spot correction advice

[Ecrissman]

A little background, new car, sunday cruiser. Car has been washed, clayed, menz polish, menz super finish, used a flex 3401, lsp(s). Seems that no matter what lighting in the shop or even outdoors I keep finding new small random scratches. The car is 95+ perfect but being this car is special to me and I plan on keeping it forever and handing down to my son when I am gone, I have gotten pretty OCD and AR about making it perfect. In hindsight I should of just used a rotary on day one but thinking about how long the finish needs to endure I went with the least aggressive approach which has resulted in 2 total two step corrections and now I keep finding small random scratches.

Does anyone have a technique to remove individual scratches. That doesnt require loading a pad to correct a single 1 inch scratch? Yes there are probably many here or there I just havent found them yet, not to mention I`ll never remember where they are afterwards. It wastes alot of time, product and pad cleaning. Wondered if you had a better way otherwise, Its drag the flex out o e scratch at a time.

If you want to see the car here is a link to it.

http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/...tml#post428208

[BIOLINK]

If you plan on keeping the car and handing it down, dragging the flex out for each scratch may be a bad idea. You will eventually polish the paint away. Have you considered a coating that will strengthen the CC, like Opti Guard?

[Ecrissman]

If you plan on keeping the car and handing it down, dragging the flex out for each scratch may be a bad idea. You will eventually polish the paint away. Have you considered a coating that will strengthen the CC, like Opti Guard?

I have heard of it from the forums but not used it. I need to do some research. I would consider using it. Because the cars a toy, I have this obsession of always wanting to mess with it.

I am old school and quite honestly until recently almost always used 3m and meg`s professional. For over 20years I have been pretty happy with the result of those but though I should look into these newer coatings and technologies. Most of my experience has been of custom finishes (except daily drivers) that give you a lot more to work with. Honeslty this ford paint is probably one of the worst I have had to deal with, while trying to obtain perfection. This Shelby`s paint has more dust in the finish and factory defects than any of the foreign daily drivers I gave owned. Its pretty frustrating.

[Todd@RUPES]

A little background, new car, sunday cruiser. Car has been washed, clayed, menz polish, menz super finish, used a flex 3401, lsp(s). Seems that no matter what lighting in the shop or even outdoors I keep finding new small random scratches. The car is 95+ perfect but being this car is special to me and I plan on keeping it forever and handing down to my son when I am gone, I have gotten pretty OCD and AR about making it perfect. In hindsight I should of just used a rotary on day one but thinking about how long the finish needs to endure I went with the least aggressive approach which has resulted in 2 total two step corrections and now I keep finding small random scratches.

Does anyone have a technique to remove individual scratches. That doesnt require loading a pad to correct a single 1 inch scratch? Yes there are probably many here or there I just havent found them yet, not to mention I`ll never remember where they are afterwards. It wastes alot of time, product and pad cleaning. Wondered if you had a better way otherwise, Its drag the flex out o e scratch at a time.

If you want to see the car here is a link to it.

http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/...tml#post428208

You will likely have to polish the Mustang several times (if not more) over the life of the vehicle. Even with the most perfect washing technique light marring is bound to happen. Just driving the car can cause marring from debris (although extremely random and isolated).

If you are planning on keeping your beautiful ride for a long time (and original) AND you plan on driving it, then it is often better to let things like random isolated imperfections go.

I can relate to you your personal quest for perfection and the OCD nature of it.

Give this thread a read:

http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/...s-writeup.html


Ultimately, because you do plan on keeping this ride for a long time, maximum paint thickness is far more important then a few random marks here and there.



Now that the disclaimed is out of the way, if you want to attack random isolated scratches as you see fit, given the equipment you currently have, here is what I would do.

Pick up the FLEX Backing Plate system: FLEX XC3401 Changeable Backing Plate System

Pick up a small 4 inch wool pad: Foamed Wool 4 x 1 inch Buffing & Polishing Pad

Pick up a small 4 inch White CCS pad: CCS 4 Inch Spot Buffs Foam Pads


And finally some Meguiar`s M105 Ultra Cut Compound: Meguiar`s Ultra Cut Compound M105


This will give you the abililty to spot polish away scratches as you see them, and may only require your final polishing step to blend the surface back in the rest of the paint.

[Ecrissman]

You`re know when I bought the 4-3/4 backing plate I contemplated buying the 3 piece kit but didn`t. I use wool on the rotary and didnt realize they made smaller ones that would fit on the flex. I have the 105, I`ll grab the pads and backer.
Your right that scratches are inevitable. With all the body lines, inlays, gurny flap and such you can see where the dirt accumlated in those grooves and when the dealer washed it brought the dirt to the surface and induced scratches. I use a compressor and blow gun to assist in drying and couldnt believe the dirt that I blew out of those on the first wash.

I have a couple on the rear wing that bother me but I will take your advise. Fix what I must and let the rest go. It`s hard, to go up to the garage and not do "something" to the car. Another coat of wax, a quick detailer, or whatever.

[Ecrissman]

I just read your article on paint thickness. I didnt realize how little clear is on a factory paint job. Knowing my presonailty, and experience (years ago I burnt the paint on the edge of a hood with finesse it the first time I used a rotary, and wet sanded through the clear on a chip repair .). I think I will hit the wing one last time.. maybe with some pinnacle advanced finish polish or the menz super finish and just call it. It right along a body line so I`ll tape it off AGAIN!!!!, and be done with it.
I`ll take my obession out with hand applied layers of fuzion or souveran.. btw that soveran is the best "show shine" I have used (so far) ever.

Thanks for the advise and sanity factor!

[Todd@RUPES]

I just read your article on paint thickness. I didnt realize how little clear is on a factory paint job. Knowing my presonailty, and experience (years ago I burnt the paint on the edge of a hood with finesse it the first time I used a rotary, and wet sanded through the clear on a chip repair .). I think I will hit the wing one last time.. maybe with some pinnacle advanced finish polish or the menz super finish and just call it. It right along a body line so I`ll tape it off AGAIN!!!!, and be done with it.
I`ll take my obession out with hand applied layers of fuzion or souveran.. btw that soveran is the best "show shine" I have used (so far) ever.

Thanks for the advise and sanity factor!

Your welcome. It is very easy to get carried away, but unless the car is going to sit in a museum, you have to find that area on the bell curve where your car is still the glossiest, most defect free it can be while maintaining maximum paint thickness. This is the goal.

[Stokdgs]

Ecrissman --

You own a beautiful Mustang and it is beautiful ! Your work is excellent !

I am totally on board with how you feel about it and want it to be like so that one day, you can pass it down to a great boy.

Am also of the "old school" always-used-a-Rotary bunch, and still do today in my business.

Todd Helme`s advice is excellent and would personally do as he suggested if this were my car. But lucky for me (?) we had 2 beautiful daughters...

You are going the right way with using a smaller pad on your Flex, but if you have a Rotary and sounds like you do, they do sell 3" backing plates and pads as well, so now you are decreasing your "footprint" on the surface another inch or so. 3M makes some really nice 3" purple foam open cell pads that I use all the time to just clean up a small scratch, etc., and they work great, very quick cut because of the smaller diameter, and the pad clean up is fast.

Meguiars 105 is really great for small (and large) areas that need just a quick cleaning, and it polishes down really nicely. I use it all the time just for this purpose.

You know, what you could do is fix what you want to and perhaps leave what you dont want to, until way later, and then a few last sessions with your son, cleaning and polishing it perfectly, and you are done !

Good luck with this - its going to be great !!!
Dan F

[ca.detailchick]

You can also work the scratches out by hand .Yes it takes longer and some effort but it can be done and you will probably be taking the least amount of paint off that way.

[BIOLINK]

You can also work the scratches out by hand .Yes it takes longer and some effort but it can be done and you will probably be taking the least amount of paint off that way.

Sound advice, I have done the same.

[Ecrissman]

I hit the couple I saw last night, and unless I see something pretty bad that I missed I am just going to enjoy it. Thanks for your voice(s) of reason. My son was in the garage with me last night and decided some of his toys needed polished so we hand polished using a plastic polish and coated with some hyvlbrid V7 for a nice shine and protection.

[Todd@RUPES]

I hit the couple I saw last night, and unless I see something pretty bad that I missed I am just going to enjoy it. Thanks for your voice(s) of reason. My son was in the garage with me last night and decided some of his toys needed polished so we hand polished using a plastic polish and coated with some hyvlbrid V7 for a nice shine and protection.

How old is your son?

[Ecrissman]

He will be 9 in a few months. He is already a "collector" of many things. We are going to hand rub some scuffs on his chain guard this weekend and fuzion his bike and scooter.

Last night we polished his Beyblade battle arena and decided that a quick coat of V7 would be appropriate to increase the performance of the beyblades battle abilities.

How old is your son?

[Todd@RUPES]

He will be 9 in a few months. He is already a "collector" of many things. We are going to hand rub some scuffs on his chain guard this weekend and fuzion his bike and scooter.

Last night we polished his Beyblade battle arena and decided that a quick coat of V7 would be appropriate to increase the performance of the beyblades battle abilities.

I have a 7 (8 in a couple of months) year old and we have recently applied two coats of BLACKFIRE Polymer Spray to two his BeyBlade arena`s. The added rotation was immediate!

[Ecrissman]

To bad you live so far away. We could have a beyblade battle and review two product`s!

I have a 7 (8 in a couple of months) year old and we have recently applied two coats of BLACKFIRE Polymer Spray to two his BeyBlade arena`s. The added rotation was immediate!