1Z UPP and 1ZPP

[schneider325]

ok yesterday i washed the car and clayed it really good. It looks nice and clean now! Execpt for all the imperfections like swirls,chips,scratches, and waterspots. This is were the 1Z`s come in!! I need a couple quick tips to get me started



1) im usings a PC and a yellow pad for the UPP. Now What speed should i use the UPP on?



2) How long should i stay in one area? Does the polish turn to like powder?



3) I have alota MF towels, should i use that to buff off, or should I use the terry pad that came with my PC kit?



4) any tips on using the 1ZPP after 1ZUPP?



thanks

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by schneider325




1) im usings a PC and a yellow pad for the UPP. Now What speed should i use the UPP on?



Yep, yellow pad. Start around 4, speed up to 6.




2) How long should i stay in one area? Does the polish turn to like powder?



Work the area until the original marring is replaced by the UP`s micromarring. It`ll take a while. The UP doesn`t really turn to powder, rather it hazes sorta like a cleaner wax. Work it longer than you (or at least most people) think you should ;) since it oughta stay wet for a long time (if it doesn`t, slow the PC down). But don`t work it *too* long without adding more product. You do *not* work it so long that it turns to powder (which it won`t really do anyhow). Be willing to say "good enough" when it comes to severe marring, you don`t want to take off *too* much clear.




3) I have alota MF towels, should i use that to buff off, or should I use the terry pad that came with my PC kit?



I`d use the MFs. I never use terry for that these days.




4) any tips on using the 1ZPP after 1ZUPP?



Work the PP until the finish is as good as you want it. Use more product and keep at it as long as you have to. I do my first passes with PP/cutting then switch to PP/polishing. This makes for a more gradual jump from the UP/cutting.

[Gonzo]

1) To cut imperfections, start with moderate to heavy pressure (compress the pad to about 1/2 or 2/3 original thickness. As your progress, lighten up the pressure until the pass just before the wipe off, which should be with no added weight at all, just the weight of the PC. Start at #4 and as pressure is reduced, increase the speed so you are at or near # 6 just before the wipe off.



2) do your polishing in a crosshatch pattern - lets say you are standing in the middle of the front bumber doing a portion of the hood. First go back and forth beteen the front and rear bumpers and cover the area at least twice. Then change directions so are ar right angle, back and forth between the doors, again at least twice. Lighten the spressure a little and change directions again, passenger front door to driver rear door. Lighten up a little more and this time in the direction of driver doo and passenger rear door. Finally the last pass should be "in the direction the wind travels over the car" - in this case, between the bumpers and with just the weight of the polisher.



3) Wipe of any wet or powdered residue with a MF and here is the biggie - check you work, looking for residual or unremoved blemishes. The 1Z polishes use oils & perhaps fillers, so to be able to see blemishes, you may need to wipe down with a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water to remove them.



4) When there are only the micro-marring induced by the 1Z UP, proceed to the next section of the vehicle. You may not be able to remove the deepest scratches - but that is a judgement call as to whether you can live with them or want to try some more. Then redo the entire car, with just a polish pad and the 1Z PP. Same method as before.



5) You can stop when your eyes are blinded by the shine. If you have any 1Z MP or Menzerna FP do the vehicle one more time with a finishing pad, not to cut any imperfections, but to burnish the paint to its highest possible gloss before adding any finish. Same patterns as described above. Here you can stop when your eyes start to bleed or you are blinded by the tears from the reflected light. Final wipe down with the 50/50 mix described.



A brilliant look is not in the finish products used but in the paint preparation BEFORE the finish. Take your time and do it well. Most likely not all of your vehicle will require the 1Z UP - be conservative and only use it where really necessary. Always, always err on the side of caution - that means only use the minimum amount of aggression (pressure and polish and pad choice) necessary to remove the blemishes - anything more will remove clearcoat used to protect your paint. Unless you are trying to minimized OP, but that is a whole other story.

[Gonzo]

Acc - we sound like twins ..... :D

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by Gonzo

Acc - we sound like twins ..... :D



Heh heh, yeah, I was just gonna post that! Great minds thinking alike ;)



schneider325- If you have any MP or WPS on hand, it really is worth the time...and Gonzo`s not fooling about the blinding finish, at least on some paints.

[schneider325]

thanks guys!!! that reallly helped. I did the hood soo far before reading this and i did somewhat what u siad, but i`ll change my ways and see how it looks....



ok sooo far i did 1Z upp and 1z pp on the hood followed by a quick qd.... here are my results



1) after 1ZUPP it looks great!!! i didnt see any hazing at all and it kinda shocked me



2) during the 1ZPP i didnt see any change in gloss what so ever, it stayed the same



my conclution is that i didnt do enough pressure.... I started off a setting 2...then i went to 4 and then inbetween 5 and 6 to finish it off before i buffed it off. I think i need to add a little pressure at the begginning like u said.



also i see veryy small dust particles in the paint , even the QD didnt get that out... will the AIO get that out?





and should i use a different MF towel when buffing off the UPP and PP .... at first i didnt and i noticed that it didnt look right soo i ran and got another MF towel and buffed out better.



ok time to try out your suggestions... im working with the sun here.. there was just enough shade to do the hood when i started, now i should be able to do the sides



thanks again!

[schneider325]

one more quicky.... i just read over Accumulator post again...he mentons a clear coat...hhehe my car is 17 years old! My car dosnt have a clear coat and its a bimmer too. Im not sure about other models but for the 3 series they started the clear in 88-89 i believe

[Gonzo]

Without clear coat and a 17 year old bimmer, be VERY VERY careful. If your are the original owner and know the car`s entire history, you might be OK, but if not the original owner, you may have no idea on just how much of the color layer remains -- maybe the "dust particles" you are seeing in the paint is the bottom of the color cot?????? From what I read here, bimmer paint can be softish so UPP may be a tad bit aggressive. Maybe you would be better off doing 1Z PP twice rather than use 1Z UP before 1Z PP - remember, err on the side of caution.........



Yes change the MF at every polish change - some more aggressive polish that is not fully broken down could get lodged in the fibers and scratch the surface prep from the finer polish

[schneider325]

i hope your wrong about that those dust particles gonzo!



ok well I am starting the 1Z PP on the one side now...and i know i deffently went more aggressive with the UPP on the side becuase i can see the difference between the UPP and PP now its great!!!



I also was sanding some spots with old touchup paint too ( it was wrong color) and for the most part im getting most of the paint off but some of it is still there....i can work on individual spots some other day!!



ok Now my cutting and polishing pads i have been using are turning BLACK!??!?!? is this normal??? should i swich pads? i have one more cutting and 2 more polishing but i need the polishisng ones for AIO. what should i do?

[Gonzo]

Wash them using blue Dawn and rinse well, then spin them semi-dry on the PC, but well away from the car. Infinite supply of pads thataway. Not necessarily convenient, but it works. Time to order some more for your next polishing extravaganza.



Because you are cutting single stage paint, your pads will turn the paint color.







STOP ALL WORK IMMEDIATELY





Get some before pix then when you are done, some afters. We autopians cannot live without before and afters.......:bounce

[schneider325]

oo thats great! is this bad or just normal?

[Gonzo]

Normal, but it is enough to make you go get some more so you can complete a vehicle without a wash-up in the middle

[Accumulator]

schneider325- Sorry to throw you with my referral to clear. Generally, the same stuff applies to SS paint (I have two SS cars at present). But SS is generally softer, so yeah, go carefully, especially on the "fragile bits" like the edges/tops of panel creases.





As Gonzo said, if you can do the job with a few passes with PP, that will generally be less aggressive than using UP, but as you`re finding, the UP does work well. And it`s a German product, made for older German paint, so as long as you`re careful I still think it (UP) should be OK. But heed Gonzo`s warning about the "dust specks", it`s really hard to tell what you`re dealing with there.



The stuff on your pads is paint transfer from the SS paint. It almost always looks worse than it is. You might try cleaning the pad by spinning it (at *low* speed) while rubbing the pad with a toothbrush. Move the brush from the edge of the pad towards the center- it`ll scrape off some of the black stuff along with excess polish.



Save the one polishing pad for your AIO. Just let the cutting and polishing pads get dirty; it`s really not that big of a deal. Wash them out with Dawn or something when you`re finished and don`t worry about the stains that don`t wash out.

[schneider325]

thanks guys.. im done with the hood and one side soo far



I think the side looks better than the hood since i read your advice. tho the touchup paint is a a little more visable since its all shiny... i dont think i did that good of a job sanding, but i can alway do individual spots some otherday right? and some hazing were I sanding is still there, just alittle, i can do some PP there some other day also I hope.

[schneider325]

yes guys i did take a couple before pics sooo u wont be left empty handed!!!! i just finished the top of the trunk and well it looks good! It got the water spots out but still some scratches left but its nooo biggy....and i had a little booboo in the one cornor with UPP. It happends soo im not mad, yes its perminate and i cant corect this but hey, u live and you learn and I think im doing a pretty damn good job considering this is my first time detailing and im 15. Well i buring a whole threw the paint just a little. Its not like there is a deep hole, but its kinda gray in one little spot. but if u look at if from an angle a foot away, u can see it. U have to be looking directly above it to see it. oo well U have to take some to get some!