How can i get my showroom finish to stay on longer
09-29-11, 05:35 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
How can i get my showroom finish to stay on longer
Well rather than have it it detailed i would prefer to do it my self but i don't have the products as yet what do i need any recommendations on which products to use. i have in mind the meguiars ultimate compound. i don't have a porter cable or buffer. can i apply it by hand using an applicator pad? this car is my daily driver and kept outside most of the time....i need to claybar it right now all i have is pinnacle Signature Series Carnuba Paste wax that i won and i use meguiars wash an wax soap
and after a wash
and after a wash
Last edited by boostinsc; 09-29-11 at 05:42 PM.
09-30-11, 05:28 AM
#3
Without a PC I'd just wash, clay and use Meguiar's Cleaner Wax or Gold Class Wax. Between details, I'd apply Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax after every wash to refresh the "just waxed" look.
Looks like your SC that was pretty well maintained. If it were mine, I'd get a DA and the Meguiar's Microfiber Pad / Polish Kit to keep it looking looking like new. That kit contains the pads, polish and wax to remove any swirls.
Looks like your SC that was pretty well maintained. If it were mine, I'd get a DA and the Meguiar's Microfiber Pad / Polish Kit to keep it looking looking like new. That kit contains the pads, polish and wax to remove any swirls.
10-01-11, 07:09 AM
#4
Do not use UC by hand. If dont put 100% effort behind each pass you will leave some hazing and swirls. Products like that are best to be used with a PC. If you have a small area that needs attention you can do it by hand. But I dont recommend the entire car. Since you car looks pretty well maintained like mine I would use an all in one polish,swirl, minor imperfections removal. Kinda like autoglym SRP, but there are others as well. Then Id just top with your wax of choice. To maintain that show room shine I use megs ultimate quick wax spray after each car wash.
10-02-11, 12:40 AM
#5
Dysfunctional Veteran
I reccomend Wash/Clay/Wash/Compound(if nessecary)/Polish/Glaze/Wax/Seal
There are some people who reverse the last 2 steps and go seal then wax, You can, but I find the above process lasts (beads water) longer.
I reccomend either Griot's Garage or Meguiar's Professional Line of products. I also use Adam's, Zaino, Poorboys, and I always use JetSeal109 as a sealant.
There are some people who reverse the last 2 steps and go seal then wax, You can, but I find the above process lasts (beads water) longer.
I reccomend either Griot's Garage or Meguiar's Professional Line of products. I also use Adam's, Zaino, Poorboys, and I always use JetSeal109 as a sealant.
10-02-11, 01:10 AM
#6
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If you really want a mirror finish, it will cost a couple hundred bucks but if you can get a body shop to color sand and buff it, that will bring is back to being a ice cream paint job.
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10-02-11, 05:00 PM
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Yeah color sanding is the final process in painting a car generally where you sand down the clear coat to remove orange peel, then slowly work your way up in quality of grit sand paper, working through a couple finer rubbing compounds, and finishing with a polishing compound.
10-02-11, 06:38 PM
#10
Some thoughts on wet-sanding
Looking at the photos of the OP's Lexus I don't see any need for wet-sanding. This is a daily driver that is kept outdoors which IMO, makes it a poor candidate for wet-sanding.
I've noticed a lot of comments in various threads recently about wet sanding and wanted to leave this bit of caution for those considering it.
When I last did a wet-sanding, I removed around 5-6 microns of clear (0.25 mil) to remove orange peel. I only did this on a new repaint that I knew had had lots of clear sprayed. If I'd have done this on factory paint I'd have pretty much been worried about a shortened life. I also knew this was a show car and wouldn't be exposed to the elements.
Removing 5-6 microns of clear leaves little leeway to correct future marring, bird etching or acid rain damage, things that an outdoor kept daily driver will likely see more than once. Also consider that a DA with a polishing pad and medium polish will remove 1-2 microns of additional clear every time you polish. It adds up quickly and you are suddenly facing early clear coat failure. The cost of a repaint, could be thousands of dollars, I'd suggest living with little orange peel on a daily driver. FWIW, our domestic auto manufacturers state that if you remove more than 0.3 - 0.5 mil (7.5 - 12 microns) will damage your clear and void your warranty. (GM 0.3 mil, Ford and Chrysler 0.5mil) Just as a point of reference your factory paint is really thin. A piece of 20# printer paper is about 90 microns thick, close to the total paint thickness (e-coat, primer, base and clear) on your car.
Another issue caused by wet sanding is that the clear coat is only 1.5 to 2 mil thick and the hardest part of the clear is at the surface as is most of the UV protection. When you remove the top quarter of that clear you wind up with a less dense, softer clear and less UV protection remaining. Neither of which is good for a daily driver.
I urge anyone reading this to do their homework and fully understand the pros and cons of wet-sanding before embarking on this process. It could quickly turn out to be unexpectedly expensive. If you wan to have a flawless show car finish have a pro with the right tools and experience take this step.
I've noticed a lot of comments in various threads recently about wet sanding and wanted to leave this bit of caution for those considering it.
When I last did a wet-sanding, I removed around 5-6 microns of clear (0.25 mil) to remove orange peel. I only did this on a new repaint that I knew had had lots of clear sprayed. If I'd have done this on factory paint I'd have pretty much been worried about a shortened life. I also knew this was a show car and wouldn't be exposed to the elements.
Removing 5-6 microns of clear leaves little leeway to correct future marring, bird etching or acid rain damage, things that an outdoor kept daily driver will likely see more than once. Also consider that a DA with a polishing pad and medium polish will remove 1-2 microns of additional clear every time you polish. It adds up quickly and you are suddenly facing early clear coat failure. The cost of a repaint, could be thousands of dollars, I'd suggest living with little orange peel on a daily driver. FWIW, our domestic auto manufacturers state that if you remove more than 0.3 - 0.5 mil (7.5 - 12 microns) will damage your clear and void your warranty. (GM 0.3 mil, Ford and Chrysler 0.5mil) Just as a point of reference your factory paint is really thin. A piece of 20# printer paper is about 90 microns thick, close to the total paint thickness (e-coat, primer, base and clear) on your car.
Another issue caused by wet sanding is that the clear coat is only 1.5 to 2 mil thick and the hardest part of the clear is at the surface as is most of the UV protection. When you remove the top quarter of that clear you wind up with a less dense, softer clear and less UV protection remaining. Neither of which is good for a daily driver.
I urge anyone reading this to do their homework and fully understand the pros and cons of wet-sanding before embarking on this process. It could quickly turn out to be unexpectedly expensive. If you wan to have a flawless show car finish have a pro with the right tools and experience take this step.
Last edited by jfelbab; 10-02-11 at 06:47 PM.
10-02-11, 07:31 PM
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Looking at the photos of the OP's Lexus I don't see any need for wet-sanding. This is a daily driver that is kept outdoors which IMO, makes it a poor candidate for wet-sanding.
I've noticed a lot of comments in various threads recently about wet sanding and wanted to leave this bit of caution for those considering it.
When I last did a wet-sanding, I removed around 5-6 microns of clear (0.25 mil) to remove orange peel. I only did this on a new repaint that I knew had had lots of clear sprayed. If I'd have done this on factory paint I'd have pretty much been worried about a shortened life. I also knew this was a show car and wouldn't be exposed to the elements.
Removing 5-6 microns of clear leaves little leeway to correct future marring, bird etching or acid rain damage, things that an outdoor kept daily driver will likely see more than once. Also consider that a DA with a polishing pad and medium polish will remove 1-2 microns of additional clear every time you polish. It adds up quickly and you are suddenly facing early clear coat failure. The cost of a repaint, could be thousands of dollars, I'd suggest living with little orange peel on a daily driver. FWIW, our domestic auto manufacturers state that if you remove more than 0.3 - 0.5 mil (7.5 - 12 microns) will damage your clear and void your warranty. (GM 0.3 mil, Ford and Chrysler 0.5mil) Just as a point of reference your factory paint is really thin. A piece of 20# printer paper is about 90 microns thick, close to the total paint thickness (e-coat, primer, base and clear) on your car.
Another issue caused by wet sanding is that the clear coat is only 1.5 to 2 mil thick and the hardest part of the clear is at the surface as is most of the UV protection. When you remove the top quarter of that clear you wind up with a less dense, softer clear and less UV protection remaining. Neither of which is good for a daily driver.
I urge anyone reading this to do their homework and fully understand the pros and cons of wet-sanding before embarking on this process. It could quickly turn out to be unexpectedly expensive. If you wan to have a flawless show car finish have a pro with the right tools and experience take this step.
I've noticed a lot of comments in various threads recently about wet sanding and wanted to leave this bit of caution for those considering it.
When I last did a wet-sanding, I removed around 5-6 microns of clear (0.25 mil) to remove orange peel. I only did this on a new repaint that I knew had had lots of clear sprayed. If I'd have done this on factory paint I'd have pretty much been worried about a shortened life. I also knew this was a show car and wouldn't be exposed to the elements.
Removing 5-6 microns of clear leaves little leeway to correct future marring, bird etching or acid rain damage, things that an outdoor kept daily driver will likely see more than once. Also consider that a DA with a polishing pad and medium polish will remove 1-2 microns of additional clear every time you polish. It adds up quickly and you are suddenly facing early clear coat failure. The cost of a repaint, could be thousands of dollars, I'd suggest living with little orange peel on a daily driver. FWIW, our domestic auto manufacturers state that if you remove more than 0.3 - 0.5 mil (7.5 - 12 microns) will damage your clear and void your warranty. (GM 0.3 mil, Ford and Chrysler 0.5mil) Just as a point of reference your factory paint is really thin. A piece of 20# printer paper is about 90 microns thick, close to the total paint thickness (e-coat, primer, base and clear) on your car.
Another issue caused by wet sanding is that the clear coat is only 1.5 to 2 mil thick and the hardest part of the clear is at the surface as is most of the UV protection. When you remove the top quarter of that clear you wind up with a less dense, softer clear and less UV protection remaining. Neither of which is good for a daily driver.
I urge anyone reading this to do their homework and fully understand the pros and cons of wet-sanding before embarking on this process. It could quickly turn out to be unexpectedly expensive. If you wan to have a flawless show car finish have a pro with the right tools and experience take this step.
Well with color sanding, like stated earlier i would seriously only recommended taking it to a professional body shop. Although it really depends on the persons usage, if they want to have a mirror finish with show quality a color sand from a professional shop will remove the top layer which has already been heavily scratched and UV shifted.
I mean anyone can want to have a shiner car and like anything if they are willing to take care of and maintaining it i think the OP's car is a definite candidate for a color sanding, its really up to their own personal desire for their car.
The entire clear coat, if done correctly, has very similar density due to the hardening agent they add prior to shooting the car. The only reason why the clear gets less mirror like is from hazing from excessive micro abrasions and UV shift which occurs no matter what. You don't need to remove a major amount of clear to restore the luster it once had, if the cars never been polished before it would be just fine.
I had my daily driver color sanded from a reputable paint shop and it really brought back the luster of the car. Now it doesn't have a warranty but I don't know any dealerships that warranty paint its a real wear and tear item so do claim one would be very difficult , although i wash and wax the car to protect it from the elements. Generally if your car doesn't need a full color sand a body shop wont do it, they will just recommend a good polishing agent service and that alone can remove the micro abrasions caused by daily usage.
10-02-11, 10:09 PM
#12
Well with color sanding, like stated earlier i would seriously only recommended taking it to a professional body shop. Although it really depends on the persons usage, if they want to have a mirror finish with show quality a color sand from a professional shop will remove the top layer which has already been heavily scratched and UV shifted.
I mean anyone can want to have a shiner car and like anything if they are willing to take care of and maintaining it i think the OP's car is a definite candidate for a color sanding, its really up to their own personal desire for their car.
The entire clear coat, if done correctly, has very similar density due to the hardening agent they add prior to shooting the car. The only reason why the clear gets less mirror like is from hazing from excessive micro abrasions and UV shift which occurs no matter what. You don't need to remove a major amount of clear to restore the luster it once had, if the cars never been polished before it would be just fine.
I had my daily driver color sanded from a reputable paint shop and it really brought back the luster of the car. Now it doesn't have a warranty but I don't know any dealerships that warranty paint its a real wear and tear item so do claim one would be very difficult , although i wash and wax the car to protect it from the elements. Generally if your car doesn't need a full color sand a body shop wont do it, they will just recommend a good polishing agent service and that alone can remove the micro abrasions caused by daily usage.
I mean anyone can want to have a shiner car and like anything if they are willing to take care of and maintaining it i think the OP's car is a definite candidate for a color sanding, its really up to their own personal desire for their car.
The entire clear coat, if done correctly, has very similar density due to the hardening agent they add prior to shooting the car. The only reason why the clear gets less mirror like is from hazing from excessive micro abrasions and UV shift which occurs no matter what. You don't need to remove a major amount of clear to restore the luster it once had, if the cars never been polished before it would be just fine.
I had my daily driver color sanded from a reputable paint shop and it really brought back the luster of the car. Now it doesn't have a warranty but I don't know any dealerships that warranty paint its a real wear and tear item so do claim one would be very difficult , although i wash and wax the car to protect it from the elements. Generally if your car doesn't need a full color sand a body shop wont do it, they will just recommend a good polishing agent service and that alone can remove the micro abrasions caused by daily usage.
Rather than color sanding to bring about a new layer, I would rather have the clear last as long as possible. Theoretically the paint will continue to gain micro abrasions and oxidize no matter how much care is put into maintaining a car. The sacrificial layers we place on the car can only do so much so we have to keep that in mind. I'd much rather do very minimal paint removal on any DD to make it last longer
10-03-11, 07:09 AM
#13
While the hardeners and UV blockers are well incorperated into the resins as it applied, they migrate to the top during curing, hence the harder and denser clear coat is near the surface. You will notice this when wet sanding and after the first a quarter of the clear has been removed the remainder is actually noticeably softer. This is one of the reasons the auto manufacturers state that you must not remove over .3 - .5 mil of clear. If clear coats were uniformly hard and able to block UV throughout the clear, you could easily remove over 1 mil and still have the paint protected.
10-13-11, 09:50 PM
#14
Lexus Champion
1) Paint clay, polish, and wax
2) Keep car in garage
It's amazing how many people blow it on step 2.
A $50K car in the driveway and $428 worth of crap in the garage.
(OP, this was not directed at you - just a general rant!)
2) Keep car in garage
It's amazing how many people blow it on step 2.
A $50K car in the driveway and $428 worth of crap in the garage.
(OP, this was not directed at you - just a general rant!)
10-16-11, 01:37 PM
#15
Moderator
Agree - keeping the car washed/cleaned every week or two and just as important keeping it in the garage will keep the paint looking great to 10 years+. If you have a garage use it.