HD Adapt on a Black Dodge Challenger

[Sdmonkey]

Hello everyone,

i recently took took up the challenge to polish my cars and seal them up. I just bought the HD Adapt from the Chula Vista location based on their recommendation. I have only used Meg`s UC and UP on another car. Those two products did not remove very much of the fine scratches. Seems more like they tried to hide them.

My equipment at hand is (putting on flame suit) a Harbor Freight DA polisher with 3D product 5" backing plate. I have the HF pads in orange, blue and black.

I used only only the blue pad to do a test spot. I did 3 passes 3 times. Now I have micro marring. I have searched high and low for more people`s recommendations when using this product. At this point I need some help in dealing with this.

My my lsp will be Meg`s #21. The car is only a year old and spends most of its time in the garage.


Before


After

[mnehls86]

I still own my HF DA and did a lot of work with it so no need to worry about that. I now have a PC and Rupes as well but the HF still will get plenty of work. As for the micro marring the Megs #21 should hide those quite well shouldn`t it? If the Chula Vista store is close to you I would go back and get some HD Polish and hit it with the blue pad again. Results in the photo look pretty good to me.

[Sdmonkey]

I think I will go pick up the polish, I just want to make sure I using the HD Adapt correctly. It did take out all the fine scratches on speed 5 but I had to go back to get the deeper ones. Then I saw the micro marring and tried to get those out. I took out the deeper scratches on speed 6 and took half the micro marring off on speed 5. I`m going to try the orange pad in another test area where it`s also really bad followed up with the blue one. Seem the hood has the most problems. Everything else is pretty minor, blue pad should work. Looking at the pads at 2 different detail supply houses, I couldn`t see any difference in x,y,and a brand. Just price is all over the place.

funny thing is how this went from me learning and doing my own cars to now having 3 others to do for my wife`s friends.

[The Guz]

Hard to tell from the photo as it`s a little dark. You should pick up some better pads.

[Dellinger]

HD Adapt took me a few times to reach the `a-ha!` moment, so hang in there. Adapt and your selection of pads should allow you to finish the paint and remove the d/a haze you are seeing.

How much pressure are you using?
Cleaning your pad after every section?
How long are you working Adapt? (This stuff needs to be worked quite long for a SMAT polish.)

[mnehls86]

I can`t really see anything in the second picture but I would think that adapt would finish down clean on that pad. What kind of micro fibers are you using? and are your pads completely clean (any pigtails)? But maybe pick up a couple pads at 3D too (green or blue or mircofiber finishing) and do another test spot.

[Dellinger]

You should pick up some better pads.

Ah... I totally missed the HF pads... I was thinking- `...Orange, Blue, Black...` B&S pads.

OP- I have never used HF pads so I can`t comment on their performance but I believe the 3D pads are made by B&S. They have worked excellently for me with Adapt. If you return to the 3D store... pick some of these up if they are in the budget. And pick up 3- 4, at the very least, of each color you want/ need.

[Sdmonkey]

Thanks for the info, I`ll be taking a trip to 3D products for the polish and new pads. My last trip there, they didn`t have any 5" pads. I may just have to order them or take a trip up to Poway for some Meg`s pads.

[The Guz]

Been thinking about your post some more. I`ve had a lot of success with Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish. Ultimate compound will not hide as it has no filling properties. It could be that the paint you were working with was hard. Ultimate Polish has more polishing oils than M205. I would say to try ultimate polish on a polishing pad and see if that helps. You may even try it on a finishing pad if the paint you are dealing with is soft.

Did you do a test spot with the least aggressive product to start? Is that the reason you went with the compound right off the bat? The test spot will tell you if you are working with hard or soft paint. How`s your technique using the DA?

[Sdmonkey]

I`m new at this and the UC and UP didn`t do a good job on my Hyundai. It did manage to remove hard water spots but it left me wanting more. People say it looks brand new but 75% of the scratches are still there. I tried the UP on the Challenger and it did nothing for the scratches. This was before I bought the UC. I went to 3D products and they recommend HD Adapt vs just the HD polish I had in hand. I`m thinking I should have just bought the HD Polish and HD UNO. Another supply store recommended Megs DA MF kit with D300 and polish/wax. After reading up on that system I opted to stay away from it. It`s very aggressive and overkill for my needs.

I don`t know much about the UC or UP as it compares to the pro products. Meg`s recommended it to me when I called them but even they say it`s for people like me because they don`t want me to mess up my car.

Since I won`t be able to go to 3D products for a few days, I`ll try the UP on the test spot I did with the HD Adapt.

I went to pick up my son from school and looked at the test spot vs the areas around it. Can`t see the micro marring in the sun, needs a spot light and just the right angle. So now I`m thinking I just need to relax a bit and try out the UP and see how it finishes with the Megs #21. This is all a learning process for me.

My DA skills are improving panel by panel. I`m looking for some local classes to get some hands on training. Something that doesn`t cost $1500...not trying to start a business.

I have watched hours and hours worth of videos and read just as many articles. Does nothing for hands on experience, blue tape is my friend and I keep the working small areas. Cleaning the pad after every panel, keeping new pads on Stand by.

[WillWashesCars]

Looks like a good start. To get the best results compounding with HD Adapt, I recommend getting 2 things. One, new pads. HD Adapt is fantastic on microfiber cutting discs, including their house brand pads. They are affordable and can get insane cut even with a HF DA. Second, better lighting. Even if it`s just a handheld light, get something that has more focus and a direct beam to capture the swirling and RDS. HD Adapt was in the Detailer`s Box some months back and I had awesome results with BnS Orange foam cutting pad but I also was using a Rupes LHR15.

[Dellinger]

I`m new at this and the UC and UP didn`t do a good job on my Hyundai. It did manage to remove hard water spots but it left me wanting more. People say it looks brand new but 75% of the scratches are still there. I tried the UP on the Challenger and it did nothing for the scratches. This was before I bought the UC. I went to 3D products and they recommend HD Adapt vs just the HD polish I had in hand. I`m thinking I should have just bought the HD Polish and HD UNO. Another supply store recommended Megs DA MF kit with D300 and polish/wax. After reading up on that system I opted to stay away from it. It`s very aggressive and overkill for my needs.

I don`t know much about the UC or UP as it compares to the pro products. Meg`s recommended it to me when I called them but even they say it`s for people like me because they don`t want me to mess up my car.

Since I won`t be able to go to 3D products for a few days, I`ll try the UP on the test spot I did with the HD Adapt.

I went to pick up my son from school and looked at the test spot vs the areas around it. Can`t see the micro marring in the sun, needs a spot light and just the right angle. So now I`m thinking I just need to relax a bit and try out the UP and see how it finishes with the Megs #21. This is all a learning process for me.

My DA skills are improving panel by panel. I`m looking for some local classes to get some hands on training. Something that doesn`t cost $1500...not trying to start a business.

I have watched hours and hours worth of videos and read just as many articles. Does nothing for hands on experience, blue tape is my friend and I keep the working small areas. Cleaning the pad after every panel, keeping new pads on Stand by.

I wouldn`t buy any more products at this point (you mentioned HD Polish which is a great final polish & HD Uno which I wouldn`t recommend even if you needed a compound)... in reality, UC & UP, should work and so should HD Adapt. Actually, I find UC to cut slightly better than HD Adapt but finish worse depending on the paint system.

Go ahead and try UP behind Adapt and see what happens. BTW, UC & UP are VERY similar to their Mirror Glaze counterparts so they are very good products and I reach for them from time to time... they are truly the best combo found at your local autoparts or larger retailer.

Did you watch this yet? Abrasive Isolation: Dual Action Polishing by Barry Theal

Everyone polishes a little different but keeping the machine movement slow with constant, solid downward pressure helps the pad and product do the job, like Barry shows.

[David Fermani]

Great support from the members on this one! HD Adapt can certainly be a little bit tricky and definitely has a learning curve to it. Many times going to heavy on the pad will cause pad marring. Don`t be afraid to try a mid range pad with this product. Just work it nice & slow and let the product do all the heavy work. Try the 3D/HD Green foam pad as a starting point. Keep us updated on your progress.

[Stokdgs]

I think you are getting great feedback from the guys above..

Meguiars Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish are supposed to be more user friendly versions of their Stellar Pro M105 and 205 compounds...
I have years of experience with M105 and M205 and once you learn how to work with them ( they are exactly the opposite in how they work), you can do anything..

We would all benefit from knowing exactly what you are doing - how hard you are pressing down, how much product you are using, what speed are you using..

Did you Claybar the car after you washed it to get all the embedded stuff out ?? This always helps the rest of the process go well, unless you already have super smooth = clean paint to begin with..

If I ever had to use anything but my Rotary, I would be running it as fast as it will go (Random Orbitals), give it as much downward pressure as possible but not so much to stop pad rotation and work the product till its gone..

Pad Rotation - every machine needs as much of it as possible it to break down the product and work it into the paint to correct and finish the surface..

If you are using good foam pads, this process will work pretty much every time..

This is why I will always use a Rotary.. But you dont have to use this to get great results...they just take a lot longer to obtain..

I have used for years, the Lake Country Hydro-Shred Twins - Cyan and Tangerine in all sizes, and the Cyan (the most aggressive) pretty much can kill anything on the paint with my Makita 9227C..
And as a bonus, these pads cut and finish down amazingly clear, no swirls, holograms, micromarring, etc...

If you are new at this, I would try to get the foam pads down first before venturing out to that high-maintenance-world of micro fiber pads.. They need much more care and cleaning after each session on that 1 panel spot, than foam will ever need..

Good luck with this - You will get it, you have sufficient equipment - your HF Random Orbital is fine - just take your time, think about what you are doing, keep the foam pad and product a little moist and dont let it dry out and dust everywhere, it really doesnt need to get to that point.. Just watch what you are doing and dont get sidetracked or too involved in anything else while you are on the machine..
Dan F

[beamerstrumpet]

3DHD products are NOTHING like Megs twins. As Dave said start with the green pad. I use buff and shine and have yet to have to use anything over the white pad. Throw the HF pads to the "I need something to clean bathroom tile with" bag.

watch some of the You tube vids showing how to use 3D/HD products.

3D and Buff and Shine use the same colors for applications-- if green isn’t working, try a white. Make sure your paint is clean as another poster noted, slow arm speed, and with 3d hd a little goes a long way! no need to totally coat your pad like you do with megs,, 5 or 6 pea sized drops or just an X will be fine, manually spread some on the paint with the buffer, start slow to evenly spread product over work area, I run my HF at 5 for most jobs, you can put some pressure on for maybe 2 passes then ease up, let machine and pad do the work.

For your LSP stick to the product line and use SPEED on a green or blue pad. Green if you need a few more fine scratches removed and good gloss (this is the pad I use for most AIO application with speed) or blue if you just want more gloss and less correction, LEARN YOUR PRODUCTS, ASK THE PEOPLE AT THE STORE FOR HELP. Slow arm speed and good microfiber towels (you don’t have to spend a lot, just good quality) and better lighting. Cheap and good solution is a aluminum clip light and a 90 watt cfl spot (8bucks) they put out great light and show swirls just fine.

I tossed my UP and UC,, just didn’t have the boom I was wanting nor the correction I needed. Causing a full night of frustration.

I want to toss a hearty second to Barrys vid and ill post it again! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsOFu-AzeUM
Hope this helps.