hard/soft paint?

[tssdetailing]

Is there a list or can we start one of cars which have hard/soft clearcoat? Also, what does that mean for us when we're polishing? I would assume harder paint is more difficult to correct?

 

[nyyankees22]

From my last 5 correction jobs:

2001 Honda CR-V- Soft

2006 Toyota Sienna- Medium

2003 Nissan Altima- Soft

2008 Lexus IS10-Hard

2008 Lexus IS460-Hard

 

[StadiumDetail]

I remember seeing a list a while ago on the forum, a search should pull it up. It gave a list of brands and the general hardness of the paint. The list is pretty vague since paints can vary even within brand models and years, but it was a good reference guide to use as a starting point for pad/product test sections.



My experience is limited, but one paint I do know well is MB's ceramic clear coat, super hard. I absolutely hate that paint and my father has a black cls500 that he decided to wash himself :nervous2: , it now has brush scratches all over it :angry . There goes the rest of my day............and tomorrow too.

 

[tssdetailing]

From my last 5 correction jobs:

2001 Honda CR-V- Soft

2006 Toyota Sienna- Medium

2003 Nissan Altima- Soft

2008 Lexus IS10-Hard

2008 Lexus IS460-Hard

did you figure that out after doing the work or did you know ahead of time? On a soft clear, do you even use an orange pad + cutting compound or do you go right to the polishing pad?

 

[nyyankees22]

Usually you don't know until you try. Some people might find one kind of paint easy to work with, while somebody else finds it hard. It all depends on your technique and what products you using. I like to tape off an area about 2x2 on the hood and start with what I think it needs. Usually I start with my medium abrasive on a white pad to see what that will do. If that doesn't cut it then you step it up to the orange pad and your more aggressive polish. If none of those work you can always try the wool, but never jump to that right away unless you are sure the foam pads won't do the job.