My first PC experience

W

William420

New member
DAY 1 - Wash, PC-SMR 2 PANELS. Experimented GEPC & Souveran combo & Souveran Over Zaino.



Day 2 - PC-SMR rest of cars. GEPC, washed with Z7-2 times (thought about using DAWN but didn't do it), 3 coats ZFX.



Total hours spent: 8HRS (Didn't even do tire dressing/windows). SMR on Yellow Pad. Hood is the only place I used speed 6, rest panels speed 5.



Conclusion: Of course, my technique must have sucked since it's my first time. Some swirls were removed but many still remiained. Few scratches were gone but "most" scratches I really want them gone are still there.



Car looks good, maybe a little more reflective than before, but I noticed 6-7 new scratches after PC. The scratches are in straight line motion and not circle, so I doubt it's from PC but not sure how they got there. Also, I thought PC removed all the micro-scratches from Claymagic red bar, but I still see few of them on the hood. Argh.. I'll try to take care of them next time by HAND.



The end result is good & bad. Car looks a little more reflective but I notice new scratches (mostly on hood). TOO MUCH WORK. I doubt I'll use it again.



EDIT - I would like to add that there were 2 panels with etched water spots I could never get rid of before. Now, ALL GONE.



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PC is a great tool, but don't expect wonders. For really deep swirls and scratches you may try Finesse-it II or wool pad, but sometimes the only choice is a rotary in hands of professional.

PC is a must with SMR, because of diminishing abrasivess you really have to work it in. IMO you can't achieve better results by hand.

Give it another try!
 
Honestly you can't give up after your first time. I sucked the first time too, thinking I had wasted alot of money on the thing. It really takes a few times of trying different techniques, compounds, pads, speeds, etc. to get the best result.



so what pad were you using, and what speed did you have it set at??





oh, and just a tip: I always like to use the 3 pass method when using the PC. I hit it side to side horizontally first, then go diagonally at a 45 degree angle across the pannel, and finally go up and down vertically, the final pass always being in the direction the wind would flow over the car. This seems to always hit all the swirls. I go for the 3M SMR on a meguiar's yellow polishing pad, set at speed 5-6. ;)



better luck next time although the car looks great from what the pics are showing. :cool:
 
THANKS FOR ALL COMMENTS. Although I"m disappointed with the PC on first try, it did help. I mean, the paint shines better than ever (as you can see from the pics).



F1Crazy, I'll try FI-2 next time. I was kind of worried that FI-2 is too harsh that's why I went with 3M SMR which seems quite safe. I'll definitely give it another try in couple of months.



SLPCar - You nailed it. I thought I had wasted a lot of money on this thing.... But it's all good. It didn't exactly give me the result I wanted, but the finish does look better. I'll try your 3-pass tip next time. Thanks. At first, I used SMR on CMA white pad on SPEED 5 and didn't go anywhere. I mean, it did not remove ANYTHING, and I mean *ANYTHING* except making the paint feels smoother. I then moved to yellow pad on SPEED 6 and finally made some progress. However, the vibration from SPEED 6 scared me, so after I worked on the hood, I slowed down to speed 5 for the rest of panels! Should I use SPEED 6 for all the panels? Hmm.... I think I'll stick with 5.. Better safe than sorry.



I finally drove the car out to my office. On my way, I was getting more "looks & stares" so I was guessing my car does look shiny. Parked at the normal spot in front of the office and looked at the car again, and YES, it looks shinier and even depper than before, so overall I guess I am still happy with PC. As most people keep on saying on the forum, "prep is the key". It's so damn right. My car only has 3 coats of Zaino now, and it looks shinier than it did when I had 35 coats on (I didn't do the best paint prep when I started with Z about 8-9 Months ago)... PAINT PREP IS THE KEY. :D
 
William240...I'm kind of in the same boat as you in regards to PC use, but I came away with a good feeling. I was not expecting miracles and my results made me happy.



There were just too many problems (swirls/scratches) in the paint to think that I'd have a like new finish. But on the other hand, what imperfections that remain are significantly better and the overall appearance is substantially improved.



I, too was hesitant to use 3M FI-II, but I may pick up a bottle and give it a shot. Now that I have a rough idea of what I can do with SMR, P21S Paint Cleansing Lotion, and the Klasse twins in combination, I may try again, but start with the FI-II and see what I get.



Will I continue to use the PC..YOU BET ! Does it improve the overall appearance of the car... YOU BET ! I love it and think that it makes polishing and Klasse-ing my cars easier and better. Of course, it still leave quite a few areas that I have to do by hand.
 
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