Has anyone tried Finesse-It II "Marine"

[lwatson]

Greetings all,

This is a great resource -- I'm so glad I found it!!!

Now to the subject: Has anyone had any experience using 3M Finesse-It II <strong class='bbc'>Marine[/b] Polish -- not the automotive product in the black container, but the one in the white container?

I ask this because this stuff gets rave reviews in the boating world. It is suppose to be used on gelcoats and painted boat surfaces. The conditioners in the formula supposedly give an outstanding wet-look to the finish.

So. . . I figured since it is safe on painted boats, it's probably okay to use on my black 1993 Miata LE, which has noticeable swirl marks and little "craters" on the surface that I assume are from acid rain (I bought the car from a guy who lived between Baltimore and D.C.). Plus, from what I have read on this forum, the automotive Finesse-It can produce a haze on black (dark) paint.

Well, I gave it a try using my new Porter Cable fitted with a (yellow DM) foam pad and -- let me tell you -- the results were QUITE impressive. I will probably give it a second treatment since I can still see very slight surface irregularities. Not a hint of haze, and the color became a rich, deep black once again.

Has anyone else tried this marine product on their car finish? What are your thoughts/results? Was I crazy for using a non-automotive product on my car?

Since I am a Newbie, can someone suggest follow-up steps? Should I go straight to a polish/glaze? I have some Meguire's Step 2 Polish on hand -- is this stuff any good?

How about wax -- should I use a carnuba (again, I have some Meguire's on hand), or should I use an acrylic or sealant-type product?

This post is getting a bit lengthy, and I don't want to discourage y'all from reading it, so I'll say good bye.

I'd appreciate any feedback!

 

[dengelson]

I'd say that after the FI II I'd use 3M's Swirl Mark Remover for dark colors then after that either a good paste wax or a sealant.

Look forward to hearing about and <strong class='bbc'>seeing[/b] the results.

 

[imported_doug]

You may have gotten lucky and discovered something great.

HOWEVER modern boats are <strong class='bbc'>not[/b] painted! They are made of moulded fiberglass, the outmost layer of which is called "gelcoat" - a thin layer of polyester resin with pigments in it and no glass fibers. This is a very, very different material than clearcoat. When a boat's gelcoat has totally degenerated (due to poor maintenance and UV exposure), they are sometimes repainted, but with epoxy paint. Still nothing like your car's finish.

Polishes for marine use are indeed designed to work on fiberglass - not clear coat.

Reputable vendors like 3M surely try to do the best they can for every situation. If I were you, I'd stick to their automotive products for your autos.