Need help with black Corvette
Hi TID members. About a week ago or so I posted a thread on AG about a black Corvette that I would be doing a paint correction on. Here`s the link to the thread so that you can see what I started with.
This is the first newer Corvette that I have worked on and I am having a bit of trouble getting the desired results. I thought before getting real aggressive with this thing maybe I should appeal to the more Corvette experienced members here for some thoughts and suggestions.
This car is for a new client who will be feeding me a steady supply of work depending on the outcome of this project. He and I are both willing to take the time to get the results on this project without rushing things. He is a very understanding guy as far as that goes.
A little history on the car.
First let me correct the title of my original thread and say that I misunderstood what the client was saying when he said "basically it is set up like a Lingenfelter as far as the performance mods are concerned" so this is not a "Ling" as the posters on my original thread already stated. The client bought this car with under 20,000 miles on it and it was already in this rough condition when the purchase was made. Given the low miles on the car and the condition of it when he purchased the car, that leads me to believe that this car hasn`t had a paint correction done to it before. I do not have a paint thickness gauge.
My concerns and questions.
This is certainly the hardest paint that I have ever worked with. I have read the warnings about this but didn`t realize that it would be this hard. I have read some threads where the poster had wet sanded or damp sanded these cars before the buffing was done and I want to avoid having to do this. I also wanted to avoid using a wool pad and a real aggressive compound to insure that I would not be leaving any buffer trails behind but now I am thinking that the wool pad can not be avoided.
In the lighting that I had it had appeared that I was getting the desired results when I did my test section so I ran with it.
What I have already done.
Wash, IPA wipedown, Clay,
Makita rotary, Menzerna Power Gloss, orange LC CCS 5.5 pad, 3 section passes @ speed setting 3.5 (about 2000 PRM) I did this twice on all panels so actually 6 section passes total.
Makita rotary, Optimum Polish 2, white 6 inch Edge 2K finishing pad, 3 section passes @ speed setting 3.5 (about 2000 RPM)
Flex 3401, Optimum finish polish, Red LC VC finising pad, 3 section passes @ speed setting 6 (full speed)
While there has been a significant improvement in the finish we are still left with a lot of scratches that have not been removed. I am not talking about RIDS but overall scratches. I know that Power Gloss is an aggressive diminishing abrasive compound but I really thought it would have had more effect than what it did.
I am getting back to this car on Sunday to work out the required process to achieve the desired results. I have Menz. PG, Megs 105 and some sand in a bottle type of heavy compound equivalent to 3M super duty rubbing compound. I have wool pads, yellow foam cutting pads, orange light cutting pads. I am thinking now that I should hit it with the heavy compound and a wool pad then follow that with orange light cutting pad and M-105 then finish out with the Optimum Polish 2 on a Polishing pad.
Is this just normal on these Corvettes that it should take so much to get the desired results? I can`t imagine trying to correct this paint with just a PC.
OK, so you more experienced Corvette paint correctors let me have your thoughts, oppinions or suggestions if you will. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and for any suggestions that you might offer. TD