brplatz

So I just bought my Black C5Z, and am very happy with it. This being my first black vehicle, and a bit OCD I researched on autogeek and purchased some goodies.

I read that the C5s have a hard clear coat, any recommendations on technique? I picked up some Wolfgang total swirl remover and polish. Along with a PC7424xp and various pads.



Thanks
Brian

Chicago

I had a black C5 and all I can tell you is you'll need plenty of patience to get rid of the swirls. And you'll never get rid of all of them, no matter how hard you try If the pads you have don't work very well order up some microfiber pads and D300 polish from Meguiars. Best combo I've found yet for the random orbital polishers.

brplatz

I appreciate the input! And yes I know it will never be perfect, considering it's a daily driver. But I'm looking forward to getting it as good as I can get. I'll take a look at those products if this setup isn't aggressive enough

Chicago

You should be okay. Just take your time and make sure you have clean microfiber towels. The C5 clearcoat scratches easily, but is a pain to correct.

Lpe403

You have good stuff. Take your time. It's true the black C5s seem prone to microscratches.

Post up before and after pics if you can, please.

mike100

You can start with the polish to get a feel for the machine speed and the cut of the different pads, but to really correct a car that has never been polished, you might need to start with a mild compound.

The compound will leave micro marring of its own that shows as holograms in the sun so then following up with polish will take that out. I did my black 91 ZR-1 with the PC machine using yellow and orange pads for the compound and white pads for the polish all on speed 5. I used Meguires 105/205, but I think any finishing polish other than 205 would have been about the same. The 105 compound worked well and you can find the 105/205 in places like Pep Boys and Harbor Freight these days.

0Killrwheels@Autogeek

Process:
Wash
Clay
Dry
Polish (orange pad with Total Swirl Remover) -- Buffer
Finishing Polish (white pad with Finishing Glaze) --Buffer
Sealant

**there are plenty of video's on our forum and online to work PC **

spdkilz911

Like already stated, you have the right tools. You cannot be in a hurry, it takes time. Good luck. Definetly post some pictures.

cegusa

I bet with a little patience you can get it looking nicer than you think. Your off to a great start with your supplies. Great thinking picking up several pads. Set some time aside and head over to the Autogeek forums and do a little reading. Also there are several fantastic videos at the AG site as well. When you are done, you are likely going to be very satisfied with the results. If you are not doing so already, do some research on the 2 bucket wash method and possibly consider using some type of blower to dry off the car to also help keep the ongoing marks down. Good luck

0Killrwheels@Autogeek

http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polisher.html

start here ....

Black 02

Microfiber cutting pads along with the right compound and a Flex will get rid of the swirls quite nicely. I would go ahead and try what you have, but I think you'll need to get a little more aggressive if the swirls are pretty bad.