Rookie's first take at polishing G35

[Rob T]

Rookie? That doesn't look like the work of a rookie!

20 hours isn't too surprising for a somewhat neglected black car. Remember, as someone else said, you will not be able to remove some of those RIDS

 

[fishnugget]

The problem is that it is too clean. The oxygen in the water readily oxidizes elements it comes into contact with. DI water is :hungry:!

We remove oxygen from our DI with steam, and the chemical hydrazine. If we didn't, our boilers would fall to pieces in no time at all. Far, far worse that just normal tap water. We don't use plain tap water because of scaling.

Water treatment is very interesting indeed!

Thanks for the thorough explanation, I did not know that. I knew DI was pretty much stripped of all elements but never thought how reactive it was.

Rookie? That doesn't look like the work of a rookie!

20 hours isn't too surprising for a somewhat neglected black car. Remember, as someone else said, you will not be able to remove some of those RIDS

Thanks Rob T, I am almost done! Hopefully tomorrow I can finish sealing it. Will post more pics tomorrow.

 

[fishnugget]

Ok, here is another Newb question...

I was applying my sealant today, BFWD (Black Fire Wet Diamond) and noticed that when I allowed it to dry and it came time to wipe off, the sealant was streaking. It had this oil residue on the paint. The microfiber plush towels had a hard time picking it up.

What is going on? Anybody have any experience with BDWF? I applied it by hand with a polishing pal, did I apply to much? I did try to go for a thin coat. I think I let it dry for about 3 minutes sometimes 5min before wiping off with my MF. Thanks.

 

[Rsurfer]

Ok, here is another Newb question...

I was applying my sealant today, BFWD (Black Fire Wet Diamond) and noticed that when I allowed it to dry and it came time to wipe off, the sealant was streaking. It had this oil residue on the paint. The microfiber plush towels had a hard time picking it up.

What is going on? Anybody have any experience with BDWF? I applied it by hand with a polishing pal, did I apply to much? I did try to go for a thin coat. I think I let it dry for about 3 minutes sometimes 5min before wiping off with my MF. Thanks.

Did you do an IPA wipe down after polishing? And the obvious question, did you shake the bottle for at least a min?

 

[fishnugget]

Did you do an IPA wipe down after polishing? And the obvious question, did you shake the bottle for at least a min?

Hey Rsurfer,

I did not do an IPA wipe down but I did do a CG citrus wash at paint prep ratio to strip the oils from 105/205. I had too much 105 dust to do an IPA wipe down.

I did shake the bottle but not for a minute. :doh: Instructions did not say to shake for minute. It was more like 4 seconds of shaking each time before I applied small drops to my polishing pal.

 

[fishnugget]

I finished!!! :wave:

Well it was a lot of work ( I lost at least 8lbs.!) and I want to thank everyone on this forum for all their help in answering my Q's. The car is by no means perfect but there is a significant difference in the depth and gloss of the paint. My front bra has bug gut etching that is impossible to remove, so I just made the best of it and the glaze seemed to hide it, :xyxthumbs:

Here was my work methodology again

Body Paint
Wash: CG Citrus Wash paint prep ratio 2 bucket method
Clay: Mothers Clay and QD also used Meguiars QD (needed more)
Polish: 3" backing plate and 5.5" backing plate on Griots DA
3.5" yellow w/ 105 for RIDS
5.5" LC orange 105
LC white 205
Final Polish: Gray and Red m205
Wash again: CG citrus wash paint prep ratio 2B
Rinse: Nomad with DI water (It worked!)
Paint Prep: EZ Cream Glaze II on red pad by hand
Sealant: Black Fire Wet Diamond on red pad by hand (1 coat)

Muffler Tips
Meguiars APC 4:1
0000 Wool
Mothers Mag Alloy Polish

Tires/Wheels
Meguiars APC 4:1
Mothers FX tire shine

My take on Nomad with DI water:

It works, car came out spot free, except for my rims (had some water spots but they were removed easily). Probably needed more rinsing. My personal take on the Nomad is that its ok, not great. The proclaimed 90psi pressure will not blow you away but it is enough to properly rinse your vehicle. The psi seems to drop when I fill it up all the way then increases after about a min or two of rinsing, weird. I don't feel it saved me any time in drying because the output is not strong and it takes a while to fully rinse the car. Also, using 7 gallons of DI on my car to rinse did not help (I err on the cautionary side). The benefit I see is not inducing any marring/scratches. But if your a pro on drying with WW MF towels you are golden and don't need it.

Ok, well enough talking here are the pics I kept promising...

Polished backlights

Before/After

 

[Rsurfer]

You did an awesome job Saul. Did the Blackfire keep streaking? Sending your samples out tomorrow, PM you.

 

[fishnugget]

Yes, it did. But I think shaking it for a minute like you stated or applying an even thinner coat helped out. It was frustrating in the beginning because I felt I was inducing scratches. I did not know what was going on. Thanks for the samples, pm replied

 

[TLMitchell]

:wow:

Absolutely outstanding results... newbie or old hand alike! :dblthumb2:

Hope you're stocking up on QD, with that type of gloss you'll see a speck of dust a mile away. Ought to keep you busy keeping it that way.

TL

 

[fishnugget]

:wow:

Absolutely outstanding results... newbie or old hand alike! :dblthumb2:

Hope you're stocking up on QD, with that type of gloss you'll see a speck of dust a mile away. Ought to keep you busy keeping it that way.

TL

Thanks TL,

So what creates the gloss? Is it the BFWD sealant or the gray and red pad with 205? I did not use Menzerna 85rd after all. I will try it the next time. I was more after the "deep wet" paint look. I was not after gloss. Please explain I am such a noob.

 

[Metajames]

For a deeper and more wet look try topping the BFWD with a caranuba wax of some kind, I've really been enjoying Pinnacle Signature Series II on my black car lately. Really added depth to my paint.

Car looks amazing btw, definitely not noob results! Shows what can be achieved just by doing some research and taking the time do it right, props!

 

[Rob T]

Thanks TL,

So what creates the gloss? Is it the BFWD sealant or the gray and red pad with 205? I did not use Menzerna 85rd after all. I will try it the next time. I was more after the "deep wet" paint look. I was not after gloss. Please explain I am such a noob.

At least 90% of the final look (including gloss) comes from the polishing. "Deep wet" paint and "gloss" are certainly not mutually exclusive.

Whether the 85rd would have made much of a difference is hard to know (the pics look excellent), but it sure wouldn't have hurt.

 

[fishnugget]

For a deeper and more wet look try topping the BFWD with a caranuba wax of some kind, I've really been enjoying Pinnacle Signature Series II on my black car lately. Really added depth to my paint.

Car looks amazing btw, definitely not noob results! Shows what can be achieved just by doing some research and taking the time do it right, props!

Thanks James,

I actually do have some Pinnacle XMT 180 series that I got as a freebee from autogeek. I may try that in a week. Thanks.

 

[fishnugget]

At least 90% of the final look (including gloss) comes from the polishing. "Deep wet" paint and "gloss" are certainly not mutually exclusive.

Whether the 85rd would have made much of a difference is hard to know (the pics look excellent), but it sure wouldn't have hurt.

Thanks Rob,

Good to know, I honestly did not see a difference in paint depth or wetness when I added the CG EZ Cream Glaze or the BFWD sealant. Maybe its because I was working in the garage with not enough lighting. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[TLMitchell]

Thanks TL,

So what creates the gloss? Is it the BFWD sealant or the gray and red pad with 205? I did not use Menzerna 85rd after all. I will try it the next time. I was more after the "deep wet" paint look. I was not after gloss. Please explain I am such a noob.

:::shrug::: Sealants are typically thought to produce a higher gloss, carnaubas seem to add depth and wetnesses. Many use a sealant for added longevity and then top with a carnauba for a deeper, wetter look. I dunno, I figure I must be half-blind because I can rarely see a difference. My point was, a shiney black finish free of defects shows every smudge or spec. The more perfect it is the harder it is to keep that way. There's a reason many say black isn't a color, it's a part time job... My DD is white, the last one was black. Guess why?

TL

 

[fishnugget]

Thanks for the explanation on carnubas and sealants TL. I didn't even see a difference when I added the sealant. Thats why I decided not to add a carnuba. I know what you mean by keeping black clean. Right now my car is sitting in the garage and I'm sure there is a dead mosquito on it along with some dust that just stands out on the paint .

When you owned your black car did you do a spray and wipe or just leave it alone and wait for the next car wash? Reason I ask is because the last thing I want is to add swirls. Thanks.

 

[Rob T]

Thanks for the explanation on carnubas and sealants TL. I didn't even see a difference when I added the sealant. Thats why I decided not to add a carnuba. I know what you mean by keeping black clean. Right now my car is sitting in the garage and I'm sure there is a dead mosquito on it along with some dust that just stands out on the paint .

When you owned your black car did you do a spray and wipe or just leave it alone and wait for the next car wash? Reason I ask is because the last thing I want is to add swirls. Thanks.

I deal with this issue on my bright red vehicle too (it really is just about as bad as black when it comes to showing every speck of dust).

As tempting as it is to want to use a QD to wipe of the thin layer of dust, I find that my paint simply mars too easily, so that really isn't a viable option for me.

 

[S2K]

Nice job Fish! The G looks really Great! You are a brave man doing that nice black car for your first polish job but you pulled it off. I'm not that brave and am doing a few practice cars before I attempt my soft as heck black paint. How exactly did you prime your pad for the 105? I read a thread about the Kevin Brown Method (after my first attempt this weekend) and was wondering if that's what you did.

 

[fishnugget]

I deal with this issue on my bright red vehicle too (it really is just about as bad as black when it comes to showing every speck of dust).

As tempting as it is to want to use a QD to wipe of the thin layer of dust, I find that my paint simply mars too easily, so that really isn't a viable option for me.

Thanks RobT, that brings me peace of mind. I guess I will just settle for dust and try to keep up with washing every week. I was going to buy a 128 oz Poor Boys Spray and Wipe but figure I will hold off on it.

Nice job Fish! The G looks really Great! You are a brave man doing that nice black car for your first polish job but you pulled it off. I'm not that brave and am doing a few practice cars before I attempt my soft as heck black paint. How exactly did you prime your pad for the 105? I read a thread about the Kevin Brown Method (after my first attempt this weekend) and was wondering if that's what you did.

Thanks S2K, I was going to practice on my wife's camry buy I felt confident enough to do the job with the amount of information and videos on autogeek and detailedimage. Also, working with a DA assured me I would not burn the paint, unlike a rotary. My goal is to learn to use a rotary and get better with the DA, meaning work faster.

I hear you with soft paint, I think my car had the fender repainted and the paint is really soft, it sux but thats the way the car came when I bought it.

To prime I just tried to cover the pad with m105 via KBM. I used enough just to cover and not saturate the pad. Then I waited about 5 minutes and began to work. It seemed to work better and I worked it until the paint had a mirror finish. If it did dry up on a spot I would simply go over it again with more m105. This did create a lot of dusting but it kept me from swiping too hard with a MF to remove m105.

Priming the pads also did lead me to use about half of the 32 oz bottle of m105 . In the end I had more m205 than I did m105. This was also due to using the 4" spot buffing pads to remove RIDS with m105.

 

[S2K]

Thanks for the advice about priming. Yea I used a lot more 105 than 205 also because I was doing 4-6 passes and had to wipe and reload after every 2 passes. Another reason I'm looking for something with a longer working time so I don't use so much product.