Paint Question

[kilodawg]

Have a question for the paint experts.



My wife has a `96 911 in single stage Guards Red.

We picked up the car last year. It`s been a Florida based car for the last few years. The car spent much of the year before we purchased it sitting outside in the sun in the PO`s driveway. When we got the car, there was minor fading on the side mirrors and the 3rd tail light bar at the top of the rear window.



I took it to a pro to have it detailed and it came out looking great virtually good as new but I was told that a lot of paint came off in the process. I decided a short while later to go with Zaino and treat it regularly. All the fading from the past has been kept well under control and the finish still looks great. Especially with regular help from Z8. However, over the past year the car has picked up a lot of very minor surface scratches (the kind that jump out in bright day light at high incidence angles) and I want to give it a light polish with my new PC and some Menzerna FP2. I spot checked a small area this afternoon about 1 sqft and the pad picked up some red paint with the FP2 and a follow on coat of Z5. I would estimate an 80% improvement in the light scratches though.



Should the paint I`m seeing on the pad be a real source for concern with these products? I know this is subjective but I`m just looking for experienced opinions.



Thanks!

[Ron Harris]

I think as long as you stick to a mild polish and pad combo you should be ok.

You probably know to be careful around your edges.

Here is a tip. Tape off your edges and do these areas by hand after. Be sure to tape your trim also. It can be tough to clean after you polish a single stage paint.

Good Luck.

[MorBid]

Single Stage paints, as the name implies, are both the paint and the gloss in one. This as opposed to a Dual Stage system, Base Coat/Clear Coat where one goes on top of the other. The base provides the color and the Cleat coat the shine.



If you were polishing a Dual Stage paint and seeing the color come off in the pad yes I`d be worried immediately.



But since your polishing the actual paint itself it stands to reason some will come off. Go easy though, too much comes off and you`ll be down to primer. I`d get a cheap paint meter and see where your at since the car is new to you.

[Mad iX]

Single stage is usually thicker so I wouldn`t worry to much. FPII is relatively gentle.

Seeing your pad turn red isn`t unusual at all.

As long as you`re careful you`ll be fine.

[Ed Fisher]

:think: Would you consider using a few spritzes of QD on your buffing pa / cloth while working on it ? Could reduce the friction and reduce the paint wear... Just an idea...

[Accumulator]

The only Guard`s red Porsche I had was also single stage. The paint was plenty thick on mine but yeah, watch the crown lines/edges because it will be thinner there to begin with and it`ll wear down faster there too. And yeah, you`re gonna get red paint on the pads when you polish, that`s normal.



The FP shouldn`t be too aggressive but I`d a) stop short of perfection and b) take better care to not instill marring in the first place. That paint is sorta soft and plus, as it fades you`ll have to take some off anyhow. Having to take off *more* because of marring will mean that you`ll run out of paint sooner than necessary.