S550 Ceramiclear Resto! Hardest Paint in the World

[Andr3wilson]

Great job & really nice pics look like professional photo job. Did you work alone?

Thanks a lot! I just have a good camera and it has a great auto function LOL. Yes I sure do work alone

Wow awesome job! if you were able to 1-step this car with Surfbuff pads and an agressive polish without DA Haze, this thing must have really had some hard paint.

Everytime i bust out the surfbuff I plan on a second or 3rd polishing step

This paint laughed at FG400 and an MF Cutting pad on the Rupes. Pretty hard, but I am happy with how this came out and so was the owner. In hindsight I would have done multi step and used a RB and heavy wool pad.

Just speculation, but I would check out those low profile LC purple foamed wool pads. They are made for PC type polishers.

Nice work on the car. How long did it take?

Those wool pads finish halo free on a RB too, not too much cut though.

Took 30 hours in and out, I was only expecting 10 or so, but the ceramiclear complicated things, oh well, a happy customer is a returning customer!

Awesome job Andrew!!!

Thanks a lot Kevin!

Great job Andrew. Really nice photos and write up. I wish I had the time to do all this. Lol.

LOL I wish I had the time to do these too!, I have had some amazing turn around cars, but no time to post! they are on my FB page tho!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.185779408267404.1073741831.169905883188090&type=1

Nicely done!

Thanks

good job andrew...i cant believe the finish with surbuf pads!

LOL dont expect these to always finish this well! In the mean time these are my secret weapons for hard paint!

 

[RMM]

I am looking forward to some PolishAngel details! :xyxthumbs:

 

[Andr3wilson]

I am looking forward to some PolishAngel details! :xyxthumbs:

Thanks! I have a FOB R33 white skyline coming! Multistep polish and coating. Hopefully my camera skills can do it real justice.

 

[psnt1ol]

Wow!!!! Great one step. How did I miss this post the first time around????:dunno:

 

[vdevan]

Excellent turn-around! One quick question, which MF Cutting pad did you use on the Rupes

 

[Andr3wilson]

Wow!!!! Great one step. How did I miss this post the first time around????:dunno:

Thanks! I am not too sure, sometimes things can get bumped down before people get round to getting on the forum and seeing them

Excellent turn-around! One quick question, which MF Cutting pad did you use on the Rupes

Thanks a lot! I tried the Megs 5.5" cutting pads, then went to the Surfbuff pad to get better correction.

 

[pman626]

Those speedy detailers are amazing.

You pay them to wash your car with sandpaper. If this clear coat is so hard, they must have been using sandpaper.

 

[Andr3wilson]

My guess is a never washed wash mitt and no foam cannon or pre soak

This thing was beat!

 

[artofdetailing]

I remember reading Mike Phillips article about working on Ceramiclear. He stated that one should use the least aggressive product possible. Obviously that wasn't the case here, but you got amazing results. Im a little confused now

 

[Shortspark]

That vehicle was in terrible condition and you brought it back to life - great job! Anyone treating an S Class that way does not deserve to have it. Incidentally, you must detail a lot of Mercedes Benz because in one of the pictures there was a reflection showing an ML350 and a CLS Class, both in white. I own a 2012 ML350 in Diamond White and it is hard paint as you well know but nothing compared to what is on the S Class.

 

[runrun411]

Wow, great job. I thought FG 400 was some strong stuff made for cars like this with extra hard clear coats. Some of the Poorboys compounds ard like rocks in a bottle also.

 

[Znig22]

What is cq 1.0?

 

[Velocitybts]

Thanks, the reason I ask is because I have a Cermiclear 2010 GLK350 and I'm trying to figure out the best way to attack it. I only have a a 7424XP, thus my question about how you would to it if that was your only option.

94civicEX: Not sure if you already have your ride figured out or not, but I also only have a PC 7424XP and also have a MB GLK350 (2011). I have had great correction success with Menzerna FG400 on both Lake Country Hydrotech 5.5" foam pads (Cyan) and CG Hex-Logic 5.5" foam pads (orange). For final polishing I have used Menzerna SF4500 on both pad systems (LC: tangerine / Hex-Logic: White) with great results. To be honest, the FG400 finished so well on both pad systems that I probably could've just used it as a 1-step and went right to my LSP, but I did the final polish anyway.

Hope that helps.:xyxthumbs:

The PC is very likely too underpowered for this. Testing for sure, and maybe you will get lucky. I use a Flex on Mercs and I think the forced rotation helps out a lot. The CC's on Mercs is finicky. My personal one, takes a mixture that differs between panels. Meg's MF cutting, LC Yellow, using Menzerna FG1000, D300, M105. Cutting is the hardest part. Sometimes takes spot areas to re-go over. Finishing it is easy and many combinations work.

Hard Paints = Very few choices for the compounding stage (after a lot of testing), but many choices on the finish-polishing stage.

Soft Paints = Many choices for the compounding stage, but very few for the finish polishing stage.