Paint correction little by little

[AvsBest]

I am getting tired of polishing my whole vehicle in one session because it usually takes me 10 hours from start to finish including wash, clay bar, paint correction and paint protection. I get tired real quick of bending over to reach the lower areas and I tend to speed up the process and not spending a whole lot of time on one panel which means that when I am done it looks good but not perfect.

 

What I would like to do is work one panel at a time every week or so and drive the vehicle in between sessions that way I can spend a full hour or so on one panel and get it perfect without getting grumpy about how long it takes. My vehicle is almost a daily driver so I will drive in between sessions.

 

What would be the best to go to do that?

 

The vehicle is currently "sealed" so I would have to strip it. My idea was to do everything on one panel at a time so wash/strip the panel, clay bar the panel, fix the panel and seal the panel. Drive it around for a week, and start over on a different panel.

 

Suggestions?

 

For the record, I am very familiar with the proper car care techniques in general and have been using adam's product for a few years

Edited July 26, 2014 by AvsBest

[Marylander]

First, welcome to Adams. I think your plan is perfect. A lot of us work it that way.

[Beemer]

I have worked this way as well.  I find it's easier to strip a panel using deluted ipa (alcohol).

 

Don't feel bad.  Many of us have to spread out the work.

[Gen9Rolla]

I think it's much smarter to do it that way as well. You can really focus on getting each panel down to as perfect as you want without causing yourself unneeded stress.

[mc2hill]

Like the others said, that way works too.  As Roger said, instead of doing a strip wash, use IPA to strip the existing protection on the panel you are working on.

 

I don't know if you have access to a garage, but here is the way I usually do my cars:

• Friday evening - wash wheels, strip wash car, clay, maybe some polishing
• Saturday morning - quick WW wipedown, polish, apply MSS (old Sealant - 12-24 cure time)
• Sunday morning - quick WW wipedown, apply Americana, interior

[BKazzle]

I have worked this way as well.  I find it's easier to strip a panel using deluted ipa (alcohol).

 

Don't feel bad.  Many of us have to spread out the work.

 

 

 

 

Like the others said, that way works too.  As Roger said, instead of doing a strip wash, use IPA to strip the existing protection on the panel you are working on.

 

I don't know if you have access to a garage, but here is the way I usually do my cars:

 

• Friday evening - wash wheels, strip wash car, clay, maybe some polishing
• Saturday morning - quick WW wipedown, polish, apply MSS (old Sealant - 12-24 cure time)
• Sunday morning - quick WW wipedown, apply Americana, interior

If you have Adam's Glass Sealant applied to your exterior glass, then what do you use to clean your glass?

 

My guess is like most if not all other glass cleaners, that Adam's is no different and has a base of IPA. (Pretty standard in auto glass cleaning--even Windex has it)

[JHL88]

I wish it took me 10 hours total to do my vehicle.  It takes me at LEAST 3 days working most of the day to finish my truck.  

[AvsBest]

Glad my plan will work. When you say to use rubbing alcohol to strip, how do you do that?

 

I was going to use either dawn soap or the recommended Adam's all purpose cleaner diluted in your regular wash bucket method.

 

Do you apply alcohol directly on a microfiber and just wipe the panel after you washed it using your regular method? I'd be scared of ruining your microfiber by doing that.

[Feets31]

The alcohol will let you safely clean one section without striping off the wax of every panel under it.  It is easier to control then a watery product. 

[blcksilv08]

 

 

 

 

If you have Adam's Glass Sealant applied to your exterior glass, then what do you use to clean your glass?

 

My guess is like most if not all other glass cleaners, that Adam's is no different and has a base of IPA. (Pretty standard in auto glass cleaning--even Windex has it)

Adams glass cleaner is ammonia and alcohol free to make it safe on tint.

[mc2hill]

Do you apply alcohol directly on a microfiber and just wipe the panel after you washed it using your regular method? I'd be scared of ruining your microfiber by doing that.

 

Spray the IPA mixture on the paint and wipe with your MF towel (WW towels work great for this!).

[BKazzle]

Adams glass cleaner is ammonia and alcohol free to make it safe on tint.

 

Oh, thanks for the clarification. Did not know that was the case.

 

I wonder what the base is then. Works really well regardless.

[GerryC]

Panel by panel over the course of a week is how I corrected my G8 since it is an ungaraged daily driver. Do not strip wash the entire car though, only strip each panel as you begin work on it. This way the only unprotected paint is the paint you are currently working on. Do the complete clay->polish->seal process to the entire panel before moving on to the next one.

[LFairbanks]

I usually start in the evening on a Saturday and work in the garage till the wee hours of the morning.  Usually get all the way up to and including sealant.  Then get up on Sunday morning and finish up.  That way I don't feel like I have wasted a day.  And the wife doesn't complain about "is that all your going to do today?"  She is getting better.....lol.  It would drive me nuts to do it panel by panel.  Here and there.

Edited July 27, 2014 by LFairbanks

[AvsBest]

Spray the IPA mixture on the paint and wipe with your MF towel (WW towels work great for this!).

When you say "mixture", what is it? 50/50 water/IPA? In a 12 oz bottle?

[GerryC]

The ratio to water would vary depending on the strength of the alcohol you are using. Also, when using this method to strip your protection, try to avoid contacting any rubber or plastic trim with the alcohol.

[AvsBest]

I don't know, the regular rubbing alcohol stuff that you use when you hurt yourself...

[Beemer]

When you say "mixture", what is it? 50/50 water/IPA? In a 12 oz bottle?

50/50 would be fine.  I mix it with distilled water in a spray bottle.  Stuff is real cheap at the drugstore.  Get a couple bottles.

[GerryC]

I don't know, the regular rubbing alcohol stuff that you use when you hurt yourself...

 

IPA is available in strengths from 40% up to 99%. Stronger alcohol would require more dilution to be safe to use. If it is too strong, it can cause the paint to swell and become soft. Of course this also varies from car to car, as no two models are using the same paint system; some may already have naturally soft paint. Just saying that there are too many variables to just strictly say "50/50", etc. My G8 has soft paint. If I used IPA 90 I would dilute 3:1 with water. If I used IPA 40, I'd do 50/50.

[Beemer]

I use 90 percent cut 50/50.  I don't leave it on the paint for more than a few seconds so I don't think it will harm the paint.  It evaporates so fast I really don't think you'll have a problem unless you REALLY soak it down.  Light spray and quick wipe will do the trick.

[AvsBest]

40%, distiller water and 50/50 mix it is then

[AvsBest]

Actually my drug store only had 70% IPA so I went with that and distilled water. Will do a 50/50 mix in a 12oz bottle. Should work?

 

Thanks for the input

[Beemer]

Actually my drug store only had 70% IPA so I went with that and distilled water. Will do a 50/50 mix in a 12oz bottle. Should work?

 

Thanks for the input

 

70 percent will work great.  It can be difficult to tell that it has stripped everything away because you paint will still bead but just wipe it a time or two and the clay will get the rest.

[AvsBest]

I finally got my behind off the couch and tried what I was suggested in this post: Only worked on 1 panel today and used alcohol/water to strip it.

 

2 bucket washed the car this afternoon (Adam's shampoo, foam gun, grit guard buckets, adam's great white towel, caterpillar type wash mitt) p.s. waiting for an adam's wash mitt to become available...

 

Relaxed for a few hours than used the following on the driver side rear door only: Adam's Waterless wash (remove dust for a 100% clean area), alcohol/water mix to strip, Adam's Clay bar, Adam's detail spray.

 

Roughly 3-4 passes of orange Swirl and Haze remover (older version) on top half of the door.

Using 5" Hex pads with PC7424XP

1 pass of Fine machine polish (older version as well)

Repeat on the bottom half of the door another 3 passes or so.

I kept looking after a pass but it wasn't enough so I kept going until I was satisfied.

 

I'd like to thank the scratch that I named Bertha, she made me swear like a sailor and made me a better polisher in the process.

 

Pictures are not bad, gives a good idea. You may have to crank the brightness of your device and use full screen to have a better look. As much as I love that paint, it is an absolute pain to take good swirls pic given there is so much metallic in it.

[Team Adam's]

That's a great correction, NICE WORK!!

[Ricky Bobby]

I can definitely see the correction, nice work!

 

Get yourself one of those LED torch flashlights off ebay for 20 bucks, they make the best swirl finders and are super easy to compliment your work light and give some extra illumination in a concentrated area as well!