hard or soft clear-how do you know?

[Z06_Pilot]

Hi folks,

been using a PC on my cars for a couple of years. Just bought a Flex 3401 and ordered Menz products due to the rave reviews.

i have looked all over autopia, but can't find this answer.

How do you know if your paint/clear is hard or soft? Is it just a matter of working with certain pads and polish formulations to determine how hard or easy it is to make corrections, therefore determining whether your car is hard or soft?

Can you go by car make and know this?

thanks!

Jeff

[Danase]

Originally Posted by Z06_Pilot

Hi folks,

been using a PC on my cars for a couple of years. Just bought a Flex 3401 and ordered Menz products due to the rave reviews.

i have looked all over autopia, but can't find this answer.

How do you know if your paint/clear is hard or soft? Is it just a matter of working with certain pads and polish formulations to determine how hard or easy it is to make corrections, therefore determining whether your car is hard or soft?

Can you go by car make and know this?

thanks!

Jeff

Basically just by working with the paint you'll know. For instance, I just detailed a Legacy GT and Subaru paint is so soft I got out most of the swirls with Swirl Abolisher I. Now, had I been working on a GM car SAI would not of done much. Actually I would of used a rotary since GM paint is so rock hard.

[Accumulator]

Originally Posted by Z06_Pilot

..How do you know if your paint/clear is hard or soft? Is it just a matter of working with certain pads and polish formulations to determine how hard or easy it is to make corrections, therefore determining whether your car is hard or soft?

Adding to Danase's response, you often figure it out by trying a mild/preferred combo and finding out that it won't do the job. Then you have to use incrementally more aggressive approaches until you find what works.

Can you go by car make and know this?

Yeah, to some extent, but it can be risky. E.g., a) your 'vette is probably pretty hard, they usually are and I can't recall ever hearing of a very soft C5 or C6; b) Audis are usually quite hard, but OTOH there are some very few/rare A4/S4 cars, usually with a blue basecoat, that are *VERY* soft I've never heard an explanation for why those sometimes crop up, but they do.

So generalizing carries some degree of risk. Probably a good idea to spend just a few minutes trying some mild approaches on a new/unknown vehicle just to make sure you don't run into one of those oddballs that don't fit the usual rule-of-thumb.

[dsms]

Try doing a test area on a small or hidden part of the body with defects. Go in with the milder version of what you think would treat the problem and see if it works, maybe IP instead of SIP or 106ff instead of the IP also switch around pads to see what works best.

[757motoring]

The world is also not perfect so you may come across cars that have had paint work done to them so the hardness and the chance of the paint marring can change from one panel to the next.

[tdekany]

Originally Posted by 757motoring

The world is also not perfect so you may come across cars that have had paint work done to them so the hardness and the chance of the paint marring can change from one panel to the next.

Good point Ricardo - did my mother in-law call you? I'll be there around the 24th for a couple of days.

[Z06_Pilot]

so, it sounds like I have experimenting to do.

I'll start off with a white pad and 106FF on each vehicle and see what happens...then move to an orange pad with the 106FF if needed....then to IP, SIP, etc.

thanks folks....

[757motoring]

Originally Posted by tdekany

Good point Ricardo - did my mother in-law call you? I'll be there around the 24th for a couple of days.

Since I paint cars I run across that everyday. No she hasn't called yet I know she will when she's ready. Give me a call when you get out here will love to do some work with you if you got anything planned.

[fergnation]

I would probably be preparred for some hard clears on the Porsches. The couple that I have done (Carrera GT, Cayman S) had pretty hard clear coats on them. I have heard that Vettes have hard clears on them also.

[TTWAGN]

I'll hit the worst part of the car with a medium cutting compound and a light cut pad.

I look how quickly the defects are removed.

If 90% of the defects are removed then that product can most likely be used over the entire car.

If only 20-30% of the defects are removed i then step up to a heavy cutting compound and a wool cutting pad.

If 100% of the defects are removed and the surface is heavily marred then the clear coat must be very soft so ill then step back to a lighter polish. and polishing pad.

I then proceed to do the rest of the car.

Most of my details only get a polish and wax as they dont pay enough, nor care about swirls. So i use a light cutting product Meguiars #66 and a light cut pad, i've never had a car that this was too strong for. So i dont really have to check.

[Z06_Pilot]

thanks for the input folks!

i did my machine silver '04 Z06 last night. 106ff....did not quite do the trick....I went with the SIP on a LC orange pad, followed up by 106ff on a LC white pad, applied via the Flex. so you are right about hard clear on Vettes.

I then finished up with FMJ applied by hand.


wow.....all I can say is WOW....This Menz product is very expensive, but it is so worth it. I know that silver cannot show off a polish product as good as say, red, but my Z06 has never looked this deep and wet before..

all the other products I have used on it gave it a shiney, almost plastic look(I know, it IS a plastic body, but I didn't want it to look that way)

I can't stop staring at it.........

I can't wait to apply the Menz products to my wife's "arrest me red" Boxster S !

could this actually be the end of Souveran for me?????? maybe......

[Raz5219]

Great job, glad it worked out for you. You can never go wrong with Menz. How long did it take you to polish the whole car with the Flex?