Not satisfied after M105/205....

[brady_f]

Started working on a Vette today and am having some trouble pulling all of the scratches out. I know some of them are past the clear and are out of range with the PC, but it seems like some of the ones left are surface scratches that should come out. Using the Meg's 105/205 with Orange/White Pads. Sealed with #21 Sealant and then using Meguiars Carnauba Wax. Any ideas? Too deep for a DA?

Shot at 2010-08-27

Shot at 2010-08-27

Shot at 2010-08-27

Shot at 2010-08-27

Also, did a test spot on the hood and there are small spots all over the front of the car. What exactly causes this and is there anyway to get them out?

Shot at 2010-08-27

Shot at 2010-08-27

Shot at 2010-08-27

Shot at 2010-08-27

 

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

You will to at least go over the defects several times to or if they are too deep, you will need to lightly wet sand sand them to remove them. As far as the tiny dots on the front of the car it is called "sand blasting" from driving on the road tiny debris beat on the paint and basically sand blast the paint. Good luck from one vette owner to another.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Full correction on a C5 often requires more than just a PC to do the job in a timely fashion.... otherwise you're going to be there for a while. Corvette paint is notoriously difficult to work with in that regard.

 

[Kurt_s]

I used Meg Ultimate Compound with CCS orange pads which is very similar to Meg 105 to clear etching in an Audi CC when other products didn't. Meg 105 should remove a great deal of issues but you can also try a yellow pad next.

Wet sanding may be needed to remove deep scratches and SIRS, just be careful to feather the edges. Use an IPA wash to make sure that you correctly properly.

Use your favorite wax but a true glaze should not be needed if correction is complete. On the other hand, a glaze can hide defects for a couple weeks between waxing.

 

[the_invisible]

You can put your entire body weight on your DA with an Orange Pad with M105 all day and still not remove those defects. There are scratches that are simply too deep to be removed by DA with an cutting orange pad.

In cases like this where you are dealing with deep scratches, you want a pad that is aggressive enough. Try the Lake Country yellow heavy cutting pad. It has noticeably more cutting power than the orange pad. You could also try using the Surbuf pads on a spot basis.

Lastly you may want to use a polish that is specifically designed for hard clear coats. I learned the long way that a medium cut Menzerna polish has more cutting power on ceramic clear coat than M105.

Judging from the picture, those scratches could be easily removed with a PWF and M105 using a rotary @ 1700rpm. No wetsanding required.

 

[BobbyG]

I like Menzerna Super Intensive Polish. This combined with a orange or white Lake Country Kompressor pad on my Makita rotary should knock most of those out in short order.

Here's a chart that may help.

 

[Bunky]

The paint looks like it is in pretty bad shape. Is it peppered by ding marks?

 

[brady_f]

The paint is in terrible shape for a car that has so much $ invested in it. So would a yellow pad and the Menzerna polish touch the scratches or is it simply too much for a DA to take out. I think the last picture was 3 passes with the orange pad and M105, and it didn't seem as if I had a shot at getting them out.

 

[brady_f]

How does the Super Intensive Menzerna compare to the XMT #4 Heavy Duty Swirl Remover? Will either of these with a Yellow Pad give me better results?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

The pictures are so large that even on a 24" monitor I have to horizontal scroll to see the entire picture which means I can never see the entire picture...

Please resize to 800 pixels wide before posting to a forum... it's not that hard folks.. I do it for every photo I upload and I don't know anyone that uploads and inserts more photos than I do...


How to resize your photos before uploading

It's hard to help when you can't see the entire picture...


Regardless,

1. How long have you been using a PC?
2. Which PC do you have? A first generation or a second generation?
3. How large of an area you your buffing?
4. Have you watched my video on making a section pass?

 

[brady_f]

Sorry about the pictures. Guess my browser automatically resized them when I posted so I didn't notice. Anyway I have been using the PC for a couple of months now. I assume it's the 2nd Gen since I ordered it brand new not long ago. I split the fender into 3 sections so it was a small section I was working on. I have watched all the videos as well!

 

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

As far as SIP working better on the vette clear or better on ceramic clear than 105 is incorrect. Also advising a yellow pad on a vette will cause more marring than a wool pad would, which in turn will take even longer than taking out the defects pictured. If the orange pad will not remove the defects after several passes then I would suggest going with the surbuff pads. On some of those defects will your finger nail catch on them, if so they will need to be wet sanded.

To the op about SIP and XMT #4 will not come close to the power of 105. SO stick with 105 on your orange pad or like suggested above get yourself some surbuf pads. In a pinch you can pick these pads up at any local woodworking store since they first started out for polish wood.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

You did a "Test Spot" first right?

That is you haven't buffed out the entire car only to find out that you're not getting the results you wanted?

A test spot proves your system so you don't waste your time. Make sure your "system" works to one small area before going over the entire car.

So would a yellow pad and the Menzerna polish touch the scratches or is it simply too much for a DA to take out.

There are swirls and scratches and then there are RIDS

Don't try to remove the RIDS. Read this,

RIDS - The Definition of RIDS and the story behind the term...


And this,

Tracers Tracers - RIDS - Pigtails - Cobweb Swirls - Rotary Buffer Swirls - Holograms - Water Spots - Bird Drooping Etchings - Micro-Marring


If you've removed the majority of the shallow swirls and all that are left are the RIDS then you might want to learn to live with them as removing more and more clear coat n order to remove deeper scratches also means removing more UV protection.

If the paint is truly thrashed then you might want to keep that in context as you make your decision.

I think the last picture was 3 passes with the orange pad and M105, and it didn't seem as if I had a shot at getting them out.

Again, determine if these are RIDS or not, if you successfully remove all the shallow swirls so now the paint looks decent except for the RIDS then without getting more aggressive, either with pad, product or switching to a rotary buffer, you may have come to a point where you want to stop.

See this article...

"Taking your car's paint to it's maximum potential"

Sorry about the pictures. Guess my browser automatically resized them when I posted so I didn't notice.

I tend to click away pretty quickly from threads when I have to horizontal scroll, a person can't see the what's going on when a picture is 4000 pixels wide and 3000 pixels tall, which is the dimension of your first picture.


since this morning I cropped and resized these pictures and then buffed out a Mustang... it's not that hard to do and Easy Thumbnails is free and works great.

Stuart Grill and Ale House Car Show

800 pixels wide on any monitor...

Easy Thumbnails Website

Screenshot of the Easy Thumbnails Website

Anyway I have been using the PC for a couple of months now. I assume it's the 2nd Gen since I ordered it brand new not long ago. I split the fender into 3 sections so it was a small section I was working on. I have watched all the videos as well!

Get yourself some 5.5" orange foam cutting pads and work a section about 12" to 14" square for at least 8 section passes. Place a tape line on the paint and only work on one side of the tape so you can clearly see if you're making progress.

800 pixels wide

If a DA Polisher will remove a little paint then it's just a matter of investing enough time working small sections removing little bits of paint to eventually remove the defects you're going after.

A rotary buffer would do the job a lot faster with a wool pad or like Dana said, get some Surbuf Microfiber pads, get them from the local store or support the company that offers support via their forum...

I'm a big fan of Win/Win deals... it's good when everyone wins...


rops:

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Even with my Flex 3401, surbuf pad, and M105, I couldn't get out some scrtaches that look like they should come out on my 07 z06. I think a rotary is the answer on Vette clearcoats.

 

[brady_f]

Mike,

I did do a test spot on the hood before I started working on the fender. After it was finished there were hundreds of little dots in the paint so I decided to move over to the front fender to see if I had the same problem. Luckily I didn't, however it looks like there are RIDS on the fender after reading the thread you linked me. I'm going to order a couple of the Surbuf Pads to try out on the heavily damaged areas.

Also...will be resizing those pics now!

 

[brady_f]

Even with my Flex 3401, surbuf pad, and M105, I couldn't get out some scrtaches that look like they should come out on my 07 z06. I think a rotary is the answer on Vette clearcoats.

Yeah that may be the answer. Really don't wanna spring for a rotary at the moment though

By bfedro at 2010-08-28

By bfedro at 2010-08-28

By bfedro at 2010-08-28

By bfedro at 2010-08-28


This is the test spot on the hood I was talking about.

By bfedro at 2010-08-28

By bfedro at 2010-08-28

By bfedro at 2010-08-28

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike,

I did do a test spot on the hood before I started working on the fender. After it was finished there were hundreds of little dots in the paint so I decided to move over to the front fender to see if I had the same problem. Luckily I didn't, however it looks like there are RIDS on the fender after reading the thread you linked me. I'm going to order a couple of the Surbuf Pads to try out on the heavily damaged areas.

Also...will be resizing those pics now!

The front clip of your car is constantly hit by debris as you drive and the impact of particles will tend to cause the damage.

I think Dana mentioned something about this in his post.

When I lived in SoCal I saw this problem on a lot of cars where the owners drove from SoCal to Vegas a lot because it's very windy and sandy and the sand hitting your car had a sandblasting effect.

Completely makes your heart sink if you're driving your "good" car when the wind kicks up and creates a sandstorm and you're in it.

Maybe the history of the car includes some rough driving?

 

[brady_f]

So there's really nothing that can be done as far as the sandblasting goes? I'm doing the work for a friend of mine so I was just trying to get it looking good as possible. I'm sure it was driven rough though.

 

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

So there's really nothing that can be done as far as the sandblasting goes? I'm doing the work for a friend of mine so I was just trying to get it looking good as possible. I'm sure it was driven rough though.

The only way to fix the sandblasting effect is to have those areas of the vehicle repainted. Once you get the painted polished correctly they will not be as noticable in the sun as with your light.

Like Mike said if you have the time order them through AG since you are getting help on their forum but like I said above if you are pinched for time a local woodworking store will have the Surbuf pads.

Also like I mentioned above a yellow pad on a vette or any composite car makes removing the marring that much harder so if the orange pad will not work after several passes your next option with the pc will be the Surbuf pads. Then if you want to make sure they are gone step up to a rotary and work with a nice wool pad or some defects need light wet sanding. It all depends on how far you or your friend wants you to take this to.

If you like you can refer to several vettes I have posted in the show and shine section to get an idea of what steps to take to correctly fix the finish on the vette you are working on.