Need help with my Viper

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Viper Bill

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Hi,
I bought a 2005 Silver Mamba (silver paint w/red & black interior and a black canvas convertible top) with 19,000 miles and the paint is in decent shape. Has the typical swirl marks and some stone chips. My main goal for the moment is to really make the paint shine and I'd like to hear what you guys think would work best on metallic silver paint.

My plan was to clay, polish (Porter Cable) and then a sealant topped with a wax. What products would you guys recommend?

Looking forward to getting started

Thanks.
 
I did a red 09 Viper back in the summer. It'll handle 101 easy enough with the PC. It will also respond well to D151 and an orange pad and finish great. The 151 however leaves a 'wax' afterwards and 'can' be topped with an LSP but I'd rather use it when it's not being topped, not knowing how 151 interacts with a sealant in the long run. (Probably is fine,
but I'd rather use a compound and/or polish.)

If you have D300/D301 and microfiber pads it'll make it a lot quicker. You can also use D300 with an orange pad for a decent amount of cut, more than 205 but less than 101/105. That's what I ended up doing the red one with. Then a quick hit with 205 and a white pad. I found it somewhat hard, but not as hard as GM metallic. Then again it was solid red. Metallic silver can be pretty hard but I'd still say D300 will work great.

Top it with any decent sealant, M21 2.0, WG or BF all work. I actually ended up putting WGDGPS (WOWA) version on the red one. :props:
 
cardaddy said:
I did a red 09 Viper back in the summer. It'll handle 101 easy enough with the PC. It will also respond well to D151 and an orange pad and finish great. The 151 however leaves a 'wax' afterwards and 'can' be topped with an LSP but I'd rather use it when it's not being topped, not knowing how 151 interacts with a sealant in the long run. (Probably is fine,
but I'd rather use a compound and/or polish.)

If you have D300/D301 and microfiber pads it'll make it a lot quicker. You can also use D300 with an orange pad for a decent amount of cut, more than 205 but less than 101/105. That's what I ended up doing the red one with. Then a quick hit with 205 and a white pad. I found it somewhat hard, but not as hard as GM metallic. Then again it was solid red. Metallic silver can be pretty hard but I'd still say D300 will work great.

Top it with any decent sealant, M21 2.0, WG or BF all work. I actually ended up putting WGDGPS (WOWA) version on the red one. :props:
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Interesting... On the red viper I did, m105 didn't come close to removing even 70% of the swirls. I had to use m101 for acceptable results. I did have a much older '99 model though.
 
ihaveacamaro said:
Interesting... On the red viper I did, m105 didn't come close to removing even 70% of the swirls. I had to use m101 for acceptable results. I did have a much older '99 model though.
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From easy to hard I'd say the MF pads first then foam. I did test spots on the trunk and 101 was easily the winner (orange pad) but D300 worked almkst as good. And considering 205 was coming next it really wasn't a problem.

Now 161 didn't do NEAR the correction, but it took at keast 80% out all by itself. Sure is fun to work with though. ;)



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Ok, thanks guys. :xyxthumbs:
You've give me some good starting info.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Here is the car in question, I have new 3 piece 5 spoke wheels on order and I have a set of coilovers in the garage waiting to be installed. I cant wait to see the finished product!
 
ihaveacamaro said:
I did a viper once and found that the paint was INSANELY hard. The hardest paint I had come across. M101 with a optimum MF pad was my go to combo to knock out the swirls.

Actually have a video review on m101 with that viper:

Meguiar's M101 Video Review Side-By-Side Test - YouTube
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I think this is inherent in Dodge vehicles, we have done two work trucks for a landscaping company recently with a one step correction. We went with FG400 and a Uber Yellow pad on a Rupes 15. It worked, but that was the most aggressive we had.

HUMP
 
Your gen 3 has hard clear. Don't be scared to spend extra time on each panel. If it's your first time polishing use a D.A. Polisher not a rotary, most of my work is fixing others mistakes. All vipers have very hard clear, except the 2014s different clear now, much softer. I do a ton of vipers for the ontario viper club. My system for vipers is start by claying and make sure the surface is clean. Menzerna FG400 with a orange pad, then PF2500 with a grey pad (looks black to me) then if needed move on to SF4000. Seal your work with opti-coat. Be prepared to spend the day. This would take me 8-10 hours and cost 500-700 deepening on paint condition. Look up how to videos, mike has great how to's. Here's a few vipers I've done.
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SHINEMUP said:
Your gen 3 has hard clear. Don't be scared to spend extra time on each panel. If it's your first time polishing use a D.A. Polisher not a rotary, most of my work is fixing others mistakes. All vipers have very hard clear, except the 2014s different clear now, much softer. I do a ton of vipers for the ontario viper club. My system for vipers is start by claying and make sure the surface is clean. Menzerna FG400 with a orange pad, then PF2500 with a grey pad (looks black to me) then if needed move on to SF4000. Seal your work with opti-coat. Be prepared to spend the day. This would take me 8-10 hours and cost 500-700 deepening on paint condition. Look up how to videos, mike has great how to's. Here's a few vipers I've done.
View attachment 24873
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View attachment 24875
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That red and black ACR is beautiful. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
SHINEMUP said:
Your gen 3 has hard clear. Don't be scared to spend extra time on each panel. If it's your first time polishing use a D.A. Polisher not a rotary, most of my work is fixing others mistakes. All vipers have very hard clear, except the 2014s different clear now, much softer. I do a ton of vipers for the ontario viper club. My system for vipers is start by claying and make sure the surface is clean. Menzerna FG400 with a orange pad, then PF2500 with a grey pad (looks black to me) then if needed move on to SF4000. Seal your work with opti-coat. Be prepared to spend the day. This would take me 8-10 hours and cost 500-700 deepening on paint condition. Look up how to videos, mike has great how to's. Here's a few vipers I've done.
Click to expand...

So you've done the new 2014?

That is good news to hear. I know the last one had fairly hard clear, but I have a new triple black one (waiting on it to warm up a bit) that is wanting a coating. (Same guy that had the red one.)

So IYHO (in your humble opinion) we need to attack this one a bit differently, yes? I've talked with Mike on it and we agreed that they have moderately hard paint (for the most part) but we were only recalling what we HAVE seen, (which the 2014 wasn't a part of that knowledge base).

Although honestly I'm thinking it shouldn't need any real compounding per say as it's brand new (maybe wishful thinking). :rolleyes: Which means I'd start with 205 then finish with Menz 4000.
 
cardaddy said:
So you've done the new 2014?

That is good news to hear. I know the last one had fairly hard clear, but I have a new triple black one (waiting on it to warm up a bit) that is wanting a coating. (Same guy that had the red one.)

So IYHO (in your humble opinion) we need to attack this one a bit differently, yes? I've talked with Mike on it and we agreed that they have moderately hard paint (for the most part) but we were only recalling what we HAVE seen, (which the 2014 wasn't a part of that knowledge base).

Although honestly I'm thinking it shouldn't need any real compounding per say as it's brand new (maybe wishful thinking). :rolleyes: Which means I'd start with 205 then finish with Menz 4000.
Click to expand...

The 2014 that i did just came from the dealer and was delivered with a ton of scratches and swirls due to the clean guys at the dealer wiping the car down with dirty rags in the showroom. The dealer owner paid me to drive 2hrs each way to the customers house to polish the car. I could scratch it with my finger nail it was so soft. Polishing was a breeze. I don't think it was that the clear wasn't cured. Reminded me of Ferrari paint, very soft, Fiat owns them all now so that could be why.
 
SHINEMUP said:
The 2014 that i did just came from the dealer and was delivered with a ton of scratches and swirls due to the clean guys at the dealer wiping the car down with dirty rags in the showroom. The dealer owner paid me to drive 2hrs each way to the customers house to polish the car. I could scratch it with my finger nail it was so soft. Polishing was a breeze. I don't think it was that the clear wasn't cured. Reminded me of Ferrari paint, very soft, Fiat owns them all now so that could be why.
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Thanks SO MUCH for the heads up! :)

Unfortunately the new one my buddy bought is also black. Which for him is really bad, because all he knows how to do is wipe them with not so good rags. But it may be better for me! :D

The dealership it came from isn't known for their ability to know a swirl from a squirrel either! :rolleyes: Guess I'll be taking Menz for this one, leaving my beloved Megs behind. ;) (Although while I'm there his GT500 in dark blue - which is also soft - is in DIRE NEED of some help as well.)
 
cardaddy said:
Thanks SO MUCH for the heads up! :)

Unfortunately the new one my buddy bought is also black. Which for him is really bad, because all he knows how to do is wipe them with not so good rags. But it may be better for me! :D

The dealership it came from isn't known for their ability to know a swirl from a squirrel either! :rolleyes: Guess I'll be taking Menz for this one, leaving my beloved Megs behind. ;) (Although while I'm there his GT500 in dark blue - which is also soft - is in DIRE NEED of some help as well.)
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I did a 2014 mustang in the fall but the guy had it opti-coated somewhere else. It was hard as nails. I just did a quick thing to it. But I would say polish both cars with what ever compound your comfortable with and have them opti-coated. As for the vipers I've only done one 2014. Come spring I'll be able to tell you much more.
 
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