Menz will cut good that first trip over, but it'll drop off fairly quickly. It does however tend to finish better in the last passes than the equivalent cut of say Megs. Where the DAT products will break down and finish slicker, the SMAT ones will get you TO the finish quicker.
That being said; do NOT just hit it with orange and 400. I've seen 1500 finish out a lot of different paints from start to finish making it totally LSP ready.
Now I would say you can use an orange pad and 1500 as it'll only cut hard that first pass. Keep the speed up to 5 or so at the beginning with medium arm speed and medium hard pressure. Then after about 4 passes you'll be able to spritz it with DI water and turn the speed up to 5.5 as well as lighten the arm pressure a bit and go over it 2~3 more times before it'll all be worked down. Then do a GOOD pad cleaning! Both with a spur/brush and a terry towel.
It's critical that you keep the pad clean and don't' overheat it. Remember that with Menz you're going to have extended working times so the pads are working a lot longer to get the best of the product. (To make it work like it's made to work.) I'd use 2 pads for the hood EASY if not 3. Keeping them clean and rotating them out as you go you may get by with only 4 to get the entire thing done. That's *IF* during the rotation(s) the first one will cool down so you can go back to it.
IMHO, unless you're looking for that 'show car shine', keeping it garaged as well as going with a coating 4500, even 3500 just is something you don't need (or want) with Corvette paint.
If were me, I'd do the compounding with 101 as Vette's generally have hard clear. You might be able to do it with a white pad even.
I just like the SMAT compounds a lot better on hard paint. Gets the job done a lot quicker and uses less product. Not that SMAT uses drastically less pads than DAT, but it is possible to cut faster, using less passes, IE less heat in the pad. That can equate to 1 or 2 less compounding pads over the entire vehicle (although it just depends on other variables such as surface temp as well as ambient temps).
For that matter, I'd polish it with 205 and a green pad, at least first time by. Or, switch to Menz 2500 with a white pad to start and get it to start breaking down, then switch to a green pad to finish it down. It's harder though as if both pads are primed then one has product that hasn't started it's work cycle yet, where the other would have partially worked down product in it. Once you get the hang of it though you'll begin to 'feel' where they need to be where the product is picking up on the final stage pad where the first stage left off.
Orrrrrrrrr....... just do 205 all over and knock it out. Then to make that puppy really pop use a pair (at least) of broken in green CCS pads with 3500 as your finessing stage and it'll scream 'shine'. Honestly, I'm not sure that 3500 will do much cutting at all on Vette paint and may not even be worth the effort. Especially considering how well 1500 finishes down.
Just make VERY SURE (especially with Menzerna products) that you do your wipe downs in between stages to both remove all the product/oils/etc. as well as check your work. Eraser is your very best and life long friend there dude!
Then PBL glass coat that puppy and he'll be your very best life long friend! :laughing:
(I'm trying to figure out what to top PBL with now.... figure Max will have something for us soon enough.)
