zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Be sure to take pictures of the before, during, and after!

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

Yeah, I gonna bring out my camera but I think a grey car is hard to capture a significant improvement like the black one lol. It is a test car that is 13 years old Camry which has never been waxed. I will not work on my own IS until I up my skills (not sure when) haha plus my IS are still shinny like new.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

You can capture defects on any color... even silver/grey, you just have to play with your lighting








The difference isn't as crazy as a darker vehicle, but it's drastic nonetheless.

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

Very good capturing and showcasing the defects with the camera there!

This old Camry I will be working on is kind of strange in a way. It doesn't have much swirl if any because it has never been washed nor wax. It only get washed by mother's nature: Rain!!!! haha. The paint is just very dull looking plus some deep scratch and rock chips and water spots everywhere but little to no swirl.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Dull paint makes for great transformation pics, too



Can you tell which part has been polished

You're going to make that car look amazing! If it is that old and has rarely seen any care, a full workup is just what it needs... can't wait to see pics!

-Zach

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

I am eagerly waiting for the polisher, tools, coating and everything to start the job hopefully this Sunday. I'm still waiting for your comments/suggestions to my detailing reference in the email.

I believe the Camry's condition is very similar like that except the grey color. Is that two step or 1 step polish you did there?

Nospinzone

That is true. I was somewhat intimidated at first, but it really was no issue as far as damaging the paint.

The one thing I will say is it takes patience to go slowly. Beforehand I had read articles and viewed videos by Zach and others and knew that it takes time. I had to force myself to move the DA polisher slowly and to do repeated passes.

That made me laugh!

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

The products should get to you by Friday

I just sent you a novel in response to your questions... enjoy the reading material

This was a simple one step correction on a Lexus GX470. White polishing pad and medium polish (sonax perfect finish).

-Zach

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

That is the hardest part for most beginners... moving slow enough to allow the abrasives to work against the paint. Patience is critical... as is practice, practice practice

Good advice!

Jbreezie

I wish you were around my town! Haha

Doublebase

Well I borrowed a friend of mine's snap on polisher/buffer and polished my car...came out great, swirls are gone. I was surprised at how messy it was with the polisher throwing the polish all over the place, but after cleaning that all up and adding a coat of carnauba, the thing looks great. Pretty satisfied with the way it came out. It's a shame I live in New England because the thing will be filthy tomorrow.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

You're not doing it right if you're making a mess



There should be no slinging or splatter when using a DA... if you are making a mess you are most likely using way too much product (only 2-3 dots needed per section), or starting the pad before making contact with the paint.



In any case - glad you got your paint looking good

-Zach

Jbreezie

So this is called a one step?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Yes - a one step correction process is one that utilizes a product/pad combination that allows you to refine the surface (ie remove some defects) while still finishing without any marring that would require further refinement.

The alternative would be a more aggressive 2 (or sometimes 3) step correction process that begins with a heavier cutting compound and pad to remove more severe defects, followed by a finishing process to further refine the surface and truly bring out the maximum gloss and clarity.


Take this M3, for example...




The paint was in very poor condition, as you can see in the photo above. I opted for a 2 step correction to remove the majority of these defects while still preserving as much clear coat as possible as this was a DD.



The 50/50 shown previously was after the compounding process which included Meguiar's M101 on a 5.5" MF Cutting Disc with my Rupes LHR21ES. As you can see, the improvement was dramatic, and you may even think it is as good as it could get. The clarity is greatly improved, the gloss is fantastic... but since I used a very heavy cutting product paired with a heavy cutting pad, I know the finish is not as good as it is going to get (notice the reflection is a little bit hazy).


The following 50/50 shot shows the results of a finishing step which included CarPro Reflect on a Yellow Rupes Pad via my Rupes LHR21ES. You'll notice that the polished side is much darker and the metallic flake pops even more compared to the side that has only been compounded which now appears more hazy when you can see it against a properly finished section.





-Zach

Doublebase

Yeah I definitely used too much product, I ended up spending a lot of time wiping the paint off, etc.