I have a '08 Corvette coupe I just bought. It's Velocity Yellow. I t was on the dealers lot for about 9 months. I washed and clay barred and wash again and inspected the paint and found numerous swirls and scrathes. I have Menzerna I.P. Final polish 2 and ff106 in my arsenal. I am using a P.C. 7224 with lake country 5.5 orange pads. I got all the swirls out but not all the scrathes and I have made several passes but I don't see to be making much progress. I am using mostly I.P. and the ff106. An help or suggestions would be appriciated.
Thanks,
Fred

 

How deep are the scratches? Can you catch a fingernail on them? If not then its not through the clear. I used Menz SIP with an LC Orange Pad. I had a few that were too deep to be buffed out, but not into the paint. I used rubbing alcohol to clean out the valley in the scratch, washed the car and then used cleat coat touch up in a tube to fill it in. After a week I went back with 2000 grit wet sandpaper and wet sanded really lightly until it was even, then buffed with SIP and Orange, then IP and white, and Finishing and blue. Never could tell there was a scratch.

 

No ,I can't feel them but I see them in certain lighting. Actulally some of the scratches look to be under the clearcoat like little indentations.

 

Menzerna SIP has a little more bite than IP.....

There are times when a stronger machine is necessary but, with a car so new I can't imagine the scratches were that bad......

Are you working small 2x2 foot sections long enough and inspecting for correction before doing the rest of the vehicle.....? What speed are your running the PC at....?

 

Dave,
yes 2'x2' area @speed 6. I am using I.P. AND FF106 thats what I have on hand. I can see the scratches in certain lighting and I can not feel them as they seem to be under the clear which is impossible I would think. This is not my first rodeo I have detailed at least a dozen cars up t o this point I am getting a little fustrated now.
Thanks,
Fred

 

You will need to change up your product/pad combo. With a PC it is very hard to do much damage even with the most aggressive set ups. I have successfully removed deeper (2000 grit) scratches with the LC Yellow and 3M Rubbing Compound. Just keep the rpms down and take your time until you are comfortable. Or try some 3M with the Orange. The Mazerna IP and SIP are more finishing compounds for minor surface imperfections and swirls. I will then step it down from the 3M Rubbing Compound to the 3M Swirl remover on a white, finishing it off with either Mazerna or 3M Ultrafina.

 

Ok, you've got the process right......

Don't get too upset, your close and what you have can be corrected with the right stuff......

Do you have access to a flex or a rotary......?
If not, there are two fairly new products out for PC's that are getting a lot attention from pro-detailers....

They are 105 and 205 from Meguiars.....

Similar to Menzerna IP and 106 in that it's a two step process, only stronger.....

105 is an agressive polish and still will finish down nicely. The 205 and a milder pad will leave the surface perfect for a wax or sealant......

That's what I would get if the Menzerna isn't a strong enough combo with your PC.....

 

Sometimes it's better to live with some imperfection that might be too deep to safely correct.

 

Thanks Dave,
I have a 7224 for now and as soon as I can afford it I plan to upgrade to the Flex. I have some Optimum Compound and polish on hand shoud I give it a GO ?
Thanks.

 

Thanks.

 

I don't think Optimum polish is as good as Menzerna in general and especially on your vette clear coat....

Wait until you get a Flex and/ or something a little stronger with your PC.......

Until then, keep it waxed and you'll be fine......

Good luck......

 

Then the factory spray job might of missed it, something bumped it before clear, someone scratched it at the dealership and they resprayed and missed some. If it is truly under the clear, striping and repainting is your only cure for it, and if its minor I would leave it, but at least bitch to the dealership to see if they will fix it for free.

 

I might do that after I finish with the detailing.
Thanks.

 

I too suggest moving to SIP versus IP and then using the 106FA (Nano) .... our Wolfgang TSR 3.0 is quite similar and a bit cheaper (small bottle too) if you are looking to save $$. It was made by Menzerna for us and uses the same abrasives.

 

Since you are just using a ROB on Corvettes super hard clear coat you may want to pick up some M105, and orange CCS pad and use the KB method on the scratches.

I am not an expert on the KB method but this is basically how I did it.

Wet the orange CCS pad and squeeze all the water you can out of it by putting it between a cotton towel and squeezing it.

Apply a lot of 105 on pad to get the entire surface of the pad primed good.

Do a small area like 2' X 2' and apply heavy to moderate pressure while buffing. You can lightly mist and/or apply more polish as needed to keep polish on the finish. Stop every once in a while and wipe clean after spritzing with water to monitor your progress.

I think the big difference between the KB method and normal buffing is the amount of polish used on pad, using a polish like 105 which is not a diminishing abrasive, the amount of pressure used.

Finish with a good finishing polish like 205 or my favorite Menzerna Ceramic polish.

This worked REAL well on some scratches I had in my GTS clam shell. The Viper paint is a little bit softer but I suspect it will work well on the vette too.

If I did see this with my own eyes I would never have believed how well this works at removing imperfections and how well it finishes up. I have never been a big fan of orange pads especially on a ROB but with this method they work awesome and leave little to no micor marring.

Hopefully somebody like Kevin or Todd could give a better explanation of the KB method. I explained how I did it the best I could.

I hope this helps.

 

Thanks Frank,
I will have to get Megs 105 /205 and given it a go. The car sat on the dealers lot for about 9 months and I am sure it got cleaned with a power washer a few times. I am happy with the swirl removal but there are some tough scratches to get out.
Thanks for your imput.
Fred

 

Scott, I have wolfgangs TSR already on hand so I will try that instead of I.P. that I have.
Thanks.

 

We have several professional detailers on site and avid users of new products. On the 205/105 issue specifically, those that I trust have offered that 205 does NOT finish down as nice as Nano by Menzerna. So if you decide to go that route I would suggest their offering of 105 and then Nano versus 205.

I think 205/105 is the flavor of the moment personally, and while a great combo and product to enhance the Megs line cannot knock Menzerna off its polishes yet.

 

Good to know,
Thanks Scott

 

If you plan on keeping the PC, then I strongly recommend getting some 4" pads and a smaller backing plate. I found that when I did that, the PC did a much better job of correction on the insanely hard clearcoat on the Corvette. The smaller pads make the PC more aggressive. I believe AutoGeek has a 2 3/4" backing plate for the PC that works great with the smaller pads.