Please Help Create a Treatment Plan for My ABP Acura RSX's Paint

[cazhpfan]

Hello,

I have a 2002 Acura RSX in Arctic Blue Pearl.

I bought the car from the previous owner with, let's put it mildly, some "paint issues."

I'm intent on getting a DA polisher to compound out the paint defects, polish the paint to nice finish, and seal it with a sealant.

Thus far, my detailing experience has been limited to learning how to properly wash, dry, clay, and wax my car.

I have applied a layer of Nu Polish to the car when I first got into the detailing bug. I assumed that some sealant is better than nothing. Do I need to strip it before compounding? Or can I compound right over it?

Here're pics of the "issues:"

Plenty of moderate-to-deep RIDS:

Watermarks cover the entire passanger side of the car. Clay doesn't remove them. Watermarks are present both on the paint and on the window glass:

Headlights need to be de-hazed:

Swirl marks in copious amounts:

The bumpers had large scratches that were painted-over but not clear-coated. I don't know what to do about them. I think I want to leave these spots alone for now until I can save-up enough dough to get them re-sprayed:

Bird-dropping etching on the roof:

Rock chips on both right and left mirrors:

Please help me find the right combination of pads, compound, polish, and glaze to work these defects out.

For now, I have my sights on an orange, white, and blue 5.5" flat lake country pads.

For products, I'm thinking of getting Optimum Compound II and Polish II.

Are these good choices for a beginner?

For sealant, I'm thinking of using Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant.

I don't know which buffer to get.

How do I remove polish residue between rounds?

How do I do the final cleaning before I seal the paint?

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY AND ALL ADVICE. I really appreciate it!

:dblthumb2:

 

[cazhpfan]

TTT...

Mike, do you have any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[BobbyG]

:welcome: To Autogeek Online!

Now this is quite a first post to say the least!


It obvious that the paint is in tough shape but believe it or not can be worked to make it pretty acceptable. Keep in mind I'm looking at the photos and not the actual car!

Chips and scratches that go beyond or deeper than the clear coat and quite possible through the color will need to be refinished...to some degree. This can be as simple as using touch up paint, a Dr. Colorchip product, or a complete refinish, the choice is yours.

Washing and claying each panel are a given so let's get past some of the basics..

This link will take you to some fabulous articles written by Mike Phillips so please READ THEM..

Articles by Mike Phillips

Basic steps in order are:

• Wash
• Clay
• Paint Correction & Polish
• Seal
• Wax

Personally, I like the Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher. I've provided links to some products and accessories sold here which are time proven.

The Porter Cable 7424xp

• Porter Cable 7424xp
• Lake Country Backing Plate
• Lake Country Flat Pads
• Meguiar's DA Microfiber Correction Kit

Here's some great information by Mike Phillips that will help you learn the correct way moving forward...

• Sectional Pass With a DA Polisher
• Removing Swirls
• DA Trouble Shooting Guide
• Waxing With a DA Polisher
• How to prime a foam pad when using a DA Polisher
• DA Polisher Articles - Help for Newbies to Machine Polishing
• How to MAXIMIZE your DA Polisher

The Meguiar's DA Microfiber Correction kit listed above works amazingly well so don't be afraid to look at it closely. It's only a few years old but has a well established following and it simple to use.

Removing residue is easy. Get yourself some odorless mineral spirits and spray the area to be cleaned. It does a great job and won't break the bank.

Before I apply a sealant or wax CarPro Eraser works really well and leaves the finish very clean.

This is a list I paste quite often. I put this together as they've all dorked very well for me.

Wash - Duragloss #901
Clay - Meguiar’s Clay
Compound - PG 1000 – PowerGloss Compound (POS34A)
Polish - PF 2500 – Power Finish Polish (PO203)
Finishing Polish - SF 4000 – Super Finish Polish (PO106FA)
Sealant - Ultima Paint Guard Plus
Wax - Collinite 845
Spray Wax -Optimum Spray Car Wax
Tire Cleaner - Meguiar's Super Degreaser
Tire Treatment - CarPro PERL
Trim - Ultima Tire and Trim Guard
Wheel Cleaner - Meguiar's Wheel Brightener
Wheel Protectant -Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0
Glass Cleaner - Meguiar's Glass Cleaner
Glass Treatment - Aquapel
All Purpose Cleaner - Optimum Power Clean
Interior Protectant - Meguiar’s M40[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
This will help you understand some of the thoughts behind pads and their usage.

Foam Pads [FONT=&quot]

Yellow Cutting Foam - Use this pad to apply compounds or polishes to remove severe oxidation, swirls, and scratches. It is the most aggressive and should only be used on oxidized and older finishes. Always follow this pad with an orange or white pad and a fine polish to refine the paint until it is smooth.

Orange Light Cutting Foam - Firm, high density foam for scratch and defect removal. Use this pad with polishes and swirl removers. It’s an all around pad that will work on most light to moderate imperfections.

White Polishing Foam - Less dense foam formula for the application of waxes, micro-fine polishes and sealants. This pad has very light cutting power so it’s perfect for pre-wax cleaners.

Green Polishing/Finishing Foam - Use this foam to apply one-step cleaner waxes. It is a balance of polishing and finishing that is perfect for all-in-one product application.

Gray Finishing Foam Pad - Composition is firm enough to withstand added pressure during final finishing to remove buffer swirls. It has no cut and will apply thin, even coats of waxes, sealants, and glazes.

Blue Finessing Foam – Pad has soft composition for applying glaze, finishing polish, sealants, and liquid waxes. Flat pad provides full contact with paint surface to minimize the pressure applied by the user.

Red Ultra-soft Wax/Sealant Foam - This soft, imported foam is ideal for applying the final coat of wax or sealant. The foam works especially well when applying liquid waxes or sealants because it is firm enough to keep the majority of the product on the paint, rather than soaking it up. The red foam has no cut or cleaning ability.

[/FONT]

 

[cazhpfan]

Hi Bobby,

I really try to value other people's time; thus, when I post something on a forum, I try to make it as thorough and coherent as possible. :dblthumb2:

Do you think my choice of orange, white, and blue pads is sufficient?

Question regarding the Meg's kit: do you think this kit is sufficient for long-term corrective use? In other words, is this really just a beginners' kit or can it grow on you? Are the pads high quality? How do the polishes match up to Menzerna, Poorboy, or Optimum? Can I get better results with better polishing "hardware" and "software?"

For the large paint chips on the bumper: can I simply work around them with the polisher? They have been touched-up by a body shop (but not clear-coated). Afterwards, can I seal them with a sealant?

What attracts me to the optimum polishes is that they become finer-and-finer as the polishing process goes on. Besides the Meg's kit, are there any other compounds+polishes that "thin out?"

Once again, thank you for the help!

 

[rockinrandall]

As far as working with the good, better, best products: I think right now the Megs is a good choice. It's good product that's pretty easy to work with and you can get the feel of how things work with what products. The other products you mentioned are going to work great but you need to walk before you run. As a 'weekender', I can tell you to stay on this forum (regarding most all your questions) and you will find helpful answers and people willing to help. I've sung his praise before but Bobby is one of the gang that gives you advice AND links you to the information or product page.
I tip my hat to these folks as I have learned to wet sand through asking questions, watching videos and seeing how these guys and girls do their thing.
To echo Bobby, the pics show panels that can be salvaged. Be patient, work small areas at a time (especially when you start your adventure) and ask questions, questions, questions.

Good luck!

 

[Eandras]

@cazhpfan. This forum will provide a lot of information. BobbyG is very knowledgable about detailing. I have seen his work in person. The Meguairs DA Microfiber kit is an excellent choice for a beginner.

When first starting out with compounding, polishing and wax/sealant you will need to do a test spot. A lot of what makes paint correction good or bad is technique. If you go slow and steady and take your time the paint correction could come close to perfection.

One thing to remember is to start with the least aggressive combination of pad and product. I would also state that if you have a question ask as someone will be able to help. The only dumb question is the one not asked.

A good read for the beginner is Mike Phillips the Art of Detaining is a great read for the beginner.

Ed

 

[primo spaghetti]

IMO bobbyg knows his stuff...great list of products and advice here.

another good product ive tried which is cheap, great, and readily available is Meguiars Ultimate Compund. the name used to scare me at first, but it is really not as aggressive as i first thought. i bet it will do a great job at knocking down those scratches you see (it likely wont remove them completely remember, but it will make them less noticable except for right up close).

also for your swirls (not as readily available as the Meguiars line) ive had great success with is the wolfgang total swirl remover and the finishing polish (alot of guys will tell you it is the same as menzerna which i also have).

a word to the wise, you'll really need a machine to get the best results and utilize Mike's techinques detailed in the links bobbyg has provided above and you will be simply amazed with the turn around of the paint.

good luck which ever route you go, but post some pics of the results!c7424:

 

[BobbyG]

Hi Bobby,

I really try to value other people's time; thus, when I post something on a forum, I try to make it as thorough and coherent as possible. :dblthumb2:

Do you think my choice of orange, white, and blue pads is sufficient?

If that's what you have, the orange will be put to the test but the reality is what it is..

Orange Pad
PG 1000 – PowerGloss Compound (S34A)
Speed 5 to 6

Work a test spot with multiple passes and gauge your progress. If you're satisfied it's time to move to something finer...

Orange or White
IP 2000 – Intensive Polish (PO91E)
Speed 5

White
SF 4000 – Super Finish Polish (PO106FA)
Speed 4 to 5

Question regarding the Meg's kit: do you think this kit is sufficient for long-term corrective use? In other words, is this really just a beginners' kit or can it grow on you? Are the pads high quality? How do the polishes match up to Menzerna, Poorboy, or Optimum? Can I get better results with better polishing "hardware" and "software?"

From what I've read, Meguiar's spent some time developing this Microfiber Kit and it does work well. Is it for beginners? One word...YES.

I was really surprised at how well this kit worked but then again I shouldn't be, Meguiar's created it.

Menzerna, PoorBoys, and Optimum make solid products that also work well. rops:

If I were to tackle your Acura I'd start with a rotary and Meguiar's Solo 7 inch Wool Heavy Cutting Pad or Lake Country 6 1/2" Purple Foamed/Wool Pad combined with Meguiar's M105 or Menzerna Power Gloss PO34A.

For the large paint chips on the bumper: can I simply work around them with the polisher? They have been touched-up by a body shop (but not clear-coated). Afterwards, can I seal them with a sealant?

Sure, that's not a problem. Remember to set your exceptions accordingly and realize you're just starting out and some of what I see really should be refinished BUT, you can do a lot with this car and really improve its appearance...

What attracts me to the optimum polishes is that they become finer-and-finer as the polishing process goes on. Besides the Meg's kit, are there any other compounds+polishes that "thin out?"

Once again, thank you for the help!

What you're referring to is DAT products; Diminishing Abrasive Technology.

Mike Phillips did a thread on DAT vs. SMAT. - http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...anted-know-about-meguiar-s-smat-products.html

Meguiar's products that use non-diminishing abrasives:
M86, M105, M205, D151, SwirlX, Ultimate Compound, and ScratchX 2.0

Meguiar's products that use diminishing abrasives:
M01, M02, M04, M06, M09, M19, M80, M82, M83, M84, M85, and M95.

The Meguiar's products that use non-diminishing abrasives should mention on the bottle that is uses Super-Micro Abrasive Technology or SMAT

All of the Menzerna products use Diminishing Abrasive Technology or DAT.

 

[Bill1234]

Bobby G pretty much outlined it. The only thing I would do else is buy a colorchip kit and fill in those thin paint chips and dings.

 

[cazhpfan]

As far as working with the good, better, best products: I think right now the Megs is a good choice. It's good product that's pretty easy to work with and you can get the feel of how things work with what products. The other products you mentioned are going to work great but you need to walk before you run. As a 'weekender', I can tell you to stay on this forum (regarding most all your questions) and you will find helpful answers and people willing to help. I've sung his praise before but Bobby is one of the gang that gives you advice AND links you to the information or product page.
I tip my hat to these folks as I have learned to wet sand through asking questions, watching videos and seeing how these guys and girls do their thing.
To echo Bobby, the pics show panels that can be salvaged. Be patient, work small areas at a time (especially when you start your adventure) and ask questions, questions, questions.

Good luck!

Hi Randall,

Have you had a chance to use the meg's kit? What were your impressions?

 

[cazhpfan]

@cazhpfan. This forum will provide a lot of information. BobbyG is very knowledgable about detailing. I have seen his work in person. The Meguairs DA Microfiber kit is an excellent choice for a beginner.

When first starting out with compounding, polishing and wax/sealant you will need to do a test spot. A lot of what makes paint correction good or bad is technique. If you go slow and steady and take your time the paint correction could come close to perfection.

One thing to remember is to start with the least aggressive combination of pad and product. I would also state that if you have a question ask as someone will be able to help. The only dumb question is the one not asked.

A good read for the beginner is Mike Phillips the Art of Detaining is a great read for the beginner.

Ed

Hi Ed,

Yes, I will definitely start with a test spot. I noticed that Mike talked about in several of his videos and forum posts?

What's the best spot on the car for a test spot?

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[cazhpfan]

IMO bobbyg knows his stuff...great list of products and advice here.

another good product ive tried which is cheap, great, and readily available is Meguiars Ultimate Compund. the name used to scare me at first, but it is really not as aggressive as i first thought. i bet it will do a great job at knocking down those scratches you see (it likely wont remove them completely remember, but it will make them less noticable except for right up close).

also for your swirls (not as readily available as the Meguiars line) ive had great success with is the wolfgang total swirl remover and the finishing polish (alot of guys will tell you it is the same as menzerna which i also have).

a word to the wise, you'll really need a machine to get the best results and utilize Mike's techinques detailed in the links bobbyg has provided above and you will be simply amazed with the turn around of the paint.

good luck which ever route you go, but post some pics of the results!c7424:

Hi Primo,

Why doesn't the Ultimate Compound remove the swirls? Shouldn't a compound be essentially the same thing as a swirl remover?

Thanks for helping the n00b.

 

[cazhpfan]

If that's what you have, the orange will be put to the test but the reality is what it is..

Orange Pad
PG 1000 – PowerGloss Compound (S34A)
Speed 5 to 6

Work a test spot with multiple passes and gauge your progress. If you're satisfied it's time to move to something finer...

Orange or White
IP 2000 – Intensive Polish (PO91E)
Speed 5

White
SF 4000 – Super Finish Polish (PO106FA)
Speed 4 to 5



From what I've read, Meguiar's spent some time developing this Microfiber Kit and it does work well. Is it for beginners? One word...YES.

I was really surprised at how well this kit worked but then again I shouldn't be, Meguiar's created it.

Menzerna, PoorBoys, and Optimum make solid products that also work well. rops:

If I were to tackle your Acura I'd start with a rotary and Meguiar's Solo 7 inch Wool Heavy Cutting Pad or Lake Country 6 1/2" Purple Foamed/Wool Pad combined with Meguiar's M105 or Menzerna Power Gloss PO34A.




Sure, that's not a problem. Remember to set your exceptions accordingly and realize you're just starting out and some of what I see really should be refinished BUT, you can do a lot with this car and really improve its appearance...



What you're referring to is DAT products; Diminishing Abrasive Technology.

Mike Phillips did a thread on DAT vs. SMAT. - http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...anted-know-about-meguiar-s-smat-products.html

Meguiar's products that use non-diminishing abrasives:
M86, M105, M205, D151, SwirlX, Ultimate Compound, and ScratchX 2.0

Meguiar's products that use diminishing abrasives:
M01, M02, M04, M06, M09, M19, M80, M82, M83, M84, M85, and M95.

The Meguiar's products that use non-diminishing abrasives should mention on the bottle that is uses Super-Micro Abrasive Technology or SMAT

All of the Menzerna products use Diminishing Abrasive Technology or DAT.

Bobby,

Thank you VERY much for spending the time and answering my questions.

I'm not set on getting orange as my most aggressive cutting pad. Should I get a more aggressive pad? I was worried about taking the paint down too much.

I know you said that you'd start my car off with a rotary buffer to get a faster/better cut. I'm scared of using something that aggressive on my paint. I'm a total n00b at this.

Re SMAT vs. DAT: Having read Mike's article, I'm begining to wonder if a SMAT product would be a better choice. Plus, I think I may have an easier time playing around with pad+compound combos if my "software" remained the same at all times. Would Meg's compounds be a better choice, in this case?

I completely realize that this car will never look like a show car--that is not my goal. I bought this car to be a DD, and, with a new clutch on the books, it has been fun ride. I just want it to look nicer, that's all.

I'm not expecting perfection.

THANK YOU FOR THE HELP!

 

[cazhpfan]

Bobby G pretty much outlined it. The only thing I would do else is buy a colorchip kit and fill in those thin paint chips and dings.

Hi Bill,

Would the Dr. Colorchip kits work on such large paint chips? These aren't rock chips--they're scuff marks caused by others running into it on the parking lot.

:cheers:

 

[Bill1234]

I dont know if they would work on large chips, but I would go with just getting the car fixed up right now.

 

[cazhpfan]

I dont know if they would work on large chips, but I would go with just getting the car fixed up right now.

How much do you think would be a reasonable charge for getting both bumpers sanded, primed, painted, and cleared?

 

[primo spaghetti]

for me, and it is only me, because alot of guys have done it, i wouldnt UC my entire vehicle. i dont think it is necessary to compound the entire vehicle. to me it would me more of an aggressive approach to do anything more than just the scratches with the UC. a swirl remover (depending on which one) should be the next least aggresive step, therefore you would have no concern using it on the entire vehicle.

again this is just my preferred method, but you have to find what will owrk for you. as someone metnioned earlier, use the least aggressive method first in a test spot. if your happy with the results, move tot he next section.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Great car, great color! I don't have time to read the whole thread right now, but I see the people who are posting and I know you're getting great advice. That paint doesn't really look too bad and I'm sure you'll have it looking great in no time! Good luck.

 

[cazhpfan]

for me, and it is only me, because alot of guys have done it, i wouldnt UC my entire vehicle. i dont think it is necessary to compound the entire vehicle. to me it would me more of an aggressive approach to do anything more than just the scratches with the UC. a swirl remover (depending on which one) should be the next least aggresive step, therefore you would have no concern using it on the entire vehicle.

again this is just my preferred method, but you have to find what will owrk for you. as someone metnioned earlier, use the least aggressive method first in a test spot. if your happy with the results, move tot he next section.

Primo,

You bring up an interesting point--one that I had been contemplating for some time.

Why should one start off with an aggressive compound? Wouldn't it be more reasonable to start off using a polish with either a cutting or light cutting pad to see what improvements are possible with minimal paint removal

My reasoning is this: you can always up the aggressiveness and remove more clear coat, if need be. However, you can never add clear coat back.

Am I correct in my reasoning? Feed back please