New to Paint Correction - Help!

[serper3]

Hi!
Apologies in advance for the long post! So many questions!

I have what I think is a pretty good understanding of car paint care/maintenance (washing, clay bar, etc). Have been wanting to get into paint correction though. I just purchased this kit and am really hoping to get into some light paint correction/polishing for my fun car. Watched tons of videos, read tons of articles, but it is about time to get to actual work and make it happen! I purchased this kit:

Griot's G9 BLACKFIRE One Step Fundamentals Kit

G9, Blackfire Onestep, 5” backing plate conversion, 6x white LC pads, 12x polishing cloths, etc.

My main goal is to paint correct the Camaro I just purchased last week (3 years old, 6k miles), and then get whatever coating/wax/sealant, etc I can to get me the most shine/gloss on the car. The car is white though unfortunately! I understand that the polish is key, everything else that goes on top of the paint won’t do much if the clear is marred like crazy.

My first step, is to get some experience with the G9 since I have never used a DA polisher. The Blackfire One Step I got was mostly to try to correct the paint on my Honda Fit beater, also white. It is a 2013 with about 70k miles and the paint is pretty neglected. I am not trying to get it perfect though, I just want to build confidence before I tackle my Camaro. Is the kit I got (the Blackfire Onestep, and the white LC pads) a decent product for what I am trying to do? I understand that a different product will act differently though. I probably should have asked on here before I bought the kit! I hope this will be okay? I also understand I am not going to be a pro after doing a few cars. I am just hoping I can get good results if I take my time, go slow, and put in the work.

Next after I paint correct the Honda, I was planning on tackling my wife’s two year old white Equinox. On this car, the paint is definitely not super well cared for either (wife takes it through the tunnel wash, it goes weeks without getting washed) I was going to try to find the same polish type product that I will end up using on my Camaro to use on the equinox. Not sure if this is a super great idea though since, again I am 90% doing this for practice before I work on my Camaro. The Equinox doesn’t need the greatest polish/shine, whereas the Camaro I want to get the best/most fine polish I can on it if it will help with the glossiness/shine (can go for a two step correction on the Camaro)! What are some recommendations on products for this Equinox? And what should I use on the Camaro? Pad and polish? I doubt I will ever paint correct the Honda or the Equinox ever again unless my wife likes it and asks I do so.

I was thinking of getting Sonax Perfect Finish, but not sure if maybe the cut on this is too much for the Camaro? The paint has swirls if I use a flashlight, but overall looks good otherwise. Should I use a two step product for a better more fine polish!? A low cut since car is in pretty good shape and has little miles, and a more fine polish would maybe be a better look for a garage queen!? What pads should I go with? I think this black LC pad would work well for finishing?

5.5 inch Lake Country Force Hybrid Black Pad (Single)

Is there something else altogether that I should go with that will finish out even better, or, will I not even notice any additional gloss especially since the Camaro is white?

My plan with all three cars will be:
Wash
Iron decontamination with Blackfire Iron remover (just purchased this)
Clay
IPA wipe
Polish ( Blackfire Onestep for the Honda, ? for the Equinox and Camaro?)

Then on the Camaro, I will do an IPA wipe (probably go with CarPro version) and then I was thinking of going with Crystal Serum Light, then two coats of EXO, and then maintain with Beadmaker for added gloss. I have read this is a popular easy coating to do and has great shine, BUT, any other recommendations for what will make a white car look the most glossy? The Camaro is a garage queen that only goes out on nice clear days, no rain, etc. So I am not super worried about protection.. Just want to get that crazy shine.
Thanks in advance, really appreciate all the help! This site and forum have been extremely helpful in all my research.

 

[Goonie75]

Hi!
Apologies in advance for the long post! So many questions!

I have what I think is a pretty good understanding of car paint care/maintenance (washing, clay bar, etc). Have been wanting to get into paint correction though. I just purchased this kit and am really hoping to get into some light paint correction/polishing for my fun car. Watched tons of videos, read tons of articles, but it is about time to get to actual work and make it happen! I purchased this kit:

Griot's G9 BLACKFIRE One Step Fundamentals Kit

G9, Blackfire Onestep, 5” backing plate conversion, 6x white LC pads, 12x polishing cloths, etc.

My main goal is to paint correct the Camaro I just purchased last week (3 years old, 6k miles), and then get whatever coating/wax/sealant, etc I can to get me the most shine/gloss on the car. The car is white though unfortunately! I understand that the polish is key, everything else that goes on top of the paint won’t do much if the clear is marred like crazy.

My first step, is to get some experience with the G9 since I have never used a DA polisher. The Blackfire One Step I got was mostly to try to correct the paint on my Honda Fit beater, also white. It is a 2013 with about 70k miles and the paint is pretty neglected. I am not trying to get it perfect though, I just want to build confidence before I tackle my Camaro. Is the kit I got (the Blackfire Onestep, and the white LC pads) a decent product for what I am trying to do? I understand that a different product will act differently though. I probably should have asked on here before I bought the kit! I hope this will be okay? I also understand I am not going to be a pro after doing a few cars. I am just hoping I can get good results if I take my time, go slow, and put in the work.

Next after I paint correct the Honda, I was planning on tackling my wife’s two year old white Equinox. On this car, the paint is definitely not super well cared for either (wife takes it through the tunnel wash, it goes weeks without getting washed) I was going to try to find the same polish type product that I will end up using on my Camaro to use on the equinox. Not sure if this is a super great idea though since, again I am 90% doing this for practice before I work on my Camaro. The Equinox doesn’t need the greatest polish/shine, whereas the Camaro I want to get the best/most fine polish I can on it if it will help with the glossiness/shine (can go for a two step correction on the Camaro)! What are some recommendations on products for this Equinox? And what should I use on the Camaro? Pad and polish? I doubt I will ever paint correct the Honda or the Equinox ever again unless my wife likes it and asks I do so.

I was thinking of getting Sonax Perfect Finish, but not sure if maybe the cut on this is too much for the Camaro? The paint has swirls if I use a flashlight, but overall looks good otherwise. Should I use a two step product for a better more fine polish!? A low cut since car is in pretty good shape and has little miles, and a more fine polish would maybe be a better look for a garage queen!? What pads should I go with? I think this black LC pad would work well for finishing?

5.5 inch Lake Country Force Hybrid Black Pad (Single)

Is there something else altogether that I should go with that will finish out even better, or, will I not even notice any additional gloss especially since the Camaro is white?

My plan with all three cars will be:
Wash
Iron decontamination with Blackfire Iron remover (just purchased this)
Clay
IPA wipe
Polish ( Blackfire Onestep for the Honda, ? for the Equinox and Camaro?)

Then on the Camaro, I will do an IPA wipe (probably go with CarPro version) and then I was thinking of going with Crystal Serum Light, then two coats of EXO, and then maintain with Beadmaker for added gloss. I have read this is a popular easy coating to do and has great shine, BUT, any other recommendations for what will make a white car look the most glossy? The Camaro is a garage queen that only goes out on nice clear days, no rain, etc. So I am not super worried about protection.. Just want to get that crazy shine.
Thanks in advance, really appreciate all the help! This site and forum have been extremely helpful in all my research.

Hi. Ill throw in my 2 cents.... IMO... prep is key to coatings. Thats the decontamination, physical and chemical. The one step BF will leave behind a protective layer and you don't really want that with coatings. Even if you use a panel wipe, it will still be there.

Id use a polish and just a polish and there are lots of great polishes out there on AG.... If you're going to coat. The one-step would be fine for things you want to spruce up but don't coat.... maybe wax or seal those for a bit more protection....

I think the force pads are for forced rotation machines but should work just fine although the black lake country flats are great too.... ill post the Redeye I just did with M210 and black lake country pads. Coated with CSL and EXO...

The Wolfgang total swirl remover is a medium polish and may do you good with white pads as might 3D One....

Hope that helps a bit. Good luck.

Ryan

Sent from my SM-G965U using Autogeekonline mobile app

 

[serper3]

Hi. Ill throw in my 2 cents.... IMO... prep is key to coatings. Thats the decontamination, physical and chemical. The one step BF will leave behind a protective layer and you don't really want that with coatings. Even if you use a panel wipe, it will still be there.

Id use a polish and just a polish and there are lots of great polishes out there on AG.... If you're going to coat. The one-step would be fine for things you want to spruce up but don't coat.... maybe wax or seal those for a bit more protection....

I think the force pads are for forced rotation machines but should work just fine although the black lake country flats are great too.... ill post the Redeye I just did with M210 and black lake country pads. Coated with CSL and EXO...

The Wolfgang total swirl remover is a medium polish and may do you good with white pads as might 3D One....

Hope that helps a bit. Good luck.

Ryan

Sent from my SM-G965U using Autogeekonline mobile app

Thanks! Yea I definitely was not planning on using the BF one step on the Camaro that I am going to coat. Honestly I wanted the G9 with the 5.5" backing plate conversion, and there was a kit that had that on AG and it included the BF one step so i figure it would be good product to practice with.

So you think just a medium polish is okay on the Camaro? No cut needed? White pads though wouldn't that not be the best to finish with as I think they are a medium cut pad?

I know the test spot is key, the only issue is if i stocked up on a bunch of different pads, in decent quantity, and then a bunch of different cutting and polishing compounds, for one, my wife may cause me to go missing, two, i enjoy diy and spending time on the car, but for me to spend so much money on doing 1 car 1 time a year... it may just be more economical for me to go somewhere to have the work done, which I dont really want to do I guess, allthough i have done that with cars i have had in the past. get it polished every 1-2 years.

Thank you for the help though!

 

[Goonie75]

Thanks! Yea I definitely was not planning on using the BF one step on the Camaro that I am going to coat. Honestly I wanted the G9 with the 5.5" backing plate conversion, and there was a kit that had that on AG and it included the BF one step so i figure it would be good product to practice with.

So you think just a medium polish is okay on the Camaro? No cut needed? White pads though wouldn't that not be the best to finish with as I think they are a medium cut pad?

I know the test spot is key, the only issue is if i stocked up on a bunch of different pads, in decent quantity, and then a bunch of different cutting and polishing compounds, for one, my wife may cause me to go missing, two, i enjoy diy and spending time on the car, but for me to spend so much money on doing 1 car 1 time a year... it may just be more economical for me to go somewhere to have the work done, which I dont really want to do I guess, allthough i have done that with cars i have had in the past. get it polished every 1-2 years.

Thank you for the help though!

The TSR is good stuff and without pictures its hard to say. White does hide well. Does well with a white pad. Get too aggressive and you'll be doing g a 2 step... lol



Sent from my SM-G965U using Autogeekonline mobile app

 

[PaulMys]

You have snagged three of the best DIY paint correction products made.

The G9, the BF One Step, and the LC Flat pads.

Medium polish has cut, and the white LC flats are a great finish-down pad in most cases.

Just start with these fine products you have purchased, do your test spots, and see what happens. The AGO community will be here to help with the rest. (Well, maybe not the beatings from the wife. But we MAY be able to keep them to a bare minimum......... :laughing::laughing

 

[serper3]

You have snagged three of the best DIY paint correction products made.

The G9, the BF One Step, and the LC Flat pads.

Medium polish has cut, and the white LC flats are a great finish-down pad in most cases.

Just start with these fine products you have purchased, do your test spots, and see what happens. The AGO community will be here to help with the rest. (Well, maybe not the beatings from the wife. But we MAY be able to keep them to a bare minimum......... :laughing::laughing

Thanks lol! I probably should specify if I stop posting, and then also, my car happens to come up for sale... send help!! lol

I guess I am a bit away before I get to touching the Camaro with a polisher. I can get started with the Honda and the BF One Step and see how it goes. I just wish I wouldn't have to wait around a week to get new products in the mail if something doesn't work. Will have to limit my work on the car time to a 2-4 hours or so a day anyway so hopefully it doesnt take more than several days to get the car done lol.

 

[PaulMys]

Thanks lol! I probably should specify if I stop posting, and then also, my car happens to come up for sale... send help!! lol

I guess I am a bit away before I get to touching the Camaro with a polisher. I can get started with the Honda and the BF One Step and see how it goes. I just wish I wouldn't have to wait around a week to get new products in the mail if something doesn't work. Will have to limit my work on the car time to a 2-4 hours or so a day anyway so hopefully it doesnt take more than several days to get the car done lol.

Nice. Lol

If you are an Amazon Prime member, there ARE products you can buy from them that are fulfilled by PBMG/AutoGeek. Just (please) check the seller to make sure.

Keep us posted on the progress!

 

[serper3]

Nice. Lol

If you are an Amazon Prime member, there ARE products you can buy from them that are fulfilled by PBMG/AutoGeek. Just (please) check the seller to make sure.

Keep us posted on the progress!

Will do that is helpful I did not know that! Here is a pic of the Camaro before I drove it down from Texas to CA about 1600 miles last weekend!

Any recommendations on coatings or polishes to get the best shine on a white car would be appreciated!! Would love to get started on research and keep it in my cart for when a sale comes up on AG in the next few weeks!

It looks pretty good here in the pics and when i did the first wash when I got it home! This is naked paint it has no coatings or details or anything like that. Thanks everyone!

12D5DEFA-9D1C-4BFB-8E19-D2E56243B0AA by serper3

E4E8EFA1-D428-45E5-9740-6ACFE7D3D513 (1) by serper3, on Flickr

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

Will do that is helpful I did not know that! Here is a pic of the Camaro before I drove it down from Texas to CA about 1600 miles last weekend!

Any recommendations on coatings or polishes to get the best shine on a white car would be appreciated!! Would love to get started on research and keep it in my cart for when a sale comes up on AG in the next few weeks!

It looks pretty good here in the pics and when i did the first wash when I got it home! This is naked paint it has no coatings or details or anything like that. Thanks everyone!

12D5DEFA-9D1C-4BFB-8E19-D2E56243B0AA by serper3

E4E8EFA1-D428-45E5-9740-6ACFE7D3D513 (1) by serper3, on Flickr

Nice ZL1! I got a summit white SS and did a test spot spot with Griots correcting cream. Highly recommend getting some of that and then some CarPro essence to finish up before coating.

Will be coating soon and my plan is to first try Essence with a Orange pad. If that removes the swirl then nice.

If not Griots CC on a Yellow and if not the with an orange pad.

You seem way to worried about polishing. As long as you don’t hold it in one place for a long time it’s pretty fool proof. Just watch some videos and get use to arm speed and pressure on your fit and you’ll be fine

Above is with a couple coats of DoDo shinecraft which I just topped with Polish Angel Cosmic.

Not yo much you can get to get white to pop and these two products did it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The Guz]

Will do that is helpful I did not know that! Here is a pic of the Camaro before I drove it down from Texas to CA about 1600 miles last weekend!

Any recommendations on coatings or polishes to get the best shine on a white car would be appreciated!! Would love to get started on research and keep it in my cart for when a sale comes up on AG in the next few weeks!

It looks pretty good here in the pics and when i did the first wash when I got it home! This is naked paint it has no coatings or details or anything like that. Thanks everyone!

Nice color choice. Well my first question is do you want to go straight to a full blown multi year coating or would you like to start with a coating lite version which is just as effective. Sort of getting your feet wet with a coating. Those matte areas will need a little different coating.

You must follow Obsessed Garage seeing you chose Gtechniq CSL/Exo topped with beadmaker lol. Nothing wrong with these coatings. Many like them for their slickness and relatively ease of application. Just be aware that you will need more towels when working with Exo. I used to have this combo on my 02 Camaro which is white and for me it was ok. I ended up transitioning over to Cquartz on it. If you plan to stay with Gtechniq then consider Halo for those matte surfaces or even C1 per Gtechniq.

Many don't like beadmaker due to it being a magnet for dust.

As far as gloss well it is going to be hard to get white to give you that wow factor such as black. It needs the right lighting for that. Polishing and/or compounding will give the best gloss regardless of the protection product used. As you stated it is hard to determine what needs to be done without the test spot.

You mentioned Sonax Perfect Finish and that is good option for polishing. It would be a good idea to have a compound just in case you need it. Sonax Cut Max would be good to have on hand.

As far as pads since you have a Griot's tool you could just invest in their pads and even their polishes. Lake Country SDO pads are nice for short throw polishers. The Rupes yellow pad is a great polishing pad.

 

[serper3]

Nice ZL1! I got a summit white SS and did a test spot spot with Griots correcting cream. Highly recommend getting some of that and then some CarPro essence to finish up before coating.

Will be coating soon and my plan is to first try Essence with a Orange pad. If that removes the swirl then nice.

If not Griots CC on a Yellow and if not the with an orange pad.

You seem way to worried about polishing. As long as you don’t hold it in one place for a long time it’s pretty fool proof. Just watch some videos and get use to arm speed and pressure on your fit and you’ll be fine

Above is with a couple coats of DoDo shinecraft which I just topped with Polish Angel Cosmic.

Not yo much you can get to get white to pop and these two products did it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! Your Camaro looks amazing! I am not crazy worried about the polishing, just think I get a bit too caught up in the weeds. I think a part of it is that I get too analytical on things. Too much research, too much time spent trying to chase the unicorn products when in reality I realize there are probably a dozen products that will all work pretty close to the same.

Nice color choice. Well my first question is do you want to go straight to a full blown multi year coating or would you like to start with a coating lite version which is just as effective. Sort of getting your feet wet with a coating. Those matte areas will need a little different coating.

You must follow Obsessed Garage seeing you chose Gtechniq CSL/Exo topped with beadmaker lol. Nothing wrong with these coatings. Many like them for their slickness and relatively ease of application. Just be aware that you will need more towels when working with Exo. I used to have this combo on my 02 Camaro which is white and for me it was ok. I ended up transitioning over to Cquartz on it. If you plan to stay with Gtechniq then consider Halo for those matte surfaces or even C1 per Gtechniq.

Many don't like beadmaker due to it being a magnet for dust.

As far as gloss well it is going to be hard to get white to give you that wow factor such as black. It needs the right lighting for that. Polishing and/or compounding will give the best gloss regardless of the protection product used. As you stated it is hard to determine what needs to be done without the test spot.

You mentioned Sonax Perfect Finish and that is good option for polishing. It would be a good idea to have a compound just in case you need it. Sonax Cut Max would be good to have on hand.

As far as pads since you have a Griot's tool you could just invest in their pads and even their polishes. Lake Country SDO pads are nice for short throw polishers. The Rupes yellow pad is a great polishing pad.

My thought was probably a "lite" coating since hopefully they are easier to apply? If there is benefit to the longer coating, like more gloss or something like that, then I would consider it, but if it just lasts longer, I think I am fine with a lite coating. I also think for 5+ year coatings... thats a long time. A few years from now there could be way more/newer products that could be better?

I have only actually watched the OG pressure washer videos. Although I never bought anything from that site, I do appreciate his logic of only selling a handful of products. I have seen this combo a lot though, and especially have gravitated towards using beadmaker as a topper just because of all the positive feedback i have seen on it. But i know selling products, working with vendors to do so, etc. is complicated and therefore is not always necessarily the best product. Everyone has opinions on different products, i am just trying to see where there is consensus and what product makes the most sense for me. for example, on the durability aspect, not as important for me since this is not a daily. It is definitely overwhelming with so many products to choose from. I wish it was easier for me personally to decide as well lol.

What made you switch to cquartz? definitely want to go with the best for what i am looking for. do you top that with anything else?

on the beadmaker, the dusting issue - is that something that i could use quick detailer on? this is what i used to do with my old car a lot. after not driving it for a week or so (garaged), i would mist it pretty heavy with Pinnacle XMT Final Finish Instant Detailer (i bought a big container back in 2009ish) and wipe. Car was dust free and would get a bit more pop with the QD. I think since then, waterless washes are maybe more common for this, or is light dust still okay for a QD? Or use more beadmaker to get the dust off maybe although i have not seen that as recommended i do not believe?

Trust me having 2 white cars, white for the camaro was not my first choice. There are probably more white ZL1s by a a factor of 4x than the other colors and when this car came up i could not really pass on it.

No benefit though really with a stand alone light cutting compound and a separate polish though? I always kinda thought the two step process would be better results?

 

[Texchappy]

I may get roasted for this but I think for a light garage dusting, QD is ok. However, waterless wash is much better. I only useQD as a drying aid and to catch drips and finger prints after a wash now. Of course, 99% of my washing is done rinseless now and for the last decade.

As far as one step vs two step etc, it really is alchemy, trial and error. Every paint and user is different. That is why a test spot is so important.

 

[The Guz]

Thanks! Your Camaro looks amazing! I am not crazy worried about the polishing, just think I get a bit too caught up in the weeds. I think a part of it is that I get too analytical on things. Too much research, too much time spent trying to chase the unicorn products when in reality I realize there are probably a dozen products that will all work pretty close to the same.



My thought was probably a "lite" coating since hopefully they are easier to apply? If there is benefit to the longer coating, like more gloss or something like that, then I would consider it, but if it just lasts longer, I think I am fine with a lite coating. I also think for 5+ year coatings... thats a long time. A few years from now there could be way more/newer products that could be better?

I have only actually watched the OG pressure washer videos. Although I never bought anything from that site, I do appreciate his logic of only selling a handful of products. I have seen this combo a lot though, and especially have gravitated towards using beadmaker as a topper just because of all the positive feedback i have seen on it. But i know selling products, working with vendors to do so, etc. is complicated and therefore is not always necessarily the best product. Everyone has opinions on different products, i am just trying to see where there is consensus and what product makes the most sense for me. for example, on the durability aspect, not as important for me since this is not a daily. It is definitely overwhelming with so many products to choose from. I wish it was easier for me personally to decide as well lol.

What made you switch to cquartz? definitely want to go with the best for what i am looking for. do you top that with anything else?

on the beadmaker, the dusting issue - is that something that i could use quick detailer on? this is what i used to do with my old car a lot. after not driving it for a week or so (garaged), i would mist it pretty heavy with Pinnacle XMT Final Finish Instant Detailer (i bought a big container back in 2009ish) and wipe. Car was dust free and would get a bit more pop with the QD. I think since then, waterless washes are maybe more common for this, or is light dust still okay for a QD? Or use more beadmaker to get the dust off maybe although i have not seen that as recommended i do not believe?

Trust me having 2 white cars, white for the camaro was not my first choice. There are probably more white ZL1s by a a factor of 4x than the other colors and when this car came up i could not really pass on it.

No benefit though really with a stand alone light cutting compound and a separate polish though? I always kinda thought the two step process would be better results?

When it comes to gloss well that will come from the polishing step. The wax, sealant or coating is just the icing on the cake. You will have to make the call on what you consider to be perfect paint. Each one of us has a different definition of perfect. If you can get by with a one step polish then you are good to go based on the test spot. If you need to get more aggressive then you will at least have the compound on hand. The important thing is the panel wipe after to prep for the coating that you choose.

In short yes a lite version is easier to apply. You will sacrifice some durability but in most cases get the same characteristics as far as the water beading, gloss and self cleaning. There are some good options. I have used Gyeno CanCoat, Cquartz Lite and have been playing around with IGL Ecocoat. Claims are 1 year but with good maintenance they can exceed that. I have experienced 15 months with CanCoat and 18 months with Cquartz Lite. Both of these are wipe on and wipe off. No need to worry about flash times.

As I mentioned I have been playing around with IGL Ecocoat and it seems to be nice as well. Easy on and off. IGL recently introduced their EZ Graphene which is new technology of a graphene oxide infused ceramic coating. The idea being graphene is less susceptible to water spotting.

You can't go wrong with either of these options as they all come from a reputable brand.

As far as beadmaker it is a love hate thing with many. Those that like it really like the gloss and slickness. Those that dislike it are due to the dusting and poor durability. I have used it a few times and I have not had the dusting issue as the car sits in the garage that I used it on. It works on pretty much anything. P&S has come out with a video going over Beadmaker tips on their youtube channel. They also recommend using their Paint Gloss detailer to avoid the dusting.

You are right that a waterless wash would be safer if the dust is on the heavy side.

As far as that matte coating you could use a dedicated matte specific coating or you could use the coating you use on the paint. Now I have not used any of these coating lite's on matte surfaces. I think Cquartz Lite would be ok as it is based off the formula of Cquartz UK 3.0 which many have used on matte surfaces.

To answer your question Cquartz performed better for me that CSL/Exo.

 

[serper3]

When it comes to gloss well that will come from the polishing step. The wax, sealant or coating is just the icing on the cake. You will have to make the call on what you consider to be perfect paint. Each one of us has a different definition of perfect. If you can get by with a one step polish then you are good to go based on the test spot. If you need to get more aggressive then you will at least have the compound on hand. The important thing is the panel wipe after to prep for the coating that you choose.

In short yes a lite version is easier to apply. You will sacrifice some durability but in most cases get the same characteristics as far as the water beading, gloss and self cleaning. There are some good options. I have used Gyeno CanCoat, Cquartz Lite and have been playing around with IGL Ecocoat. Claims are 1 year but with good maintenance they can exceed that. I have experienced 15 months with CanCoat and 18 months with Cquartz Lite. Both of these are wipe on and wipe off. No need to worry about flash times.

As I mentioned I have been playing around with IGL Ecocoat and it seems to be nice as well. Easy on and off. IGL recently introduced their EZ Graphene which is new technology of a graphene oxide infused ceramic coating. The idea being graphene is less susceptible to water spotting.

You can't go wrong with either of these options as they all come from a reputable brand.

As far as beadmaker it is a love hate thing with many. Those that like it really like the gloss and slickness. Those that dislike it are due to the dusting and poor durability. I have used it a few times and I have not had the dusting issue as the car sits in the garage that I used it on. It works on pretty much anything. P&S has come out with a video going over Beadmaker tips on their youtube channel. They also recommend using their Paint Gloss detailer to avoid the dusting.

You are right that a waterless wash would be safer if the dust is on the heavy side.

As far as that matte coating you could use a dedicated matte specific coating or you could use the coating you use on the paint. Now I have not used any of these coating lite's on matte surfaces. I think Cquartz Lite would be ok as it is based off the formula of Cquartz UK 3.0 which many have used on matte surfaces.

To answer your question Cquartz performed better for me that CSL/Exo.

Thank you! I really appreciate your feedback and detailed response!! Since I probably have a few weeks or so until I get started on the Camaro, I think i am going to just take my time on deciding what products to use.

As far as the level of perfectness on the polishing- i definitely want to do it right on the Camaro and go for the most perfect polish I can. I guess the question is will the effort be worth it? I am not sure, maybe I will go all out on the Camaro, and just do the BF one step on my wife's equinox and compare the two to see if the extra steps and polishing will be worth it?

 

[serper3]

UPDATE!

..and of course have some questions!

Washed the Honda really well. It was SUPER dirty. This car has been neglected. Lived outside, lots of tunnel washes, long times without being washed, never clayed or detailed, etc.

Chemical decontaminated it. This was my first time using an iron remover. I got 32oz of the Blackfire iron remover. I used probably 4/5ths of the bottle. Is that typical, or did I go too heavy??

I clayed the hood of the honda. It took probably 30ish min because there was so much crap on the hood. I have done cars completely in 20 min in the past before!

I really wanted to try out the polisher so I taped off half the hood and tackled half the hood in 4 separate areas (about 12 passes on each of them) for essentially a half hood test spot. I marked the yellow 5" backing plate per Mike's instructions, but am wondering if I am using the correct pressure. I notice if I barely push down on the paint, the pad spins very quickly. if I push a decent amount, it spins, but seems like it spins kinda slow? Is that acceptable? Was using speed 5 on the G9. I am trying to keep the pad flat to the paint. Just wondering if any pad spinning is sufficient, or if I should really be getting max pad rotation? This is a G9, 5" backing plate, white LC pads, Blackfire One Step. Per the instructions, I am using a circle of product on the pad each section.

How many cars can I expect to be able to do with the 32oz of the BF One Step?

Here are two pictures of the progress on the hood. White is so hard to tell how the paint is doing! I am wondering what are the little dots I am seeing?? I am guessing with the condition of the car and the dots and smudges or whatever that is when you zoom in especially in the first pic, I probably should have used a heavier cutting compound first as well as a heavier pad?

image2

image1

I am torn if I want to try to get a heavier cutting compound for the Honda or not as I don't really want to spend the extra money, my main goal is just to feel like I am okay with the polisher. Any ideas on what I could pick up (product and pad) to get a better cut but on the cheap? Preferably something I can order from AG on Amazon on prime? Or should I just leave as is? Maybe work on perfecting the paint more on my wife's equinox?

On another note, I took a picture and video of the roof of the Camaro. What do you guys think? Will Sonax perfect finish be okay or should I really get cut max also? What would be your go to pads and product combo based on the pictures and video if trying to do the best finish for max gloss?

image0

https://youtu.be/ERLzG-2pgSM

Also, why the dots?! What is that?

Thanks a lot everyone, I am super excited to finally get this thing clayed the rest of the way and polished so I can move onto the next practice car, my wife's 2019 equinox.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

How many cars can I expect to be able to do with the 32oz of the BF One Step?

Depends on the condition of the paint. The worse the condition the more product you'll use. The better the condition the less product you'll use.

I'd say on average at least 2-3 cars.

Also, why the dots?! What is that?

I've seen these all my life and my theory has always been they are a defect that is in the paint that "we" collectively uncover as we abrade off top portions of paint.

Nothing you can do about it.


I remember seeing someone on YouTube share their theory, I think it was similar to mine. I'm not sure but I think it may have been something Yvan Lacroix may have shared?

 

[serper3]

Depends on the condition of the paint. The worse the condition the more product you'll use. The better the condition the less product you'll use.

I'd say on average at least 2-3 cars.




I've seen these all my life and my theory has always been they are a defect that is in the paint that "we" collectively uncover as we abrade off top portions of paint.

Nothing you can do about it.


I remember seeing someone on YouTube share their theory, I think it was similar to mine. I'm not sure but I think it may have been something Yvan Lacroix may have shared?

Thanks! Good to know the dots are not something I did!!

 

[serper3]

Another update!

This is definately taking more days than I though, doing 2-3 panels a day and missing some days due to work, kids, etc.

So far I still need to do driver side doors, fender, roof, and spoiler.

Here is a before and after, although the lighting is different.

Before

After

I am using a meguiars microfiber pad with sonax cut max, and then a white LC pad with BF one step. This is my first attempt ever!

I think overall it looks a lot better, but I kind of thought there would be a bigger difference since the paint was so neglected. The biggest improvement was on on the passanger side doors, they were visibly dirty and now they look white as they should. Some of the scratches on the rear bumper look a lot better too. I thought i would get more gloss though and it is more glossy for sure, but lets just say not going to make anyone do a double take. :laughing:

I tried some sonax perfect finish with the white LC pad, on a section after the cut max, and the results were essentially identical to using the BF one step. I could not discern any difference even masking an area and then pulling the tape to see the line I couldnt really see where the tape line was. So to me if Sonax is supposed to finish out better, maybe the white pad is the limiting factor!?

Also, white is really hard to see swirls, imperfections, etc. maybe that is my issue.

What do you guys think?

Really looking forward to finishing the car up in the next day or two so I can get started on my wife's 2019 equinox. that car is more glossy even before starting than the honda is now, so I am hoping the results will be better. I think I am just going to go with the perfect finish with the yellow rupes pad and whatever I get out/improvement I get will be enough for me. Will be a lot more concerned with clearing up the imperfections once I start on the camaro after the equinox.

Thanks!

 

[PaulMys]

It's definitely the white color.

White is not going to make you go "WOW!" when you are done with it. Especially a non-metallic white. Like you said, you can see the difference in the color brilliance though.

When you do a darker/metallic car, that is where the "WOW" comes into play.

As always, only you can answer the "What's the best pad/product" question with your test spots. The only thing experience gives you is a better knowledge of about where to start, and then it's just a fine tuning.

 

[serper3]

It's definitely the white color.

White is not going to make you go "WOW!" when you are done with it. Especially a non-metallic white. Like you said, you can see the difference in the color brilliance though.

Was afraid of that. Why I did not want to get a white car. :laughing: I think this honda might have had some mild oxidation because the paint was beat, and you couldn't see any fine scratches or marring like you can with my wifes equinox and my camaro as they are also white.

I just thought I would get a bit closer to the gloss that both my camaro have and my wifes equinox that have not yet been corrected but they both look considerably glossier. Maybe I didn't get aggresive enough?

E4E8EFA1-D428-45E5-9740-6ACFE7D3D513 (1)

It sounds like given my wife's equinox and my camaro are white, it really makes no difference (maybe very little, not enough to notice?) on how much gloss I will get if I do a two step correction to get more scratches and marring, or if I just do what I am leaning towards, sonax perfect finish with a yellow rupes pad and then coat the cars?