Polishing Dull to Shiny: Questions

D

donoman

New member
I recently bought a 1994 Miata and had to try to restore the dull, stained paint.

It was a clean car without too many scratches, but it was really lacking shine! And the surface of the paint was cloudy.



This is what I did:

Washed car (it didn't bead at all)

Claybar everything w/ Quick Detailer

Hand applied: Mother's paint cleaner (removed a lot of orange leaf-dying)

Porter Cable, with hard Sonus cutting pad: Klasse AIO - removed more surface oxidation and made it shinier

Hand applied: Klasse Sealant Glaze - no noticeable shine difference, but didn't expect any.



I noticed that the car was much shinier but by no means shiny! I wondered a few things:



- Is it possible that the cutting pad did not allow me to get the shiniest finish? Should I have used the finishing pad on the orbital + AIO?

- Should I have used a more abrasive polish prior to using AIO?

- I recently bought two 3m products: FI2 and PI2. What is the difference!?! They look exactly the same to me and the instructions don't really show a difference. The Perfect-It 2 instructions say it is approximately 1200 grit. How about the Finesse-It 2?
 
Wouldn't use AIO with a cutting pad; the product's just not that aggressive. Try a more aggressive product with the cutting pad, like the 3M you have (not sure of the diff. b/w the 2) or possibly a compound , depending on need, then maybe follow up with the AIO and a milder polishing pad to remove residue or any hazing.

My experiences with 3M polishes is that they dust like crazy, so you'll need to clean the dust and residue well before you move on to your next step.

Hope this helps....
 
You clearly have oxidation, so a chemical cleaner like AIO is perfect for the situation. It is very possible that the cutting pad left a somewhat "hazed" finish. Your best bet would have just to have used AIO with a Polishing pad and went to the KSG.
 
Thanks Shermanator!!!



That was a big question I've had... HOW MUCH DOES THE PAD-TYPE MATTER!?!?!



And apparently, what I am gathering from your response is, A LOT!!!
 
I would have attacked the problem with a wool pad and the 3M F12 (from what I remember P stands for "polymer" and F for "Forte" meaning "strong"... Could be mistaken though)



Then start off with a foam pad and a polish. Sealant and wax would come last consequitively. A last coat of carnauba applied about 48 hours later would do the trick...



And yes, I do agree with Gus, 3m creates a dust bowl. A blower or compressed air would come in handy. BTW, watch out not to splatter product on that Miata' s grained plstic parts. It is next to impossible to remove it later... I would suggest you use some masking tape...



If you have a rotary (I have a Makita 9227C and I strongly recommend it) it could work wonders for you...



Good luck.
 
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