Pad Help Please

[Preachers Sheets]

When I get my car re-painted I was looking to have it done at a professional paint shop, one with a history of show cars but I was wondering which paint I should use?



Audi or Porsche seems to be the best. All images reflected off of the paint are really crisp and hardly any defects.



Maybe I am not understanding this right, does everyone use the same paint, is it all about the painter, does it have nothing to do with either but how much you can spend? Give me your .02

[JimO]

The brand of paint is also major factor. I`ve seen show cars use DuPont and House of Kolor paint.

[JimO]

One more thing to answer your question directly. I really like Cadillac paint. It just has this awesome shine to it. The painters, their paint booth, and the whole painting process is a major factor in your paint job. Find a place that has a reputation for painting show cars.

[imported_doug]

Most german cars use Sikkens, which is made in Holland, AFAIK.

[Preachers Sheets]

Jeepers creepers, I just have to find someone that does show cars for a living.



Will more than 1-2 layers of clear coat make a difference? What would 8-10 layers do?

[texaggie1]

Glasurit is OEM to Porsche.At least it used to be. More clear coats is a mis-conception. The thicker the coating the more susceptible it is to cracking and heat damage. What may be a good plan is to sand between coats of clear , this will reduce the orange peel. /add 1 extra coat of clear and it will allow you to safely buff the paint.

[Preachers Sheets]

hmmm, now this has me thinking. There must be 100 little tricks and quirks when your trying to get a perfect paint job, I guess I know what my next 3-6 months on the internet will be geared towards....

[Lemonxxs]

Show car paint jobs is all about prep work....They wet sand after every coat to ensure minimal orange peel.



They can apply 1-3 coats of clear with a wet sand after each then a final buffing on the one...Problem is these types of paint jobs are not meant for daily drivers as the clear does not last due to the thinning from all the sanding.



A great paint job can run around $10k and most of it is labor.



Go to a local car show or drive in and talk to people most probably know of a great painter...Check references and quality of work....World of Wheels shows are great since most of the cars have custom paint jobs.



Good luck.



Ps do a search on here I remember seeing some other threads about show car paint jobs.

[Preachers Sheets]

DOH, the World of Wheels JUST passed.... I didn`t go because each year it gets smaller, but it`s probaly from people like me not going every year because it gets smaller...



I`m going to try to make it to a few drag strips this summer and ask around, I know people have show cars there. World of Wheels is twice a year I beleive .......... I hope....



p.s. used to go every year

[BradE]

Guess is correct, building extra film of clear and sanding it down to a glass like finish is not generally done on daily drivers. The cost can be quite large, and that type of finish will not hold up well for a daily use car.

[Preachers Sheets]

How exactly will this finish not hold up for the daily driver? I am thinking and I would guess it would hold up better, if the surface is sanded it would fade even because the paint is not thicker in some areas and is it possible the clear would bond better to the sanded surface?

[Lemonxxs]

The clear gets thin they basically remove the top .1-.3 mill which is all you ever want to remove. Then it is so thin failure can occur due to the elements etc.



Show cars are rarely driven as daily drivers due to this huge investment in the paint job. I would not recommend it for your daily driver.



When you do find a high quality painter talk to him about what you want and how you will use the car. Then find another and get his opinions. After all that is discussed you could then talk about brand of paint etc.

[Preachers Sheets]

Well I`m just ask what the "up`s" and "down`s" are of taking a Audi or Porsche paint job up a notch.



I understand what you mean with losing some of the clear coat due to sanding. If regular elements can damage the paint then that is not reasonable. I might as well pay 5 grand for one paint job and when it gets shot to hell get another for another 5 then spend 10 k now and watch it fail in a few months and shot myself....

[Lemonxxs]

New Audi`s, Porsche`s and BMW`s are now showing some OP as they are using the high new high solids paints. See Carguys pics of his BMW the one where he shows the badge. The picture amplifies it but it is there.



USA cars have been using them for some time due to EPA. Expect in a few years for all cars to have OP due to these paints.

[Leadfootluke]

I have been using the Hydrotech pads for my corrections [cyan, tangerine, and crimson], and it is time to get a few more pads. I use a PC7424XP, and would like to add some cutting pads.

The tangerine pads work well, and have maintained their form through the polishing process, but the cyan pads have begun to split, or the foam becomes inconsistent. These pads are the original 5.5" x 1.25" and 4" x 1.25" pads.

What do you feel would be the best option for new cutting pads? The new 5.5" Cyan that are 7/8 inch? Or Surbufs? [which I have been wanting to try out]. Or anything else that you feel would be smart? After doing 3 details last week I am in need of adding a few things and I would like to choose the right pads.

Thank you! :