Which pad and compound for `03 Blue Z06 Corvette

[nytoy]

I have microscratches and some deeper scratches from an car wash etc. I have a new PC and have been reading for the past couple of hours, seems like poorboys 2.5 or optimum or mendoza (sp?) seem to be the top contenders. Then which pads to use initially and then polish it at the end. I`ve used the nattys blue as a LSP in the past and loved it. Any suggestions appreciated.

[LastDetail]

Start out with the least cut product and pad and see if that gets you anywhere with the finish, then step up the ladder of aggressiveness if you need to. This helps to keep the amount of clear that you remove to a minimum.

For Chevy paint I really like Poorboys and in my experience the LC orange pad has always been a winner. However all paints are different and yours might need less or more cut.

[nytoy]

For a step 1 to see where I`m at should I just start with a orange light cut pad and use SSR2, and then move to a ultra fine white polishing pad with SSR1? Then natty blue over the top of that?

[Scottwax]

Odds are, with a Corvette and their notoriously hard clear coat, you are likely going to need a cutting pad and compound to make any headway on the defects using a PC. I mostly use Optimum polishes and I`d probably start with their Hyper Compound and a light cutting pad (usually the orange pad) first. I no longer bother trying a polishing pad and medium grade polish, even with the Cyclo when faced with anything beyond very light defects.

[imported_Dave KG]

Purely from the knowledge I have read on Autopia (haven`t personally had the pleasure of working on a Vette yet), the clear on these cars seems to be very hard, a bit like VAG cars in the UK. Regardless of a car`s reputation, I always start of with a mild combo and work up the ladder as mentioned above on a test section as it only takes moments to do and is the best way I find the thoroughly assess the paint and the defects and what they require.



With hard paints, I generall find the Menzerna ceramiclear polishes to be amojst the most effective I have used, PO106FF Final Finish by rotary and even PC is enough to correct light swilrs even on very hard paint owing to the length of time it takes the abrasives to break down so you have a good length of cutting time to play with. If needs be, I step up to PO85RD3.0x Intensive Polish which I find more than capable of removing medium swirls by PC, even on harder paints. If, and only if, IP is making no head way whatsoever will I crack out the Power Gloss Compound (S34A) as by PC this will leave its own marring (its really best used by rotary, but can be made to work by PC using a slow cutting method) and needs followed with lighter abrasives to refine. Effective though, but a last resort in my book.

[nytoy]

Odds are, with a Corvette and their notoriously hard clear coat, you are likely going to need a cutting pad and compound to make any headway on the defects using a PC. I mostly use Optimum polishes and I`d probably start with their Hyper Compound and a light cutting pad (usually the orange pad) first. I no longer bother trying a polishing pad and medium grade polish, even with the Cyclo when faced with anything beyond very light defects.



Thank you for the comments everyone. I did some more searching and see what you mean about the hard finish on the vette.



If I just wanted to start out light and "fool proof" what would you reccommend?



I`m thinking the optimum compound and a light cutting orange pad? And then maybe a polishing pad with the optimum polish? Then AIO / nattys blue.