Paint Correction and Polishing Questions

[avassolo]

Hello all I'm long time lurker but new to posting. I am new to detailing and have a couple friends that are willing to let me work on there cars. I am wanting to make sure that all the videos and hours of time I've spent are making sense. 

 

Car 1 :

The car is in decent shape with really just swirl markings. I'm not looking for 100% restore here the car is older i just want to restore some shine and rid of most of the swirl marks. So i went ahead and purchased the 15 mm SK and the 3 step complete pad and polish combo. I've read a lot to do the test panels to see what compound to use and i plan to do that for sure. My issue comes in when i'm finished polishing. Let's say im happy with how the paint looks now. What is the best route to go for a sealant or wax? Is it wrong to spend the time correcting it then using buttery wax to finish it off? Or will H2o guard and gloss work? Or do i actually need to purchase the ceramic wax?   Maybe I'm over thinking things but I've watched a lot of videos and cant really come to a definitive answer on what works best and most cost effective. 

 

 

Car 2:

This is a newer car. Its a 2017 Buick and i had a little time to look at it and it appears to be in great shape i couldn't even find any swirl markings. What he is looking for is more of a sealant for the car. something that makes it easier to wash and holds the shine for a decent time frame.  I know there are a ton of ceramic options but i was considering this and correct me if im completely wrong here. Could I use the 15mm SK and the finishing polish. Get a really nice shine on it. Then just hit it with liquid paint sealant. I'm open to ceramic coatings but that would require polishing the car before hand any way right? 

 

I'm open to feedback and suggestions on either car and appreciate it in advance.

 

Cheers, 

 

Alex 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by avassolo

[shane@detailedreflections]

So for Car 1:

 

As far as polishing goes, always remember to test least aggressive to most aggressive. A good number of cars don’t need a lot of compounding. It has a time and place, but not constantly. 

 

Once your polishing is complete, you can choose whatever last step products you want. Buttery has very little durability. If you’re going to go through the effort of paint correction, I’d protect that with stronger base layers. Paint sealant, glaze to really make it pop and your choice of wax. There are people using Ceramic Wax as a stand-alone. We haven’t tried it, and honestly we have no plans to. You could ceramic coat the car, but you may want a bit more experience before you do. The choice is yours. 

 

Car 2:

 

Yes, a finishing polish (which I’m sure the car can use if you look under the lights) is a good option. We use finishing polish even on brand new cars as part of our new car prep. Then sealant, glaze and wax. Or ceramic coatings. 

 

Again, ceramic coatings aren’t impossible. They’re just less forgiving to work with. If you don’t have experience with the prep steps, it can cause headaches with the coating down the line. 

 

I may do a write up on coatings, expectations for them, nuances of installation, etc at some point if there’s interest?

[kaj41354]

Welcome Alex, 

[Beemer]

It's a really good idea to clay both cars before you polish.

 

Even the new car needs it.

 

 

[mc2hill]

Welcome Alex!  

The fella's have some good information above.  I will add that I use Paint Sealant on all the daily drivers I do (I put it on my son's Accord yesterday) and get a good 6 months protection with it.  It is a simple to apply with an SK, and comes off easily too.

[falcaineer]

, Alex!

[avassolo]

Thanks for the insight. I wanted to ask if it’s worth it to do a iron remover bath before the clay bar treatment. 

 

What i I was thinking is a basic car wash and foam. Then spray with the iron remover and tar x, then hit the clay bar. Then go into polishing. 

 

Is the the iron remover and tar x necessary or just a wash straight into polishing. 

[shane@detailedreflections]

Here you go:

 

- wash

- iron 

- clay 

- polish 

- last step products. 

 

Don’t cut corners. 

[cwp2016nd]

3 hours ago, avassolo said:

Thanks for the insight. I wanted to ask if it’s worth it to do a iron remover bath before the clay bar treatment. 

 

What i I was thinking is a basic car wash and foam. Then spray with the iron remover and tar x, then hit the clay bar. Then go into polishing. 

 

Is the the iron remover and tar x necessary or just a wash straight into polishing. 

Follow the steps Shane provided and you'll be in business. 

 

The Tar X is only necessary if there are tar deposits visible on the paint. If there are traces of tar you can't see, the clay bar will pick them up. 

[bikeryder007]

45 minutes ago, shane@detailedreflections said:

Here you go:

 

- wash

- iron 

- clay 

- polish 

- last step products. 

 

Don’t cut corners. 

 

I follow this as well, but I have a quick question.  Is there a reason that you can not use iron remover before you wash?  

Just curious.  I did my truck in the order above and smelled that iron remover for a week. ?

[shane@detailedreflections]

6 minutes ago, bikeryder007 said:

 

I follow this as well, but I have a quick question.  Is there a reason that you can not use iron remover before you wash?  

Just curious.  I did my truck in the order above and smelled that iron remover for a week. ?

 

There is a reason to do it after the wash. If you have dirt and easily removed non bonded contamination, it can block the effectiveness of the iron remover. The contamination that’s removed by soap can act as a shield in a way if it’s left in place. Every step is to make the next step more effective. 

 

Soap to remove heavy dirt. 

 

Iron to remove bonded iron bedore clay. 

 

Clay to remove what’s left. 

 

Polish to clean/repair the surface for protection to bond to the paint. 

 

It’s exactly why corners shouldn’t be cut. 

[bikeryder007]

Gotcha.  Thanks.

[avimore]

On 9/25/2018 at 2:34 AM, shane@detailedreflections said:

 

There is a reason to do it after the wash. If you have dirt and easily removed non bonded contamination, it can block the effectiveness of the iron remover. The contamination that’s removed by soap can act as a shield in a way if it’s left in place. Every step is to make the next step more effective. 

 

Soap to remove heavy dirt. 

 

Iron to remove bonded iron bedore clay. 

 

Clay to remove what’s left. 

 

Polish to clean/repair the surface for protection to bond to the paint. 

 

It’s exactly why corners shouldn’t be cut. 

 

After the wash, do you have to dry the car?  Or can you spray iron remover on wet paint without blocking its effectiveness?

[cwp2016nd]

3 hours ago, avimore said:

 

After the wash, do you have to dry the car?  Or can you spray iron remover on wet paint without blocking its effectiveness?

You can leave it wet, but in turn it will dilute the product and reduce effectiveness. 

 

I take my electric leafblower and dry the car off quickly and then spray iron remover all over the vehicle. A few water droplets won't hurt a thing.