Is long term use of abrasive polishes a problem?

[TheSopranos16]

I know that everytime you use an abrasive polish such as menzerna or ssr it takes a thin layer of the clear coat off the car to help reduce swirls and scratches. So in theory, there is a limit on how many times you can do this before you don't have any clear coat remaining. Should this be a real concern or would it be unrealistic to think that you can ever polish your car this much? I am the type to polish my car everytime I start to see swirls but I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be sorry I did this in the future!!!

 

[denverdetail]

It's hard to say. If you are saying that you truly polish the paint all the time, you are probably overdoing it. Really, a car shouldn't need polishing but once, maybe twice a year if you keep it protected frequently with fresh wax or sealant. Try using a machine or hand glaze or your favorite swirl remover in between polishes. Far less abrasive and it will help greatly with swirls. Remember that polishing is intended to level the paint surface. Once level, you shouldn't have to worry about it so often. Wash correctly, and clay to maintain the surface smoothness.

 

[Poorboy]

:yeah once or twice a year should be enough...

most polishes, not compounds, will take about 1/1000 of your clearcoat, so it would take a long time and often polishing to really go through the clearcoat, but a compound can easily take make much more off and therefore should not be done too often..

 

[TheSopranos16]

Ok, so basically things like Menzerna Final Polish and SSR1 can be used fairly frequently without having to worry about the clear coat; but compounds must be used with caution? That about right? Also, is PPP abrasive? Would that be a good choice for frequent polishing inbetween waxes?