nothelle said:
Tried D/A with Edge Yellow Pad+menz IP 85rd3.02 once, 5 x 1 minutes at the same spot on original toyota paint, still couldn't get through the clear coat. But I don't have a paint thickness gauge so couldn't tell how much clear coat was removed.
Click to expand...
85rd is a finishing polish and will not remove defects effectively.
 
slvrstang said:
Well I got my stuff today and tried the PC on a test spot. I made a pass with white+85RD then I made a pass with orange+SIP and then yellow+SIP. There are still scratches and spots in the paint. Should I accept this or go over the area again with yellow+SIP? How many times can I polish the same area with this before going through the clear too far? 5? 10? 50 times?

I hope that the zaino sealant fills some of the scratches when I apply it after polishing.

PS: Is that small washer included with the PC for anything specific? Does it need to be used with the 5" attachment it comes with?
Click to expand...
Yes, you need a washer between the backing plate and spindle.
 
slvrstang said:
Does anyone have any knowledge about how well Ford painted their 2001 Mustangs? I know certain companies/cars are known for starting with a very thin clear coat.
Click to expand...

CHEAPLY! I would be suprised if it had more than 5 mils. I have an 04. Water etched bad, it is my current battle ATM.
 
Rsurfer said:
85rd is a finishing polish and will not remove defects effectively.
Click to expand...

This one is 85rd3.02, cut 3, gloss 1, all out of 1-5 scale. Heck i'm confused with the coding of menzerna, don't know whether this is a us or euro version or something else. But i'd say it's comparable to megs #83
 
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