When to know you have removed enough clear coat?

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max2014

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Hello Guys!

I have already Clayed and used Ultimate compound to correct some scratches and swirls on my Red Truck, but unfortunately some Miami pigeons have the most acidic poop in the US and I was not able to remove etching on several areas, and there are some deep scratches that I could not remove either.

I am wondering if I should work on the truck again with another round of Ultimate compound to see If I can remove more of the damage, but I am a little worried that I might be thinning the clear coat too much and then leave the Red paint exposed to the UV rays that will ultimately screw up the paint.

I just moved to miami so I am worried about the heavy sun damaging the paint, but I do want to restore the paint the most it can be without compromising it.

NOTE: I am using Meguiars DA foam cutting pad. For the first round I used a cordless drill that was not very fast at only 1300 RPM, although used moderate pressure on the spots that needed it most. Now, I got a high speed right angle drill that can do 2000 rpms. To have a better tool and do a better job this time.

How do you know when enough is enough by eye?

Thanks !!
 
Simply put, you don't. The only way to know for sure is to take paint depth measurements using something like a PD8 paint gauge. When I first started detailing I ummed and ahhhed for a long time about buying one, best investment I ever made. I wouldn't machine anything without one now. It's all well and good saying 'I've only polished it once' but how many times did the previous owner polish it? And the owner before that? And the dealership you bought it from? And the dealership they bought it from? There's just too many variables, and a respray is damned expensive! :xyxthumbs:
 
Enough is when you are satisfied with the end results.

Something to keep in mind with a daily driver is that it will never be absolutely perfect. The second you pull it back out into the elements it will be subject to UV degradation, water, pollen, bird droppings, people touching your car, etc. I only mention this because you may need to evaluate if removing more clear to chase every single defect is worth it considering you will potentially begin accumulating light swirls and other surprises as soon as your very first wash.
 
thanks for the replies guys!

I have no access to a paint gauge, although it is a good idea to look into buying one for when I do my other car.

As for my situation right now, NIcholas, I am not satisfied with the results. I am hesitant though since I have no idea how much coat is left. I am realistic and won't be trying to clear a few deep ones I know they are through the coat. But I was left with the question mark of whether I didn't do too well because of the weak cordless drill. That's why I bought a powerful drill this time. I guess I will just try on one panel and see how it goes.
 
So first things first , unless you sand the clear with sandpaper you arent taking that much clear off with compound ..i work at a restoration shop and we get cars in that are in need of serious paint correction ..granted that some are single stage enamel but for the most part its basecoat clearcoat ...what im trying to get at is that buffing with a foam pad on a drill will hardly do much ..(my suggestion to you is to invest in a proper polisher like a FLEX PE14-2-150 Rotary Polisher and or Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Orbital Polisher ) as far as deep scratches go if you see gray/white then it too late ..the only way you can get that out is either repaint or fill the scratch in with paint and clear and sand it smooth with 2000 grit sand paper ..then compound it and polish ...it wont be perfect but itll be enough to protect it from the sun and elements and it wont cost you an arm and a leg .. hope this helps .. and Max please no more drills . : )
 
Is the truck new...as in, you are the first owner so you know how often it has been compounded/polished? When I was learning I did one of my cars twice in one month with Megs UC and an orange light cutting pad on a GG6. No issues. Have done some touchups on another car of mine including 3000 grit wet sanding followed by PF2500 on a white pad. Then finished with M205. No issues there. You'd probably have to buff your paint a handful of times to equal the clear coat removal of 3000 grit sandpaper. I had one bigger touchup that I used 2000 followed by 3000 grit, then PF2500, then M205. That came out fine also (although I may not have much clear left there).
 
Marius@F40 said:
So first things first , unless you sand the clear with sandpaper you arent taking that much clear off with compound ..i work at a restoration shop and we get cars in that are in need of serious paint correction ..granted that some are single stage enamel but for the most part its basecoat clearcoat ...what im trying to get at is that buffing with a foam pad on a drill will hardly do much ..(my suggestion to you is to invest in a proper polisher like a FLEX PE14-2-150 Rotary Polisher and or Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Orbital Polisher ) as far as deep scratches go if you see gray/white then it too late ..the only way you can get that out is either repaint or fill the scratch in with paint and clear and sand it smooth with 2000 grit sand paper ..then compound it and polish ...it wont be perfect but itll be enough to protect it from the sun and elements and it wont cost you an arm and a leg .. hope this helps .. and Max please no more drills . : )
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I know man! I need proper tools but since I picked up what was at hand at Advance autoparts I must stick to it for this one. I am using the DA attachment that makes the drill an orbital buffer with a 4 inch compounding pad, just needed a better drill with more power. I will look into a proper buffer though.

As for the scratches that went through the paint, there are several on the hood. Are you saying that if I don't repaint them and leave them as is but start using sealants and waxes, that will still propagate damage from the sun and elements further into the paint? You know, this truck is in great shape, like new, otherwise and would hate to see it deteriorate now that I moved to 24/7 sun and bird poop in Florida... :(
What is your suggestion for a strong sealant /wax combo?
 
I bought a new GMC truck in 1996, it was used daily, 100 miles round trip and took a beating, just guessing I compounded it at least 20-25 times which doesn't answer your question, I just sold the truck and the clear still looked like the day I bought it.
 
max2014 said:
I know man! I need proper tools but since I picked up what was at hand at Advance autoparts I must stick to it for this one. I am using the DA attachment that makes the drill an orbital buffer with a 4 inch compounding pad, just needed a better drill with more power. I will look into a proper buffer though.

As for the scratches that went through the paint, there are several on the hood. Are you saying that if I don't repaint them and leave them as is but start using sealants and waxes, that will still propagate damage from the sun and elements further into the paint? You know, this truck is in great shape, like new, otherwise and would hate to see it deteriorate now that I moved to 24/7 sun and bird poop in Florida... :(
What is your suggestion for a strong sealant /wax combo?
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If it is through to the primer, you should at least put touchup paint on it.
 
wdmaccord said:
If it is through to the primer, you should at least put touchup paint on it.
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hey man, I will check and see in a little bit here.. how do you know if it has been through the primer? do you have to see metal?
Oh and the truck was owned by an old lady and I bought it 4 yrs ago like new. I doubt she ever detailed it but can't be sure.

thanks hateswirls for your input
 
max2014 said:
hey man, I will check and see in a little bit here.. how do you know if it has been through the primer? do you have to see metal?
Oh and the truck was owned by an old lady and I bought it 4 yrs ago like new. I doubt she ever detailed it but can't be sure.

thanks hateswirls for your input
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First check is to see if it catches on your fingernail. If so, it is pretty deep and probably won't compound out. Doesn't have to be "through" the primer, just "to" the primer. So if you can see the grey primer, you need to get some touchup paint on it. Feel free to post up some pics too as that is always helpful.
 
wdmaccord said:
First check is to see if it catches on your fingernail. If so, it is pretty deep and probably won't compound out. Doesn't have to be "through" the primer, just "to" the primer. So if you can see the grey primer, you need to get some touchup paint on it. Feel free to post up some pics too as that is always helpful.
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So, I did polish some more with the new 2000rpm drill and the DA attachment and what a difference! I couldn't finish the whole truck since it is hard work and got too late. I can't do it before 6pm unless I want to fry on the sun.
There are some rock chips that chipped the paint to the metal on the hood. they are small. The scratches are deep and you can feel them with your nail, but they are white. So I have a mixed bag of issues. Overall it looks great just as is. Problem is it takes me too long to work on it and at this pace I will finish sealing and waxing by the end of this week lol... should have hired a pro..
 
max2014 said:
So, I did polish some more with the new 2000rpm drill and the DA attachment and what a difference! I couldn't finish the whole truck since it is hard work and got too late. I can't do it before 6pm unless I want to fry on the sun.
There are some rock chips that chipped the paint to the metal on the hood. they are small. The scratches are deep and you can feel them with your nail, but they are white. So I have a mixed bag of issues. Overall it looks great just as is. Problem is it takes me too long to work on it and at this pace I will finish sealing and waxing by the end of this week lol... should have hired a pro..
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I think that youll be ok as far as protection goes but i agree with the other guys when they say to put some touch up on it , you have to realize that youre next to an ocean and the heat and salty air and atomic bird poop ,its a 3 hit combo ... and i dont think it matters as far as what product you apply just as long as you put something on :xyxthumbs:
 
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