New standard for clear removal

[agtjamesb007]

I *LIKE* (high-quality) single stage, and most ss white is *HARD*. I wouldn`t mind that if it were mine. You`ll find out for sure the first time you correct it with a pad that isn`t white.

I have heard that, and I think I wouldn`t mind it either. Its just frustrating I cant get an official answer from Honda. Its as if they don`t even know what they put on their vehicles. I do have an orange pad that I may be using soon, however I was told that clear comes off as white on the pad as well. So how would I tell if it is clear coming off onto the pad or color?

 

[Accumulator]

I have heard that, and I think I wouldn`t mind it either. Its just frustrating I cant get an official answer from Honda. Its as if they don`t even know what they put on their vehicles...

Yeah, I could *NEVER* get a straight answer from Audi about the finish on the exterior aluminum trim that`s on my cars. Varying "Official Responses" that were mutually exclusive. IMO it`s just more evidence that they simply DO NOT CARE as long as they sell vehicles and if they lose a few customers they must figure they won`t miss them. I actually believe that they view customers who care about such stuff as PIAs that they`d rather not deal with. It`s like mechanics- some *LOVE* working on spotless cars and have zero problem not [messing] them up (those would be the ones I patronize ), but most couldn`t care less and would rather not worry about "not marring the paint" and so on.

I do have an orange pad that I may be using soon, however I was told that clear comes off as white on the pad as well. So how would I tell if it is clear coming off onto the pad or color?

While I hope you don`t have to take off enough paint for it to matter anyhow, IME the ss white and cut-off clear look sufficiently different to me that I think you`ll notice if it`s ss white on the pad. I mean..lots of products are white too, but when I used white compound on white single stage I`d look at my pads and think "eh, getting loaded with cut-off paint...that`s not just old product". But then I haven`t worked on ss white since I was a whole lot younger and what I could see back then might not be what I could see now. Give it a go and see what you think. IMO if you can`t tell then you really *could* just quit caring

You might want to try to avoid getting "stains" on the paint though, I could be wrong but I always think of clearcoat as being...uhm...less easily penetrated by the kind of stuff that leaves pigmented stains. Like a "purple-berry bird-bomb". But again, my ss white experiences were back in the day.

The industry average is 1.5-2.5 mils ...

When I think about it, IMO that`s quite a broad range! Even if it is pretty thin on that one end. AFAIK, it`s only the top little-% that really provides the UV protection so that`s sure not much to work with if thinking long-term.

You guys have really good comments!

Well, you`re a real Fount of Info yourself.

...i would not support any of this by spending my money on a modern vehicle with this thickness, or really a lack of it...

Yeah, sigh...here we are with Hellcat-level power and C6-level brakes and handling and for one reason or another I simply wouldn`t have a brand-new car if somebody gave it to me.

 

[TheMeanGreen]

But IMO the Manufacturers have zero concern about customers` wants regarding cc thickness and 99.9999% of those customers will never even think about it much less care. Especially with so many vehicles being leased these days. Stuff like this only matters to people like us Autopians.

Agreed, as more and more vehicles are produced each year, the number of buyers, relationally, that care about their cars goes down. If manufacturers built cars to last, like they used to, there would be no need for new cars.

 

[Accumulator]

TheMeanGreen- One thing we might disagree on though- IMO most of today`s cars will actually last longer in regular-owner service than the vehicles we think of as having been "made to last back in the good old days".

During the Muscle Car Era and well into the `80s-`90s, all those cool vehicles rusted away in a few years, as in to the point of being "unsafe to drive". The people who racked up six-figure mileage were considered unusual, and while some vehicles would easily last 100K or more, plenty of others became maintenance nightmares long before that even within the same Make (e.g., compare an old 200-series Diesel Benz to an old S-Class).

Today, vehicles don`t rust out in the *structural sense* nearly as often/readily (and IMO/IME most wouldn`t rust much at all if people would take care of them better) and six-figure mileage is common and not the cause for "imminent failure" concern like it used to be.

I guess it`s risky to generalize too much though...but back in the Good Old Days the vast majority of nice cars were terrible to actually live with as reliable transportation.

 

[SVR]

I had a Nissan V35 and G35 skyline that had 65-80 microns on it so I used our softest polish with a soft foam and that`s all it got
Compounding is something I only do on very high end work, these days with the machine technology I have, compounds are virtually never needed and the pad technology helps alot too, some of these new pads are deadly though in even some
detailers hands