03 Honda Odessey - Need advise

[bwalker25]

I have a 2003 Honda Odessey coming up in the next week or so, and I need some help. I know Honda`s have very soft paint and should correct very easily. I think my customer is leaning towards a single step polishing detail vs. the multistep type, which is fine by me as a mini van is a lot of paint to polish!



So the paint is swirled and oxidized. looking at the paint at the rear A pillar straight on it looks very dull / chalky when the sun hits it. however at an angle in the shade it looks decent.



I have never done a honda before mostly Ford/Mercury cars and they are very nice to polish on.



Would an orange 4" or 5.5" pad with HTFC (medium polish) be to much for this soft paint?



All I have is the UDM.... any advise it appreciated.



Thanks

[SpoiledMan]

What color is it?

[Junebug]

Hit it with Megs 151, orange LC pad, speed 4-5.

[Hakko]

While we`re on the subject of `03 Odysseys, I want to clean my wife`s. The problem is that the door wells and channels on the lift gates are so encrusted with dirt that I`m not sure how to approach them. Ideally, I`d use a pressure washer, but then I`d likely flood the interior. I could attack them with a grout sponge, but the I`m not sure how I`d rinse them out without, again, flooding the interior.

[nrengle]

I can comment on the soft Honda paint. I just did my Civic SI today using Wolfgang Total Swirl remover and a white pad. I`d say don`t go any more aggressive than a white pad at first being this paint is really soft. Not sure what is the same in the Megs line, but I wouldn`t want to do something aggressive, start with a light polish first.



Hakko for your door jambs and such I`d say hit it with ONR, works well for me...

[bwalker25]

its white :( I`m guessing single stage because a chalky residue came off on my finger when I was looking at it and examining the paint. I ment to take pictures and had my camera, but I didn`t take any...

thanks for the help all!

[SpoiledMan]

Being white SS paint, a medium duty polish and orange pad 5" or so will do a respectable one step job. It wont be perfect but it will look a lot better.

[bwalker25]

thanks for the advise! I really just wanted to make sure I was on the same page as everyone else is about Honda paint and how soft it is. Again thanks for the advise and now I am looking forward to my detail this weekend.

[Hakko]

Bwalker, please let us know how it goes. I want to put a polishing on my wife`s Odyssey, but no way I`m doing the Menzerna 3-step on a car that big ;)

[SpoiledMan]

This is single stage white. It IS NOT soft by any means. It`s hard as all hell!

[bwalker25]

SpoiledMan - Thanks again, I always thought all Honda paint was soft as heck. Now I know better, thanks.



I`ll def make sure I have some M95 and my sample of D151 available for this one. hopefully all will go well without problems ;)

[nrengle]

Honda Clear Coats are generally soft, but the SS paint is usually harder. Their Taffeta or Championship White (depends on line / model) is SS, and the new red they have for the Accord is SS (folks have it, have a pink white pad now to attest to it).

[Scottwax]

SS white Honda paint does tend to be quite hard. Meguiars #83 and a polishing pad may be able to pull out enough oxidation and finish down well enough to stay with one polishing step. If it absolutely needs a second polishing step (and it may well and you should explain to your customer that the SS paint Honda used is the reason), you might want to go with Meguiars D151 since it also has protection, or Optimum Poli-Seal which should offer longer protection (but has less cut). That way the second step does the final polishing and sealing.

[bwalker25]

I have been dying to use that sample of D151 that I got from ADS, perhaps it will get a try this weekend. My customer still hasn`t confirmed our "date" this weekend, oh well....hope she calls soon