lil vette

I read where turtle wax is rated as good as any high priced wax on the market.
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I bought some turtle POLISH compound & by hand I used the POLISH on a small area, then I used the turtle canuba wax.
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It looks pretty much the same as the area I didn't touch except for using the turtle canuba wax. It feels super smooth, but isn't super shiny as a couple of the cars I've seen here.
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My question is:
How do I get the best shine? Do I need a Porter Cable..dohicky machine?
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gsxrbb

Thats a pretty vague question. First off you need to assess the condition of the paint. Put your hand in a plastic sandwich bag and LIGHTLY run your fingertips over the paint. Feel rough? then you need to clay the paint before doing anything else.

Once that is done, depending on the severity of the swirls/scratches, you may be able to get them out by hand, but you WILL work your shoulders to death.

If you can post up some pics it will help greatly as opposed to everyone playing the guessing game on what you should do.

EVIL_C5

time, money, and skill.


a pc will remove very light spots, and you may be able to remove some of the heavier ones if you work them long enough, like a hour a panel.

vette clearcoat is very hard but very easy to scratch if that makes any sense.

menzerna and some of the wolfgang polishes work excellent on vette clearcoats, but by the time you buy everything you need to get a nice finish, you might be into it 300-400 bucks....

waupachino

I think your biggest problem is the fact you used the Turtle Wax compound which is a very rough compound for removing light scratches, but didn't use anything but polish after that. When using a harsh compound it needs to be followed with a less harsh of a compound to remove the scratches left behind from the compound itself.

A good system is 3M Imperial Microfinishing compound, followed by 3M Finesse it 2, then polish or wax.

MagRedConv

Check out the Car Care section. It's devoted to this type of topic.

04 commemorative

so would it pay to have your vette get a few new coats of clearcoat?

Ralphyboy

I have a PC random orbit machine I got from Autogeek, and I use Menzerna products. However, you'll get as many different answers with as many different folks you talk to. You need to check out the Car Care Section, and then see if you can find a member in your area to give you a little help. try asking at a local show or event.

0Killrwheels@Autogeek

the Vettes clearcoat is considered hard and a bear to correct. Certain polishes and machines will make it easier. I can say personally that hand polishing is overrated and highly tiring for little to no reward on most paints especially the Vette.

if you want to polish, consider a machine / polishes / pads that fit your budget and learn the pro's/con's of them. (ie. PC very safe, but alot of patience needed best for smaller correction).