Taking Optimum Polish to my brand new car - advice on my technique!

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imported_Need4Spd

New member
Hi all,



Tomorrow I'm going to take optimum polish to my brand new car with my PC 7424.. need some advice on my technique. I'm trying to remove extremely minor dealer installed marring.



The car has been washed and clayed. It will get washed tomorrow before I break out the PC. Here's how I understand what I need to do.. just want to be clear this is correct before I go ahead on the new car.



I'm using a white LC pad with the PC.. I'm going to be working under 1000 watts of light. If that pad doesn't do it, I'll move up to an orange pad.. but I'm hoping I don't need to do that. The marring is extremely minor and only easily seen under halogen light at an angle.



As I understand it, I first need to prime the pad. Maybe spritz a tiny bit of QD on there? Then, with the OP, I will make a circle on the pad.. and then an X through the middle. I'll place it against the paint and turn it to speed setting 3 to spread the product with little to no pressure. Then I'll turn it to 6 and apply 15lbs or so of pressure and move over the paint at an inch a second. I'll work on a 2 square foot area at a time.



Now my question here is, how long do I work the product? I'll go horizontally.. and then work it vertically. Once I've done this at speed 6 moving SLOWLY do I need to keep going or just wipe away and move on. As I understand it, I don't want it to dry entirely and drag on the paint.



Then as I move to the next area, I will only use a quarter size drop as the pad has been primed.



When I'm done, will it be ready for sealant? Seems like I'd have a lot of excess product on the car if I did it this way



ANy insights?
 
what kind/color of car?



You don't need that much polish to prime the pad. Use 1/4 of that. (1/4 of the circle).



You will not dry out OP. That is the beauty about op. Hard to tell how long to polish. Do work it in, and wipe it off. See where you are then. Go from there.
 
Its dark metallic grey, little bit of flake.. mitsubishi evolution ix mr



Okay - so if it doesnt dry out, then won't I go through a ton of MF towels wiping away wet product? How can I possibly remove all of the product before sealant? What if it dries?
 
Yeah . . . way to much polish . . .



Priming the pad can be accomplished by applying a dime to quarter size ammount on the pad, with the pc off spread the polish over the intended work area, then with the pc on a low speed continue to spread the polish so the area you intend to buff has a uniform coat of wet polish, then up your speed and begin your buffing . . .



you will get a few other tips, tricks too, but i have had great success using this method - i get uniform pad/product coverage every time . . .



good luck . . .



one comment on the old OP polish, super deuch your pads, as it likes to stick and build up . . . . two pad cleanings may be necissary, and I have had great luck getting the optimum out with simple green, just make sure you rinse your pads out really, really well, until when you wring them to dry you see crystal clear water. . . .
 
Need4speed - slow the heck down!



If the micro marring you describe can only be seen under halogen lights at just the right angle why the hey are you bent on grinding away at that brand new finish. Why not wait until spring when you'll most likely and sadly have a number of blemishes you can see in regular light (or darkness) at any angle.

In the meantime, get some polishin under your belt with the gf's/wife's/parents ole beaters.

But get that polish away from the new ride and use that new PC toy to apply a good LSP for winter.
 
abbeysdad said:
Need4speed - slow the heck down!



If the micro marring you describe can only be seen under halogen lights at just the right angle why the hey are you bent on grinding away at that brand new finish. Why not wait until spring when you'll most likely and sadly have a number of blemishes you can see in regular light (or darkness) at any angle.

In the meantime, get some polishin under your belt with the gf's/wife's/parents ole beaters.

But get that polish away from the new ride and use that new PC toy to apply a good LSP for winter.
Click to expand...

That's good advice :2thumbs:



Need4speed thanks for posting this BTW. I used OP for the 2nd time today and realize now that I used entirely too much polish :o

I guess you live and you learn, right? :chuckle:
 
tdekany said:
that kind of car?



You don't use much OP. A few dots on the pad is enough. That way you don't need extra towels.
Click to expand...





I thought you need enough polish to create a barrier between the pad and the paint to prevent marring with OP
 
From one newbie to another...you will love the OP. Very easy to apply and remove and leaves a good shine. You don't need a lot..even if you use too much it is still very easy to remove.



As for the PC, don't use the side handle either...just hold the body of the polisher with both hands it works much better that way.



I have to agree with abbeysdad also....you might want to wait until spring to do any polishing...just get a good LSP on there now and worry about correcting any imperfections you may get over the winter.



Good luck and have fun with your new toys!
 
EdLancer said:
I thought you need enough polish to create a barrier between the pad and the paint to prevent marring with OP
Click to expand...



Yes, but with Optimum, the mentioned amount is definitely enough. Using too much, you'll compromise the cutting ability of the polish.



Need4Spd,



The winter advice is great. Hard to resist, but I wouldn't strive for a perfect finish before the winter. The dirty ice and snow will do enough damage and I wouldn't compromise the film build - even when it is a new car.



Although Optimum Polish is perfect for new finishes, I'd recommend a good, stable, durable LSP, with a bit of hiding ability. Megs #21 ×2-3 then a good carnauba for an additional mechanical barrier, and you'll be safe during the whole winter. Alternatively, you can go of course all-sealant (slicker), or all-carnauba, but the actual mechanical-physical protection of a good heavy carnauba is unmatched.
 
Thanks for all the responses - however, just a few comments:



I probably overexaggerated how minor the imperfections are. When I picked up the car, it was raining off and on. Apparently, the dealer thought it'd be a good idea to use an old rag to wipe down the car everytime it stopped raining. Result? Long sweeping lines down the paint. Furthermore, in certain areas you can see some holograms.. it's evident that they took a rotary to the car and weren't very careful. I just didn't want you guys to get the impression that the car is moderately or heavily marred/swirled I suppose as in another thread, I was surprised that people were recommending using an orange pad with OP ... but in this thread people are telling me not to polish!



This definitely needs to be taken care of before applying sealant. Also, in terms of the winter, the car won't be driven in the ice/snow.. let alone the rain most of the time. I've got another car that takes the abusive elements...



Also, I'm not as new to the PC as my post sounds.. certainly still a newbie, but I've used the machine many times with success on my old (black) car - I've just never actually used something like OP .. I've used more abrasive polishes. Also, I wanted to get some critique on technique as I understand that I am taking it to a new car and want the finish to be perfect before I apply 5 coats of z2/z5, ya know?



I'm a little surprised by how little polish you guys say I need on the initial priming of the pad.. just based on what I've read in countless other threads here
 
In this case, just go ahead! The OP will produce consistent, wonderful results. Yep, you can go up to the orange pads.



Based on your description, your technique is good, so why wait?



The exact amount can vary from pad type to pad type. You have to approach things empirically. Generally, Optimum products are very economical and you have to use very little. Their abrasives work best when the lubricants don't oversaturate the pad. So, after priming, you only need 2-4 pea sized drops. You can work with it as slow as you want, and basically as long as you want. They will provide a wet, classy perfect prep finish for your Zaino.
 
I agree if it's that bad, go for it..although I don't really think you need to put that much pressure on the pc/pad...I've gotten just as good of results letting the machine/polish do the work than trying apply a lot of pressure.



If the swirls/marring aren't that bad and you just want a good prep, maybe try something like klasse AIO or werkstatt prime before using your LSP of choice, just to get the paint really clean/prepped.
 
Just wanted to provide an update!



I've done one side of the car and the hood (skipping the front bumper as i have a clear bra).. still have the rear, roof, and left side to do.. I am in *disbelief* how perfect the paint is now - that Optimum Polish is good stuff!



I started with the white pad.. noticed a little reduction in the marring.. but wasn't satisfied. I moved up to the orange pad.. and perfection!



I never got results like this with the PC.. so I'm pretty excited.



Thanks for all the input!



Chris
 
nice... now quit teasing us without pictures :)



I have to agree with you on the OP. I really like using that product.
 
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