brianPA

My C3 was repainted at some point by the previous owner, and it was a pretty crappy job. I'm planning on getting a real repaint soon, but in the mean time I attempted to clean up some surface marks with fine polishing compound. It definitely did the job, however it left a cloudy haze in the clear coat that I can't seem to get rid of. i tried polishing by hand, with a buffer, tried different types of applicators and wipe cloths with no luck. This isn't swirl marks, looks more like fog on a window.

I've researched this online a little bit and most suggestions are to work the polish in longer, or use less, etc. I've tried using small amounts, larger amounts, wiping right off, rubbing in for a long time, always with the same cloudiness afterwards.

I'm using Meguirs Ultimate Polish "pre wax glaze". I cleaned and clay barred before polishing.

It is hard to photograph but very clearly visible in the sunlight from certain angles.



Any suggestions?

Ron71

I would try a couple of things in a small area first and see if gets rid of the haze:

Clay bar a small area again and see if it is still cloudy afterwards.

Try some paint cleaner/polish and see if that helps at all.

markids77

I believe you need to cut the paint with a more aggressive compound. Do you own a rotary buffer? If so, try the 3M "Finesse It" system... you will need not only the liquid product but an assortment of wool and foam bonnets for the buffer as well. The kit comes with reasonable instructions for use. Failing that, I like Meguiar's "Ultimate Polsih" applied using a 100% cotton face cloth and lots of hand pressure in a circular motion... do a 1 square foot area or so at a time, and wax immediately. The harder you rub, the better it will look, but even that might die back after a few days and require a second or third application... but this stuff washes off after a couple weeks and needs constant replenishment. I also choose Meguiar's "Gold Class" paste wax... I do however wash every week using clear water and a chamois... I wax once a month. Some of the "miracle polymer" guys will no doubt chime in with recommendations of their own... I have detailed used cars for a pay check in the past, and made a living as a bodyman and I promise there are no miracle sealers out there... good paint preservation and presentation requires a regular regimen of washing, polishing and waxing ...by hand.

brianPA

I needed a more aggressive compound, you are right. I bought the Ultimate Compound and applied it by hand with a sponge and it got the haze right out. I tried using my buffer again and the haze came back. Looks like the buffer is causing the haze, and once it was there I couldn't get it back out with the finer polish. I started doing the whole thing by hand.

I couldn't find a real orbital polisher at any nearby hardware stores, so I bought one of those $30 10" buffers and I guess it just doesn't do the job or I'm doing it wrong. I tried the wool and microfiber pads, with both the UP and UC and it always hazes. Is it possible to get a decent job out of these or are they only good for wax?

I don't mind spending the money on a real tool at all, I was just impatient and didn't want to wait a week for delivery when ordering online. I did see a bunch of random orbital *sanders* at the hardware store but I've read that they aren't the same thing and won't work right.

I dunno if a DA or a rotary is better. My paint has a lot of dust in the base coat so I'm afraid I will rip holes out where the dust sticks up if I use something like that.

DansYellow66

What pad are you buffing with - a wool pad? There are as many pad options as there are polishing compouds. It sounds like you need a finessing pad possibly and some swirl removing polish after wool bonnet polishing.

The paint looks like it has quite a bit of orange peel which will affect the appearance. If thick enough, you could probably color sand with 2000 and 2500 sandpaper and rubber blocks and then polish it out. If a previous owner painted it, the problem is knowing how much paint he applied.