I bought the Porter Cable 7424 from Auto Geek last week. I watched all the clips of using the tool correctly and watched the film from Junkman (very informative) and practiced on my D.D. After I felt comfortable with the white pad and my ZPC I went to work on my c6 Z06. This car only has 700 miles so the paint is in good shape with only some minor spider webbing and a few slight scratches, but being a perfectionist about my car made me want to perfect the black paint.

I started on the roof with the white pad and this didn't seem to do much, so I switched to the orange pad and could tell the difference immediately. It looked great! I moved on to the rear hatch area and it also turned out fine except for a scratch or two that you probably wouldn't notice anyway. I then went to the hood and began my 2x2 foot areas. I don't know, maybe the light was different, but I noticed some holograms in the paint after I removed the ZPC. I switched to the white pad with no better results. I applied some Z5 to the area but I could still see the holograms. I then applied some Z6 and I think this got rid of them. But for how long?

Can you guys tell me what I did wrong? I applied the pad conditioner and I don't think it's a dry pad problem. I might have gone a little slower on that area but that's all I can think of. Yes, the washer is on the buffer and I used the Lake Country pads. Now this has got me wondering if I should continue. I seem to have a bit of micro marring from the orange pad that I was going to clear up with the white pad but now I don't know!

Sorry this is so long. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Are you getting actual holograms or is it fine scratches/marring after using the PC? Sounds like you're buffing too long and with too dry a pad.

 

Of all the polishes I use for different paint corrections, I notice that ZPC is unique in leaving behind that "hologram" look (at least on black). It looks almost like there is some "oil" residue in the product. I don't get that with the Menzerna and other machine polishes. I even get this with ZPC when applying by hand. Z6 however will remove that film and the Z5/Z2 will also get rid of that look. I don't think you have anything to worry about?

IMO the ZPC is a bit deceiving (but it is also very safe/mild to use). I have noticed minor scratches that it "appears" to remove at application time, reappearing sometimes and it is possibly due to the optical enhancers in the product? I only use ZPC for the mildest of scratches where maybe I accidentally leaned against the car with dust on it.

 

Optical enhancers sounds like another word for fillers?

According to Zaino, ZPC doesn't have any oils or fillers.

 

It's tough to say without seeing it, but I'd go along with buffing just a little too long. Try Z6 before the Z5, and then Z6 in between coats.
Good luck.

 

To start, You stated your paint was in good shape so there was no need to use the Orange foam pad in conjunction with ZPC.
I myself have worked out numerous problems with ZPC and a white pad.
You have to be patient with this product and make sure you work it into the paint/clearcoat as it has a diminishing abrasive value.
I usually put my PC on no higher then 5 as a speed setting and use overlapping motions "Up and down" on the sides and "Front to back" on the top of the vehicle.

A hologram look is usually due to using to much product and not removing all of the product which could leave the finish in the said condition.

My suggestion would be to strip the surface down and go over the vehicle again using a PC set at 5 / white Lake Country Pad / and very little ZPC, You dont need much of this product at all.

Be very patient as it takes me several hours to due an entire vehicle that has severe problems but as you stated "your paint is in good shape" so it shouldnt be a big deal at all.

If you need any further help you can always PM me OR Agentf1 and we can help you out.

I also think we should stay on topic and not bring oppinions of other products vs Zaino in this thread as the OP is asking for help with Zaino, not asking what is better or what everyone else is using.

Best Regards
John

 

patience, use the white pad, very small amounts of product and take your time. Most people run into problems when they get in a hurry looking for results to quickly. Take your time , do one section, take a break and come back and do another....G

 

Thanks guys. I went at it again last night and I had no problems on the other panels while using the white pad. It is alot softer than the orange pad and it buffs the curves alot better. The problem on my hood was at the point where the hood rises toward the middle of the hood. I think the orange pad was actually missing this spot as I buffed. I did not want to buff this area with the pad's side. The white pad conforms to the different lines of the car as you buff. Also the orange pad is the smaller pad that came with the kit, so it flexes less at the outer edge because it's not much larger than the backing plate.

The white pad takes care of the spider webs but does absolutely nothing for even the slightest of scratches. I think I will try a larger Lake Country orange pad for these.

I can only say that the ZPC is great for slight imperfections. I think my problem was a combination of improper use and the orange pad. I do believe that all pads are not created equal. Thanks again.

I also wanted to say that I received a very informative P.M. from Sal yesterday, without even asking. Great customer service!

 

Also, don't be afraid to use Menzerna SIP with an orange pad. The ZPC is mild, and even with SIP and a PC, paint correction is a chore but more effective than ZPC. I use the combination, followed by orange/white + FP/ZPC.

 

I too feel that this might have been a bad combo choice, since ZPC is relatively mild considering how abrasive the orange pad is. Thus some micromarring or halogramming could show up. Now you could move to less abrasive pads like a white with ZPC and then a finishing pad as wanted, but lots of work.

Trying a white pad now with Menzerna 106FF should easily clean up the finish and make super reflective and clear. You can still use Zaino to seal your work , although I offer a quick rewash or wipe down with alcohol to assure proper curing and Zaino's best in class durability.

 

I have never been a big fan of using orange pads with a ROB machine. I have fixed numerous cars that had tons of micromarring from orange pads that needed a rotary to remove. I have seen some orange pads that are on the softer side that work great but others that seem to be on the firmer side wil introduce micromarring and a ROB does not have the power to remove defects of that magnatude. You may get by doing isolated areas or scratches but I do not recommend doing the entire car.

I ALWAYS recommend taping an edge and doing a small area first and then making sure you can restore the shine before proceeding to the entire car. Problem is, it is usually hard to see on lighter colors or if you are not in the proper lighting. Then you pull the car out in the sun and something does not look right, especially on black.

I always say, if you cannot resolve it with the ROB and a white pad you should step up to a more powerful machine rather than a more aggressive cutting pad. These pads work fine on a Flex or BO6040 and rotary's but have no place on a ROB. This is just my honest opinion as I know some people swear by them but then all pads are not equal. Some may be broken in better etc etc ...

Always do test area's before proceeding.

Make sure you have proper lighting.

Tape an edge so you have something to compare to and can verify you can restore the shine fully.

 

i had some pad marring on my black paint and i ended up getting rid of the problem with a white pad with menzerna final polish then followed up with a black pad and menzerna micro polish and it cured my problem, it was my first time using menzerna products and i was pretty impressed on what it did and how easy it was to wipe off,