Full Polish detail and your opinion

[Intercooled]

I`m ready to rid my Queen of swirls. My GN (black paint) show quality paint job is 3 years old. It still has marks from the original shop buffing. I`ve been trying to hide the swirls because I havn`t had the guts to try get rid of them. Well now I have the PC technique down pat from using it on my wifes car and work truck. I really want to start all over again with my Gn and rid the swirls and make her simply stunning!

It has Spies Heckler Paint.(which seems a little soft to me.) The swirls aren`t bad but they really show in direct sun light, mostly holograms from the shop buffing.

OK...... I have:

IP

FP

SSR2.5

1ZPP

AIO

For Pads:

LC white, yellow, orange & black



I know I`m going to try out EX topped with Souveran for my LSP.



What polish should I start with and with what pad?

and PC speed?

I`m a little nervous with black paint.

[MongooseGA]

Is it clear coated?



I would start with the 1Z PP and a polishing pad since you said the paint was kinf od soft. If that doesn`t work, step up to a more aggressive pad/polish, or both.



Use speed 6 for your polishing. There`s no reason not to keep it on 5. All that`s going to do is make you polish longer.

[imported_Sullybob]

I would start with FP on a polishing pad. If that doesn`t work step up the product aggresiveness on a polishing pad. If that doesn`t work then I would use a more aggresive pad. Then step down the pad and product aggresiveness. Start with a small panel and polish it. Then inspect your work either with a good light or in the sun. If you achieved the results you were looking for then finish the car. If you didn`t get the results you wanted then try more aggressive products and pads.

Good luck and we want to see some pictures:)

[Intercooled]

It is Clear coated.

I was thinking 1ZPP as well.

If I were to progree to something stronger would I go to a stronger polish or stick with same polish and use a more agressive pad?

[Intercooled]

Sully:

You answered my questions perfectly!!;)



So........step up product before stepping up pad?

[JeffM]

I dunno, if i have bad swirls i always reach for DACP and the orange(LC) pad.



If the swirls were not as bad, but still more than slight marring, i would reach for DACP and a white pad.



Post a pic in direct sun, people here can say what to use without going through the pains of working up the ladder.

[ZaneO]

*I* would try IP w/ polishing pad (move up as necessary) and follow with FP w/ polishing pad. I`ve had outstanding results with that combo.



I work IP on 5-6 until almost dry. I work FP on 5 until almost dry.

[imported_Sullybob]

Glad I could help.

I do step up product before pad. I don`t know if that is the accepted way of polishing or not, it is working for me. I guess that the reason that I like to do it that way is, I feel comfortable adding a more aggressive polish to a pad and I am not yet experienced enough to look at the paint and say that "X, Y and then Z will fix it." I try and use the least aggressive steps first. I am sure that some of the polishing Guru`s will chime in and we will find out if my way is OK or not. :)

I was also under the impression that your GN isn`t really that bad.




The swirls aren`t bad but they really show in direct sun light, mostly holograms from the shop buffing.



So you might not need a very aggressive approach to making it really shine.

[Intercooled]

Originally posted by ZaneO

*I* would try IP w/ polishing pad (move up as necessary) and follow with FP w/ polishing pad. I`ve had outstanding results with that combo.



I work IP on 5-6 until almost dry. I work FP on 5 until almost dry.

I`ve been reading alot on that approach on here as well. Its seems to be a very successful technique.

[ZaneO]

It has served me well on black cars :)



This car received IP, FP, and Wolfgang:



http://shineshoppe.com/Media/Picture%2009.jpg

[wannafbody]

that looks good Zane:)

[Intercooled]

Thats what I`m trying to achieve!:xyxthumbs

[Accumulator]

I`m a little surprised that the S-H paint seems soft. They used S-H on all the repairs to our Audis and it`s almost as hard as the (*very* hard) S-H factory paint. :nixweiss Anyhow....



Yeah, see if the FP will do it and if not step up *product*. No real point in using an aggressive pad with a mild product. FWIW, my order of progression would be FP/polishing, PI-III MG or 1Z PP polishing, PI-III RC/polishing. If that didn`t get it I`d switch to 4" pads. If that didn`t do it, *then* I`d go to a harsher pad (and I`d still use 4" ones). I realize that you probably have the 6/5" pads...I`d steer clear of the yellow one, doesn`t sound like you`d need that for this job.



Note: the only reason I didn`t mention IP or the SSR stuff is that I have no experience with these products. So just substitute the IP/SSR in wherever it would fit.



Don`t be nervous, assuming your painter did his work right you`ll be fine. One of the *nice* things about black is that it`s usually pretty easy to gauge your progress- the marring shows up better than with colors like silver so you don`t have to spend as much time/effort inspecting.

[Intercooled]

Sounds good!!:up

Yes my paint is pretty soft. I have read alot on here about SH paint and everyone says its pretty hard. :nixweiss

I know I have alot of clear on the car, so maybe its the amount of clear. I get alot of compliments about how deep the paint is and how straight the car is. Luckily I have ZERO orange peel:D

I just order some 4" pads that arrived yesyerday!