Looking to correct holograms after PC job - Austin, TX

[emx620]

Hi all,

 

I already did some searching and already read quite a few posts about how to correct holograms. It seems I somehow introduced quite a few after doing a machine polish job this weekend (my first). I started out with a full wash and dry, and then proceeded to polish with the orange pad + orange product, and then the white pad and white product. I topped it off with a hand wax afterwards. I feel its helpful to note that I did not clay before, primarily because I was lazy, and figured since my car is a little over a year old, I did not need to. I went and did the plastic bag test today, and indeed, it needs it. Not sure if this contributed to my holograms or not.

 

It looks like the general consensus is to strip my wax and rewash my car, and go back over it with a white pad and white polish on 5 - 6 speed setting with a firm application.

 

Finally, my main question is, is there anyone local in the Austin, TX area who feels like helping/assisting/coaching me with my car this Saturday? I have a 2010 Black 370Z, so I feel like it would be a fun project. If anyone local would love to volunteer, I would be much appreciative. I would be willing to give some sort of compensation in exchange for the help...I'm really good with computers :-)

 

Thanks in advance and I apologize if this post breaks any rules, or is in the wrong section.

 

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Update

 

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So I decided to strip the wax off my car, and just give it a good wash and wax, and see how that affected the streaking looking marks. I think it came out really well, and it looks much better. I applied a hand carnauba wax afterwards.

 

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

 

[1anonly]

From what I can tell it looks like smudging. Two possible things caused it... or a combo of both. 1) You didn't work the FMP enough. 2) You didn't wipe the FMP completely off. A quick fix would be to take IPA and wipe down the panel, then re-wax. Or you could do a pass with Revive, if you have it.

[CrawlinTBSS]

Nice fix dude!

[txredgt]

Pretty sure I know the area where you live after that 1st picture haha. Anytime you want to detail again let me know, I'm up close to cedar park but I am willing to lend a hand or vice versa. Looks like you got it figured out there from the pictures.

[emx620]

I added some updated pictures to my main post if you guys want to check them out.

 

Thanks for the help!

[TR6speed]

I cannot add to what has already been said except, one thing I do to remove the Fine Machine Polish, is I use a plush blue microfiber towel and my PC. I lay the towel on the hood, place the PC pad in the upper left corner leaving enough towel to grab and place on the top of the buffer and then wrap the lower part of the towel around the lower half of the buffer. set the speed between 3 & 4 and let the machine do the work. I have no issue with not getting the polish off plus you don't work as hard.

Learned this from a real early Adams video.

[emx620]

as said...that looks like FMP not being fully wiped off. and by your comment you said " maybe you didnt work it in enough" kinda sounds like you may have no wiped off the excess left over residue. if im incorrect, my bad.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I thought I did a good job removing the polish with a microfiber towel after finishing, but you never know.

 

I hope to give it a wash, and wax strip this weekend. If the swirls are still there (I expect them to be), I'll clay and FMP with less product, and more pressure. I'll post back with results once I'm able to accomplish this.

 

Thanks for all the input guys!

[CrawlinTBSS]

as said...that looks like FMP not being fully wiped off. and by your comment you said " maybe you didnt work it in enough" kinda sounds like you may have no wiped off the excess left over residue. if im incorrect, my bad.

[Z71_Denali]

if your willing to drive to Houston, i can help!

 

my new PC arrived today, and we can both learn from each other and knock out your car in double time!

[txredgt]

I am in Austin but I have work and a swap meet to go to on Saturday. One of these days when I have off and you do to I would be up for helping you out, I am by no means at the level of some of the other guys on here but I believe we can get it figured out.

[emx620]

I agree the PC couldn't do that, however it can remove it!

Was there a rotary buffer ever used on your car?

I'm pretty sure there wasn't. The car is a little more than a year old, and the paint looked really good before I tried the PC job, minus some spider web paint effects.

[Chris@Adams]

I agree the PC couldn't do that, however it can remove it!

Was there a rotary buffer ever used on your car?

[Vincenzo]

Looks more like you didn't wipe the polish off completely. Try washing it again and see if that does it.

[emx620]

Those appear more to be smudging, likely from polishing oils and things of that nature, not holograms. Its virtually impossible to introduce holograms with the PC as there is not forced high speed rotation to the pad. Holograms are the result of poor rotary technique.

 

Start by stripping the car, you can use dawn dish soap or a mixture of APC and car wash to create an non-neutral strip wash.

 

Once you get all the waxes off of the finish, go ahead and clay the entire car, then work panel by panel. Use less product this go around. FMP is notoriously hard to remove all of if you go too heavy on the product or don't work it fully.

Thanks Dylan!

 

I have a feeling that I may have used too much product, and possibly not worked it in well enough. Machine polishing was REALLY draining, especially in a garage in the 100+ degree Texas sun. Next weekend, I'll give it another shot, of going slower, and using less product.

 

By the way, how fast should the white pad spin? I found I didn't have to press as hard to have it spin as fast as the orange pad would. I had it spin maybe a little faster than shown by Adam in his PC instructional video with his orange pad.

[Doug123]

I would always baggie test the surface and clay as required before PC polishing. Just my two cents-

[Team Adam's]

Those appear more to be smudging, likely from polishing oils and things of that nature, not holograms. Its virtually impossible to introduce holograms with the PC as there is not forced high speed rotation to the pad. Holograms are the result of poor rotary technique.

 

Start by stripping the car, you can use dawn dish soap or a mixture of APC and car wash to create an non-neutral strip wash.

 

Once you get all the waxes off of the finish, go ahead and clay the entire car, then work panel by panel. Use less product this go around. FMP is notoriously hard to remove all of if you go too heavy on the product or don't work it fully.

[emx620]

My car is a little dusty, but here are some pics. It looks way worse in pictures, than it does in person :-( These are holograms right?

 

 

[Adam]

Matthew, can you snap a photo of the finish and post it? Might get some good input from the peanut gallery here!