Mazda 3 Paint correction, need help quick please!

[aznives3]

Haha, thanks for the reply accumulator, made me chuckle at the end. Theres no hiding it, but I have OCD for wanting a flawless car paint finish. When I first started the detail on this 3, I knew for sure there was probably no way of getting it corrected to a level I wanted it safely, but since it’s the first time I’ve had to deal with that, it’s a little harder for me to accept right away. I have come to terms with it and im going to leave deep RIDS alone, but for the most part you hit the nail right on the head. I believe I’ve hit the limitations of the pad/polish combo for now, and need to invest in some 105. Some guys over at MOL have suggested the same, 105, orange pads, PFW (maybe) and go to town with that. A mod over there also stated that 105 is basically twice the cut of UC, so he said I should get quicker results with that, which is exactly what I’m looking for. I can live without being 100% corrected, but I was just hoping there was a quicker way to get to that 90% mark, and that answer may be 105. I still have trust in my flex DA, so I’ll move up aggressiveness on the pad/polish combo first before switching the machine.

Now I can relax a little bit more haha

[Accumulator]

Haha, thanks for the reply accumulator, made me chuckle at the end. ..

Glad to hear that...I don't want this stuff to drive you nuts

Some guys over at MOL have suggested the same, 105, orange pads, PFW (maybe) and go to town with that. A mod over there also stated that 105 is basically twice the cut of UC, so he said I should get quicker results with that, which is exactly what I’m looking for.

M105 *is* very versatile; you can get different results with different pads. That's interesting about it being *that* much stronger than UC and it explains a lot IMO.

Now I can relax a little bit more haha

There you go

[aznives3]

ill order the 105/205 today and some more pads, and hopefully will report back with good news in about a weeks time!

[Accumulator]

You might also want to take the backing plate off your Flex and check for signs of friction between it and the housing. Wipe off the felt ring and relube it. IMO it's something worth keeping an eye on.

For that matter, if I'm doing a job I like to have a spare Flex backing plate on hand, just in case.

[aznives3]

ill check on my flex tonight, what would you use as lube for the felt?

[Accumulator]

ill check on my flex tonight, what would you use as lube for the felt?

I think something like 3-in-one would work. I use some old gunoil that I no longer use on firearms...I don't think it matters all *that* much what you use. Just don't use so much that it makes a mess and don't use something super-thick/thin.

The idea is that the plate shouldn't contact the felt ring anyhow, but you want lube there in case it does.

[GoudyL]

i can give this a go, but i'm not really sure that this would be taking out the remaining defects....what should i be looking for after this step?

A very glossy car with a nice finish. At this point the paint is a smooth as its going to be (before final polishing), IMHO further compounding will just needless thin the paint, and this isn't a garaged show car.

My guess is that you are dealing with deep, sharply defined and very vertical scratches, which is why they are so hard to polish out.

I'd be willing to bet a jelly donut, that after a quick once over with M80 (Speed Glaze) the finish will look very nice, and coat of wax will take care of any remaining issues.

[scottma]

What is 105 and what is UC?

[Jam]

What is 105 and what is UC?

UC is Meguiar's Ultimate Compound
and
M105 is Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut

[SilverQx4]

what was the outcome on the mazda? which combo finally gave you the results you wanted?