Spot Correction Thoughts?

[WashRinseRepeat]

I`m curious to know peoples thoughts on spot correction.

I plan on coating my truck this week and I keep it pretty well maintained for a daily driver however it does need to be decon`d and polished. I have a couple areas that other people have either scrapped the paint or dinged it with their door that need to be compounded first. Now, my OCD says I need to compound the entire truck, common sense says I just need to do those areas.

Thoughts??

[GearHead_1]

For me, when it comes to removing paint on my own vehicles, it’s only as much as is required to get the finish where I want it. That may be a complete polish but a complete polish is most often not required.

[Old Pirate]

Why the whole truck? Does it need it? It depends the condition of the paint finish on the vehicle IMO but if it`s just those areas your just mentioned then just do those and polish it and the rest of the truck. Only you will know because we can`t see it and only you can.

[WashRinseRepeat]

No, the whole truck doesn`t need it, just a few areas. I know it`s not rational but my OCD tells me I should. I understand that even from the factory the paint is not evenly dispersed and that on the same panel you get different readings however I feel like somehow those areas that are compounded will not only have less clear than the rest of the truck but would also look better just because its had multiple steps done.

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[Civicclutch]

Do a spots first and polish next to it and see if there is a difference, if ther is then do the truck of not then dont.

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[Accumulator]

Spot-correction is basically the only correction I do these days. I`m not wasting one minute`s work or one micron of paint doing something that`s not necessary for the car to look OK to me. And "looking OK to *me* " is all that matters.


I know it`s not rational but...

I wouldn`t do something that you recognize as irrational, wouldn`t even consider it. Doing irrational stuff? Nah...

[WashRinseRepeat]

Well, I won`t be doing anything this week. Turns out, when your on vacation from work the "Honey Do" list takes priority over any plans you had to detail your vehicle(s).

@ Civicclutch, when I do get the time I will try the spots next to each other & if I can`t tell a difference then I wont waste "one micron of paint"!

[Stokdgs]

If there are spots that need a little help, get the right sized pad ( they go down all the the way to 1 inch in diameter now), and just touch that place with the correct product to take the defect/s out, and see how it looks next to the untouched paintwork..

I use this process all the time and it works great.. You just have to have the right pad, product, and technique to - just- get the defect out and not too much more, so it does not change the look there from the rest of the panel...

If the factory is using Paint robots, the paint is evenly dispersed, much more accurate than by humans.. As good as we are or were as Painters, doing it perfectly, absolutely evenly covered every day for years, pretty much impossible..

Where the paint gets jacked sometimes is when a human polishes it out, and spends more time on a spot,section, etc., than the rest, and that can change total thickness readings a bit..
And when it gets corrected again and again, especially without ever even getting a semi -accurate reading from a paint thickness meter, then the readings are not going to be consistent..

I started correcting a Huge, Jet Black, 2016 Lexus LX570 tonight, and the readings on the gigantic hood alone are from low 90`s to 125 microns.. Been rubbed on by a lot by people using way heavy cut products at the Lexus dealer, before I got this gigantic dog... This kind of haphazard work is more responsible for crazy readings on paintwork than anything else I can think of..

Sometimes, just a light polishing with a real fine product like Optimum Finish, etc., and a less aggressive pad, (to fit the area being corrected) can bring things back really nicely and quickly..

It comes down to what are your Priorities for the vehicle/s, and completing them..
Good luck with this !
Dan F