I was wondering, with all these abbrasives, such as 3M SMR, and FI-II, after numerous applications, would it hurt the clear coat? I want to try to get my swirls out, and was worried that my numerous applications of these products will take off the clear coat. Which I feel the ''detailer'' I took my tailgate to did, because now it has a haze on it.
1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT
- Thread starter iforcev8
- Start date
Langley Interior Car Kare
New member
so...................
http://autopia-carport.com/forum/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=5142&highlight=abrasives+clear...............................................if u want a new toy get a paint thickness gaugue...then that should start another 20 post thread as to what it exactly measures............fun!!!!
http://autopia-carport.com/forum/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=5142&highlight=abrasives+clear...............................................if u want a new toy get a paint thickness gaugue...then that should start another 20 post thread as to what it exactly measures............fun!!!!
Preachers Sheets
New member
Yes, all of that polish will remove your clear coat but not right away.
People say polish twice, three times at most a year. I am thinking if you did that you should be all set for a long long time. I had a saturn for a little over a year, and almost every weekend I was out there using like 4-5 layers of polish, this must of have gone on all spring and all summer and some of the fall and no paint ever came off on my applicator pads. Not saying I wasn't close to removing it but I just wanted to give you a little idea.
No one is going to answer you regarding how long it'll take to remove your clearcoat. Everyone says there are way too many factors to consider so even a rough estimate is off base.
My recommendation is: polish twice to thre times a year and don't worry about it. If your paints in good shape all you need is the least abrasive 3M SMR which is really really mild.
People say polish twice, three times at most a year. I am thinking if you did that you should be all set for a long long time. I had a saturn for a little over a year, and almost every weekend I was out there using like 4-5 layers of polish, this must of have gone on all spring and all summer and some of the fall and no paint ever came off on my applicator pads. Not saying I wasn't close to removing it but I just wanted to give you a little idea.
No one is going to answer you regarding how long it'll take to remove your clearcoat. Everyone says there are way too many factors to consider so even a rough estimate is off base.
My recommendation is: polish twice to thre times a year and don't worry about it. If your paints in good shape all you need is the least abrasive 3M SMR which is really really mild.
That's a cool story Joed. About how many times would you say that you applied a polish to your Saturn. One more thing, which polish did you use? I really wouldn't worry about using 3M SMR or Finesse It 2 a few times a year by hand (2-3). I would worry a bit if I used an orbital or rotary 4 or 5 times a year or so though.
One thing Ron touched on a while ago that made a whole lot of sense was that as much we all want to have perfect finishes, we must realize that it's not possible. Daily drivers cannot sustain perfection in the harsh elements we drive in. We all need to accept the fact that our paint will feel sandy in certain areas, and that it will have some swirls and nicks. If we all were to clay, polish, and wet sand 3,4,5 or 6 times a year then we'd be asking for big trouble. Common sense and good judgement need to be used. Unfortunately, the pusuit for perfection sometimes clouds our minds.
As long as you don't get polish and clay happy, you should be fine. Going through the clear should not be an issue if common sense is used.
As long as you don't get polish and clay happy, you should be fine. Going through the clear should not be an issue if common sense is used.
Preachers Sheets
New member
I just wish there was some kind of graph to say how much of your clearcoat is removed everytime you use a specific product. That would be really interesting to see, solve this riddle everyone is wondering about. The way it sounds, I may of polished away half of my Saturn clear coat layer. I feel bad for the next person who details that car as often as I did. Might have red paint coming off soon 
He'll think his car is bleeding on the applicator pads DOH
He'll think his car is bleeding on the applicator pads DOH
imported_CH.Detailing
New member
This is a great '72 Dino that is in very nice condition. The car has only 36K original miles, and was restored in 2002. The paint was extremely glossy, very reflective, and had a great wet look to it, but it was not without defect. The owner had only asked for a wash and wax, with no interior work, but since he is very loyal and is always very appreciative of the work I do for him, I went a bit further as a favor.
Here was the car when I arrived,
The wheels are off being refinished before the car is shipped out to Montana for the Going To The Sun rally in a couple weeks. Because of the aforementioned defects (improper paint prep, some rust issues) and because the car is primarily a driver (his wife will drive it to get groceries!) we decided to just clean it up very well and put a good coat of wax on it.
The owner had washed it the day before, and did a very good job of it, so I was just going do an ONR wipe down panel by panel as I clayed, and then wax it, but I didn't have anything else on the schedule for the day so I got a bit carried away...
The grill, front and rear bumpers, tail lights, rear plate, and all four corner lights came off. I think it looks a lot cleaner without the bumpers.
Of course there was plenty of dirt/wax hidden behind all that trim, put nothing that TAW and a brush couldn't handle.
The chrome trim/weather seals were cleaned with TAW and sealed with Opti-Seal, as well as the undersides of panels.
The car was then clayed with Blackfire Polyclay with ONR as lube, and given two IPA wipe downs which left it truly squeaky clean!
The car was given two coats of Wolfgang Fusion as LSP, with a little more than 3 hours between coats.
I didn't do much to the interior, all surfaces were wiped down with a 10:1 dilution of Megs APC, and then treated with 303 Aerospace Protectant.
Here's a shot of the "dirty" interior bouncing my flash off the door.
And some 'after' shots.
This is a very cool car, it was honestly enjoyable to have worked on it. I was even able to schedule an appointment with his neighbor for a correction on another very special ride, which I will be sure to post next week.
This car and the neighbor's car will be shipped out to Montana for the Going To The Sun rally at the end of the month, if anybody happens to be out there don't hesitate to say hello to these guys!
Here was the car when I arrived,
The wheels are off being refinished before the car is shipped out to Montana for the Going To The Sun rally in a couple weeks. Because of the aforementioned defects (improper paint prep, some rust issues) and because the car is primarily a driver (his wife will drive it to get groceries!) we decided to just clean it up very well and put a good coat of wax on it.
The owner had washed it the day before, and did a very good job of it, so I was just going do an ONR wipe down panel by panel as I clayed, and then wax it, but I didn't have anything else on the schedule for the day so I got a bit carried away...
The grill, front and rear bumpers, tail lights, rear plate, and all four corner lights came off. I think it looks a lot cleaner without the bumpers.
Of course there was plenty of dirt/wax hidden behind all that trim, put nothing that TAW and a brush couldn't handle.
The chrome trim/weather seals were cleaned with TAW and sealed with Opti-Seal, as well as the undersides of panels.
The car was then clayed with Blackfire Polyclay with ONR as lube, and given two IPA wipe downs which left it truly squeaky clean!
The car was given two coats of Wolfgang Fusion as LSP, with a little more than 3 hours between coats.
I didn't do much to the interior, all surfaces were wiped down with a 10:1 dilution of Megs APC, and then treated with 303 Aerospace Protectant.
Here's a shot of the "dirty" interior bouncing my flash off the door.
And some 'after' shots.
This is a very cool car, it was honestly enjoyable to have worked on it. I was even able to schedule an appointment with his neighbor for a correction on another very special ride, which I will be sure to post next week.
This car and the neighbor's car will be shipped out to Montana for the Going To The Sun rally at the end of the month, if anybody happens to be out there don't hesitate to say hello to these guys!
bmw5541
New member
Very nice work Connor!!
This is no doubt a customer for life.:clap:
BTW, I love the garage.
This is no doubt a customer for life.:clap:
BTW, I love the garage.
imported_Flash Gordon
New member
Nice job on a classic ride Conner. Thanks for posting :wizard:
Old Pirate
AMG Classic Car Detailing
Thank you Connor for sharing it here with us at TID! I love Dino's!:wizard:
Todd@RUPES
Just a regular guy
This is 'detailing', and I love it. :cornut:
I really appreciate that quality of work, it looks like a lot of fun.
I really appreciate that quality of work, it looks like a lot of fun.
michakaveli
New member
Nice job. Great pix! \m/
Harleyguy
New member
Thanks for sharing awesome detail, awesome car, and the garage doesn't suck either.
imported_CH.Detailing
New member
Thanks for the kind words guys, I really appreciate it.
His garage is truly one of a kind, and what you can see in the photos is only part of it! :rockon:
His garage is truly one of a kind, and what you can see in the photos is only part of it! :rockon: