New pad for spiderwebbing, Audi paint.

T

thedarksyde

New member
I have an Audi TT 2002. I have an orange Sonus 6 Inch cutting pad, and 3m products, machine glaze, hand glaze, and PIII abrasive, and probably PII (dont have the numbers here) also scratch X. I can not get rid of the webbing, it is really hard to do, I have watched videos, used the most abrasive product I can get and it just doesn't work. Oh I use a PC as well.



So I want to get a new pad. What should I get? A swirlbuster? A 4 inch cutter? a 4 inch polisher, as I could burn with the 4 inch cutter. A yellow Lake Country 6 inch cutting pad? I just saw the swirlbuster, and it looks sorta promising. But I am just not being successful here.



Any links or names of pads I should try?
 
I would go far Propel green or the new Lake Country CCS (orange,green and blue pads).

Im sure some one going chime in on this one. Auid paint is PITA.:chuckle:
 
get some menzerna powergloss and a cutting pad on a PC, or some hitemp EC/OP mix on a heavy polishing pad on a rotary and have at it...
 
From everything I've heard about Audi paint I'd use Menzerna. Accumulator also has had good success with 1Z polishes. Depending on how bad your marring is you may not need PowerGloss. Remember, always start with the least abrasive necessary for the job. Consider 106FF or Blackfire SRC (same product except with added lube). I don't think the pad is necessarily the issue here. Menzerna 106FF is specifically made for harder paint.



Post some pics when you finish, I love TTs. I still wish I could have an 02 convertible in Nimbus Gray with baseball optic leather.
 
SRC Finsihing Polish or SRC Compound.



It says this about compound so I am assuming not it:



S.R.C. Compound is for use on all, newer technology, scratch resistant clear coats. DO NOT use on pre-2005, conventional clear coats. Softer, traditional clear coats should be polished with BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish. If you're not sure about your 2005 or 2006 vehicle, check with your dealer to see if it came with a scratch resistant clear coat. If it does have a scratch resistant or nano, ceramic particle clear coat, always use BLACKFIRE S.R.C. Finishing Polish first to try and remove the defect. S.R.C. Compound should only be used to remove deeper scratches and paint defects that S.R.C. Finishing Polish could not remove.
 
My Audis laughed at LC 6.5" cutting pads, and at wool pads too. Not even close to aggressive enough.



The only way I can do decent correction on Audis via PC is with 4" cutting pads, and even then I can very seldom get what I want, probably because I run out of patience. I can't help but think out loud: "get a rotary". But if I can remove marring by *hand* (e.g., behind the door handles) then you can do it by PC.



I'd try H-T EC with a bit of 1Z Ultra/Extra mixed in to increase the work time, but note that the wax/etc. in the 1Z can do a little concealing so if that matters be sure to check your work accordingly. No matter what you try, it won't be too aggressive for the Audi clear. The "will the PC break it down?" will be the factor to worry about.



Note you'll have to use increasingly gentle steps after the major correction to remove micromarring and establish a good gloss. This isn't easy stuff here..



With a rotary, you can do the work pretty easily. An Audi with thick clear is the perfect vehicle to get acquainted with a rotary, if you have the right mindset.
 
thedarksyde said:
Ha, that's like the white whale velobard.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know. I fell for that combo when I saw one for sale on a lot about a year ago for $25k. Unfortunately, it was right as one contract was ending and I was gearing up for a move and new job search. Lousy time to take on another car payment. The same lot had a yellow Works Mini with white stripes and chrome fog lights that my wife fell for.



Listen to what Accumulator has to say about Audi paint, he's had as much or more experience as anyone around with it, at least among folks with Autopian standards.
 
Well, some of the Pros have a lot more experience with it than I do, but I've done enough to know what I'm talking about ;)



The whole "mixing polishes" thing isn't rocket science and I don't want anybody to think it's a big deal. Especially when we're talking about the most aggressive step where some micromarring/other issues won't be a big deal. I just put a fair amount of the H-T EC on the pad and put a few "dots" of 1Z Ultra/Extra on there too (or you can use some OP but that diminishes the cut a little). All you're doing is adding a a little bit of long-wrok-time product so the H-T EC doesn't flash off quite as quickly as it wants to.



Oh, and FWIW I really wouldn't try for true perfection on the Audi without using a rotary. You should be able to get it very, very nice but I'd be reasonable about it. Some people here have posted some *great* work they've done on Audis...don't think that just because somebody else did something that it means *anybody* can do it ;)
 
Ok sounds good, I will try the 4 inch pad with 1z and the H-T EC. Ill do it on some less visible areas first and see what happens, and accept I am not going to get it as perfect as my gf's civic.
 
New question...sorry...



If I am being accepting that I can not get this stuff cut, and I have a feeling I will still not be sucessful, you mentioned something about filler wax? That fills the spiderwebbing? Is that 1z? What is this stuff, and what step would this be?
 
thedarksyde said:
Wow, 106FF sounds good, but too much in one bottle, sounds like the Blackfire might be something to try.
Click to expand...



I tried the 106FF on my TT last Saturday - spent a good 1-1.5 hours just on the tailgate....a little bit off a result - thinned out the webbing, but nothing dramatic. (that was with the Sonus SFX-1 4" pad on the PC) :hmph:



I'm having another go tomorrow with the PO85RD 3.01 and the same pad. I'll let you know the results.
 
why not just get something that is aggressive...i don't think that 106ff is aggressive as much, so you are basically wasting your time....get some PG and a orange LC pad, and get to work and watch the swirls disappear in no time...the whole work with the least abrassive method is time consuming...i'll bet you can polish with a PC and powergloss and a cutting pad on your hard audi paint a good 10 times before you MIGHT need a repaint, and if you do that once a year at most, then...(does anyone really keep their car that long anymore?)



get the PG and a light cutting pad and get to work....
 
toyotaguy- Heh heh, well, my wife and I are gonna keep *our* Audis indefinitely since we don't like the new ones :D That's one more reason why I won't wetsand her etched paint ;) But I did hit it with the rotary a lot of times trying to remove the etching and judging by the minimal improvement (which means minimal clear gone) people just aren't gonna polish away the clear on Audis. Certainly not by PC.



I don't think even PG will do the job *that* easily by PC, but hey, I never used it. At any rate, you're absolutely correct: using mild stuff on Audis is a waste of time and effort.



thedarksyde- The 1Z stuff does do a little concealing, not like a "stealership glaze" but it'll help a bit.



1z is a product line from Germany, they make all sorts of stuff. I only use their polishes myself.



Remember that work I've done behind the door handles- most things are *possible* but I sure dunno if that makes 'em worth doing ;)



Kriminal- I'll say that IMO 1.5 hours for one panel isn't all that long, doing an Audi by PC. Using the right stuff won't make it go much faster but you'll at least have some results to show for all your effort. No kidding, get something aggressive..yeah your clear can take it; I've been *mighty* aggressive on Audis over the years I've never ran out of clear, and we keep ours a long, long time..
 
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