Clearcoat?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 4
From: Rockford Illinois
Clearcoat?
I have a 01 Z and want to wetsand sertain areas of the car to remove scratches.
How hard is the clear coat and or thick? No bodyshop near me will touch the car unless I have it re cleared.
How hard is the clear coat and or thick? No bodyshop near me will touch the car unless I have it re cleared.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 17,336
Likes: 8
From: Maker of Sharp Objects, AL - Roll Tide
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
St. Jude Knife Maker
If it is factory paint, it isn't very thick. I would be very careful trying to cut it to buff it. The reason the paint shop won't touch it is probably because they are afraid that they could burn through and then have to worry about getting blamed for messing it up. When you repaint a car, the painter should lay the clear on a little heavy, so that there is room for cutting and buffing. This is especially the case on show cars. Factory cars put just enough on to get by 
There are people who have done it, but I woudn't recomend it
There are people who have done it, but I woudn't recomend it
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 11,070
Likes: 1,290
From: Central Ma
A polisher can accomplish quite a bit. Do you have one?
The flex/orange pad is a great combination.
A rotary in the right hands can achieve amazing results.
A lot of people have been successful wet sanding and polishing, but you should know what you are doing.
Good luck.
The flex/orange pad is a great combination.
A rotary in the right hands can achieve amazing results.
A lot of people have been successful wet sanding and polishing, but you should know what you are doing.
Good luck.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 305
From: Carmel Indiana
The clear coat is pretty thick and forgiving to sand out a scratch. I took 1200 grit sandpaper, sprayed it with detail spray and wet sanded a 2" long deep scratch just below the emblem on the nose. The scratch was deep enough that your fingernail would catch on it. You do need a power buffer to buff out the dull fiinish. Hand buffing will NOT do any good. I use a Flex buffer with Mezerna SIP polish on a heavy pad. You can see the results and the difference between the nose and the hood which had not been done.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Chatham Ontario
I did the same as jdsaengine except I started with 2000 grit and then 2500 grit then polished out with the menzerna compounds and flex buffer. Looks good as new!!! Just did this yesterday along with a full polish and wax job.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Chatham Ontario
The 7424 will work, but I would use orange instead of yellow which is too abrasive from what I have read. As for the 3M product, I don't know. Some one will chime in Im sure!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 4
From: Rockford Illinois
I do have a Porter cable, but I was taught when wet sanding it doesnt have the generated heat to cut down the sanding marks. it will make a difference but only a rotary will do the job correctly.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 4
From: Rockford Illinois
Go to the 6 minute mark, they talk about trying to remove sanding marks with a Dual action such as the Porter cable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwEyZ...eature=related
