Is this repairable? Need advice on heavy swirls on Toyota.

[CraigerS2k]

I`m a newbie when it comes to machine polishing. I purchased a PC 7424xp last week with several pads and Wolfgang`s TSR & Finishing Glaze 3.0. I polished my Honda Accord over the weekend and was successful in removing almost all of the swirls on it and several light scratches. I`m very pleased with the results.



Now I want to move to my 4Runner.



Here is a pic of the trim on around the wheel wells.



http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/CraigerS2K/2012-11-05_10-46-18_740.jpg



The trim has heavy swirls and even possibly some cracks (or just scratches?) in the clear on top of the trim. Could someone tell me if this is repairable with a DA polisher? If so, would I need a yellow Lake Country pad and a heavy compound or would the Wolfgang duo work (I`ve witnessed Toyota`s soft paint...)? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Ron Ketcham]

I recommend that you go to a Dollar Store or something like that and find a 10X magnifing loop eye piece to closely inspect those flares. (very useful on the entire vehicle for diagnosing the various damages to paint, trim, etc as well)

Use of such a magnifier will allow you to see "deep into" the paint`s substrate, see if primer is showing, if the "binder/filmformer" of the paint system is coming apart, lots of things.

An even better magnifier is a 30X lighted, but they have become difficult to source.

I know that ValuGard still offers the 30X lighted, valugard.net but not sure who else does these days.

Grumpy

[Accumulator]

CraigerS2k- Welcome to Autopia!



As Ron noted, you really oughta get some magnification on it to see how serious the marring really is. I myself prefer a 15X magnifier, easier for *me* to evaluate auto-detailing type stuff than with a lesser/greater powered one. Almost a necessity to have something like that IMO...



I`d be especially careful when dealing with applied trim pieces like that, likely to be more fragile than the paint on the body proper. Generally, I`d aim for "much better" as opposed to "perfect" and see how that works out for you after you live with "just better" for a while. I`d be really nervous about thinning the clear so much that it fails...say, after next summer or the one after that.



Oh, and I would *NOT* use yellow LC foam cutting pads. Whether the damage is too serious for complete removal or just serious enough to require a cutting pad, either way I`d use a Meguiar`s MF Cutting Disk instead. Better correction with less hazing, and it runs cooler (which might really matter on those plastic pieces).



I`ve never used the Wolfgang stuff, but I`d be amazed if you didn`t need something more aggressive, even on a Toyota.

[Ron Ketcham]

Hard to tell from the photo`s, however, the "up and down" marks may indicate that the flares (which were painted with an elastimeric (flex agent) addition to the paint, are showing cracking of the paint.

A magnifier makes it much easier to determine if this is the case, and if so, polishing is just going to put make-up on a pig.

So to speak, not calling the vehicle a pig, I like those Toyota`s.

Grumpy

[Accumulator]

...if this is the case, and if so, polishing is just going to put make-up on a pig.

So to speak, not calling the vehicle a pig, I like those Toyota`s.

Grumpy



Eh, get the whole thing all polished up and the remaining flaws just might be livable. As long as the "makeup" (including wax/etc.) doesn`t dry white in the cracked areas they might not detract all that much from the overall presentation. At least not until if/when the paint actually fails in a really big way (maybe start budgeting for a bit of paintwork).

[Nth Degree]

I fully agree with Ron and Accumulator. One of the hardest things to learn to accept as a detailer is when to stop because you risk doing more harm than good. I have seen many examples where the finish on painted plastic trim such as yours simply deteriorates much faster than the rest of the car. Sometimes there just isn`t much you can do. Many times the best you can do is make it look good by masking it with products, but as those wear off the problem returns. I would recommend starting mild; perhaps an AIO with a LC white pad.

[CraigerS2k]

Thanks for the input everyone, I do appreciate it. I`ll be getting a magnifier soon to take a look.



If these marks do end up being cracks in the clear/paint, is there specific damage that can be done by using an orange or white LC pad with the Wolfgang TSR 3.0? I am referring to what Accumulator mentioned, trying to get it to look as best as it can and then trying to maintain that until it fails.

[Accumulator]

..If these marks do end up being cracks in the clear/paint, is there specific damage that can be done by using an orange or white LC pad with the Wolfgang TSR 3.0?



Noting again that I`m no authority on the WG products, from what I`ve read/heard about the TSR it shouldn`t be too much as long as you don`t get really aggressive with it. Note that "getting really.." includes allowing the orange pad to generate heat; the plastic won`t accept that the way a metal panel will, so *please* do go about this gently.



The similar pieces on my beater-Tahoe would make an Autopian cringe, and yeah...some day I`ll pull `em off for a reshoot (already did one of them). But with the whole vehicle all shined up, I gotta tell ya- that POS gets compliments from people on a regular basis, like strangers coming across a parking lot to :bow Nobody cares about the "normal wear and tear" on an otherwise clean and shiny truck/SUV the way they might on some other kind of vehicle and anyhow, it`s the overall presentation that really matters.