Having some trouble with Flex/Menz on Porsche Black

[cjaz]

The car is a black 02` 911 turbo. Menz 106FA and a LC white pad seem to be all i need to remove the very light imperfections (from washing and drying). I am getting a haze when trying to take the polish off and have been having to go over sections more than once. Am i just not breaking down the polish enough? Using too much polish? How do you know when it`s broken down sufficiently? Should i be wiping the car with alcohol/water to make sure the old wax is completely removed? After using it a while my white pad was depositing thicker bits of polish back on the car so i guess there was just too much building up on the pad.



The haze will look better if i wipe it with an alcohol/water mix, but then i am removing my finishing polish. I am really trying to be careful with the clear because it`s so sensitive. I also have PO85RD and orange pads but they seem like overkill for this. job.



Lastly any suggestions for the many curves on this car? just try to keep the pad as flat as possible?



The week before (to practice) i did a 98 jetta using the 85RD and orange pad and it came out great.



Thanks



chris

[uzj100]

LC orange and 85RD? It does sound as if you may be using a bit too much polish--especially if you`re getting some clumping--and not breaking the polish down completely.



Suggest working a smaller area; use less product (about 2-3 peas size "dots" on your pad; make sure your pad is clean; work the polish until it`s clear and you see a little dusting.



Just my .02 worth.



I know others will have some thoughts too.



HTH

[cjaz]

I wasn`t actually using the 85rd and orange except to practice on a jetta. I was only using the 106fa and white pad as it seems to remove the very light imperfections that i have. I have been using the flex on speed 3 to move the polish around and then 5 or 6to break it down (or try to break it down). Does that seem right?

[uzj100]

Check out this link. There are some videos showing polish break down, etc.



Flex XC 3401 VRG Review (http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/review/flex)



HTH

[Lumadar]

You can try using something like 50/50 Meguiar`s Last Touch and Water in a spray bottle to spray down the polish just before removal. I do this and it helps remove the dried polish or compounds with much less effort, and less chance of having to push so hard that you mar the paint.

[cjaz]

that link helps, good info on there. I am going to try a section or two this weekend and see if i can do a little better job. any other tips are appreciated as i am still have a lot to learn. thanks guys

[JohnKleven]

Did you properly clean the pad before polishing? Sometimes, dry residue from a previous polish can cause some of these problems.





John

[wfedwar]

If it`s throwing off chunks of polish, you`re either using too much or you`re trying to go too far with one pad.

[imported_weekendwarrior]

I did a black 2007 911 S a couple of weeks ago, and it was stupid soft. I used the Flex, and got buffer marks with a clean LC white pad and Zaino PC....yeah, you read that right, I said buffer marks with the Flex...it looked like rotary buffer marks. I tried about 8 combos on the paint, and ended up settling on Ultrafina on the Flex, with a blue LC pad on speed 4 and a half. I did a wipedown on a few panels and it was correcting without leaving micromarring or hazing.



Now, the bumpers on that car were another story - they were HARD. I ended up having to use SIP on a white LC pad, speed 6 - 2 passes to clean them up.

[Lumadar]

I did a black 2007 911 S a couple of weeks ago, and it was stupid soft. I used the Flex, and got buffer marks with a clean LC white pad and Zaino PC....yeah, you read that right, I said buffer marks with the Flex...it looked like rotary buffer marks. I tried about 8 combos on the paint, and ended up settling on Ultrafina on the Flex, with a blue LC pad on speed 4 and a half. I did a wipedown on a few panels and it was correcting without leaving micromarring or hazing.



Now, the bumpers on that car were another story - they were HARD. I ended up having to use SIP on a white LC pad, speed 6 - 2 passes to clean them up.



Interesting. I did an 8 year old Carrera in Lapus blue with my flex on white pads with M105, followed by D151 and/or Poli-seal (Depending on areas near trim) and it finished out perfectly.



Goes to show you never know what you`re gonna get...

[cjaz]

I know what you mean when you say stupid soft. if takes so very little marr the clearcoat. i tried an lc orange pad and got some buffer marks so i went right back to the white pad. I am going to try to do a panel or two today. i really think i was using too much polish. I am also going to try a wipedown to help remove any old wax. very little of the car needs to be clayed, it`s only got 7k miles on it and the paint is overall very smooth. i was thinking the old wax could be causing me some difficulty as well. i don`t like to clay very often, especially with a clear as soft as this because i end up marring it pretty easily. it`s not a DD so it`s a lot easier to keep the clear in good shape once it`s protected. I`ll probably have more questions so i will post again after my second effort. thanks everyone

[gmblack3]

You should always clay before you polish. You are going to polish so do your best to reduce marring but the polishing will remove the marring.



How much polish are you putting on the pad and like said above are you cleaning your pads often enough? If you only have one pad, then you should be cleaning it after every other panel if not after each panel.

[mrgoochio]

Always clay before polishing? I`m about to work on my `08 135i that`s about 5 months old but has only seen <2000miles. The paint was majorly swirled when I picked it up and haven`t corrected the paint yet. If the paint is smooth to the touch, is claying still necessary?

[KnuckleBuckett]

Yes. Clay it.



I think the 3M Ultrafina SE is overlooked way too much in favor of the Menz polishes. It is a great tool to have along with the Menz products. I use it more and more...