weekend with my Acura - newbie report

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danr43

New member
I used to smirk when reading posts from someone saying they couldn't lift their arms over their head because they were sore from a paint correction project. No more! Although I've used KAIO and KSG by hand for years on my VW Passat, when I bought my '07 Acura TSX this winter I decided that a PC would make life a lot easier. (Yeah, right!) The car had fairly severe swirls and light scratches. Here was my routine which started at 8 AM Saturday morning and lasted most of the day Saturday and Sunday.



1. wash and Clay Magic clay

2. test panel 106FF and white LC pad

3. test panel 106FF and orange LC pad

4. test panel SSR2.5 and orange LC pad (good!)

5. entire car using SSR2.5 and orange LC pad

6. finish with 106FF and white LC pad

7. quick detail w/ONR to remove dust

7. two coats Z-2 Pro + ZFX

8. total body collapse



Even thought this was my first experience polishing with the PC, I really like 106FF. Easy polish for a beginner to work with and it seems to get better the longer you work the polish. Most of the swirls and light scratches are gone but upon very close inspection I still see a few! I underestimated how long the process would take but I am happy with the outcome. I've been lurking on the forum for months - thanks to everyone for advice and tips. My next project will be a few of the deeper scratches. I'm thinking about M105 for that but I'll wait until my arms stop throbbing. :chuckle:







 
What color is your TSX? How hard / soft did you find the paint?



I've got a lot of work to do on my Milano Red TSX. I've got all the pads and products I need... I just need to get started.
 
sockmonkey - i've got the feeling that he doesn't have the experience yet to determine how hard/soft the paint is. his tsx is the first car he has done with a machine.
 
Sorry the photos aren't showing up - can someone assist? I searched for the topic and read to cut and paste the link code from photobucket but that isn't working.



The color of my Acura is Carbon Gray Pearl. Kind of a slate gray/blue. Whether the paint is soft or hard I don't have experience to compare.
 
danr43 said:
Sorry the photos aren't showing up - can someone assist? I searched for the topic and read to cut and paste the link code from photobucket but that isn't working.



The color of my Acura is Carbon Gray Pearl. Kind of a slate gray/blue. Whether the paint is soft or hard I don't have experience to compare.
Click to expand...



It looks like you copied the wrong code. Yon need to select "more" and then "get link code" and copy the code for bulletin boards. When you see your code it should look something like this:



........jpg
(I removed the actual location so you could see a sample)



I think you copied the HTML code.
 
IMG_1121.jpg



IMG_1120.jpg



Dan, it looks very decent. Welcome to Auotpia!



Next weekend I'd like you to work on those wheel wells - - - a little extra effort can go a long way!
 
tom p. said:
IMG_1121.jpg



IMG_1120.jpg



Dan, it looks very decent. Welcome to Auotpia!



Next weekend I'd like you to work on those wheel wells - - - a little extra effort can go a long way!
Click to expand...



You're right about the wheel wells. There is very little space between the tires and wells. I've tried spraying APC and using a narrow profile brush but I may have to take the wheels off to really get at the problem.
 
When you have the time, remove each wheel, clean and spray with an appropriate cover-up ... something like an undercoating, etc. It lends a nicer appearance.
 
tom p. said:
When you have the time, remove each wheel, clean and spray with an appropriate cover-up ... something like an undercoating, etc. It lends a nicer appearance.
Click to expand...



Much to the amusement of my wife and family, I removed one wheel, sprayed CG APC on the wheel wells, and scrubbed the area with a brush. Then repeat. It looks clean now but still has that worn and dull black plastic look. Before I do the other three wheels, I want to have an under carriage product in my arsenal. I'm thinking about CG Barebones Undercarriage Spray. Not a lot that I can find reviewing these "spray and walk away" undercoatings. Recommendations?
 
danr43 said:
Much to the amusement of my wife and family, I removed one wheel, sprayed CG APC on the wheel wells, and scrubbed the area with a brush. Then repeat. It looks clean now but still has that worn and dull black plastic look. Before I do the other three wheels, I want to have an under carriage product in my arsenal. I'm thinking about CG Barebones Undercarriage Spray. Not a lot that I can find reviewing these "spray and walk away" undercoatings. Recommendations?
Click to expand...





Can't see them too good from the pics but Megs Hyper Dressing is pretty fool proof for me when it comes to dull black plastic wheel wells. Nice car and background.



Welcome to Autopia!
 
danr43 said:
Much to the amusement of my wife and family, I removed one wheel, sprayed CG APC on the wheel wells, and scrubbed the area with a brush. Then repeat. It looks clean now but still has that worn and dull black plastic look. Before I do the other three wheels, I want to have an under carriage product in my arsenal. I'm thinking about CG Barebones Undercarriage Spray. Not a lot that I can find reviewing these "spray and walk away" undercoatings. Recommendations?
Click to expand...



Try taking the seats out some time to vacuum the entire car. They'll love that one.

:spit:
 
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