2k2wranglerx

Hey Guys,

so i have always wanted a smaller buffer. i have an 8 or 9" buffer but man it's tough to use compared to these smaller DA's. I decided it's time to learn how to do some of this stuff. I pulled the trigger on a torq22d.




I had my paint corrected in April and had a ceramic top coat applied. I believe what they used was Gtechniq EXO Hybrid Hydrophobic Coating Sealant. i had 400 bucks into the correction and i just couldn't swallow another 500-800 for a full ceramic job.

Anyway, the paint is in very good shape with minimal issues now. I've kept up with it but i'd like to learn how to correct/ceramic coat. I have a 2013 ford focus st with 150k miles that's getting ready to be retired (it's my company car) and i figured i'd learn on that and then do the vette.

So what i'm looking for is a few recommendations for correcting paint and ceramic coating. Again, learning on the focus because i don't care at all about it (it's wrecked and hit and has tons of big scratches etc. it is an abused company car). Basically i'm looking for recommendations on the chemicals/coatings i need to start and any direction you guys can point me. I'm not 100% new. I've used my normal buffer with cutting wax and sealer before. But i've never learned how to do any type of "correction".

Thanks guys.

oh also, here's my car

Sunset-C6

2k2wranglerx

oh ya....

Imamotohead

2k2wranglerx

no not yet. it won't stop raining!!!!! Thank you for the compliments too.

As soon as the rain lets up i'll try it out and give an honest review.

Thanks!

SouthBaySurfer

DK83

EXO is a good coating, I've used it various times and do like it alot.

Couple of things to keep in mind when doing correction and coatings.
Try from least aggressive methods and gradually move on up. Do a test spot with a pad/product and see how it comes out.
For coating, take your time and make sure to level off all high spots. Having a bright, but diffused light source is great to find high spots.

Have fun!

CamarosRus

I also just bought the (above) TORQ 22D on Black Friday but have NOT used yet.

I bought a WOOL pad and have McGuiars Xtra Cut Microfiber Pad with Meg's 100,105 & 205

0Adam's Polish

Here's a couple videos that may help you on paint correction & ceramic coating...….either one is just not that hard to do.

CamarosRus

Mr ADAMS, Ive already "bought into" the Meguairs Micro Fibre Cutting Pads, and 100,105 and 205 (Meg;s) Polishes.

I do not own a paint depth measuring device....

My CONCERNS are that Ive not yet found a Video or Tutorial that teaches/discusses how to polish
clear coat chips very small craters....and no one dares to advise on wet sanding the same

.............and when does a person just STOP and "live with" whatever small imperfections remain ?????

endus

Remember the goal with the Ceramic is to not be constantly polishing it. Once it's applied you want to try and wash as carefully as you can to avoid introducing swirls and have the coating last as long as possible. If you want to have detailing work to do as an ongoing project, use wax or a regular sealant. I just used Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Sealant (non-ceramic sealant) for the first time and HIGHLY recommend it. Extremely easy to work with, brings out the metallic in the paint a lot, smells great, etc. I wanted to try ceramic when I got the Vette this fall but it got too cold to apply a ceramic before I could get to it so I went with the PBL. I will likely stick with that for the next two years until it has a few swirls and needs polishing again.

Buffer-wise, I started with a Porter Cable 7424. It's OK for a light cleaning but getting any serious scratches or even swirls out with it is pretty tough. It is amazing for applying wax, though. I then went to a Makita 9237 rotary. Definitely significantly trickier to work with, but also the fastest.

My back has been garbage and I was worried about controlling the rotary on the vette so I picked up a Rupes Bigfoot 21 version 2. It's a very good middle ground. With the rotary I really never use anything more aggressive than fine polish and an orange pad because I just don't need to. With the Bigfoot I did need to use one of their green pads and Menzerna Medium polish to do the first pass and get the swirls out. The white pad and fine polish were perfect for finishing.

The ideal buffer would be a long throw RO like the Rupes 21 but with forced rotation like the Flex polisher.

This year I also bought a 3" backing plate for the porter cable and, honestly, I could not have finished the vette without it. Even the Bigfoot Mark II stalled out on some of the complex curves in the body like on the doors. RO's are just not good for tight spaces because it's hard to just use the edge and keep it spinning, but with the 3" backing plate it worked a lot better and I was actually able to get polishing done. 3" seems like the perfect pad size for the porter cable. I actually wound up using the rotary for some of the skinny parts as well so I could use the edge of the pad.

Here's the trio relaxing between sections.

BudgetPlan1

As for correction, a whole bunch of ways to go with that; something simple, effective and on something like a Torq would be the Jescar offerings; work well, less oily than Menzerna, come in small bottles. Jescar has Compound, Medium Polish and Finishing Polish. For the 8mm DA's the BOSS pads are nice, Lake Country Thin Pros as well. If just light defects, Sonax 04-06 or Perfect Finish might get it done in one step as opposed to compound then polish.

As for coatings, as many choices as the day is long and sticking with main stream brands mean ya likely can't go wrong. Some are easier to apply, some a little trickier; some can apply to a whole panel before buffing off, some ya gotta work in 2x2 sections.

First thing you should do is decide what you want out of a coating; things to consider:
1. Durability, longevity
2. What kind of appearance? i.e. hard, candy-like gloss or deeper, warmer wax-like glow
3. Ease of application important?
4. Climate; what might work nice in Arizona (dry) might not be so nice in New Jersey (rain/snow)
5. Do you like beading or sheeting?
6. Are self-cleaning characteristics important to you or are you gonna wash your car weekly regardless?
7. How much do you wanna spend?
8. Daily driver or hobby car?

While quartz/glass/ceramic coatings are all in the same general category with respect to LSP’s, there are subtle differences in them and you may as well go with one that is strong in your primary areas of concern.

Appearance wise, if you want a sharp, sealant kinda look (akin to Zaino) Feynlab Ceramic Light is an excellent and pretty easy to use choice. If you'd prefer a sharp, reflective gloss, Kamikaze Miyabi is a great product. If you'd like a 'thicker, molten-glass' type of gloss, 22ple HPC is an excellent coating. If you'd prefer a warmer, deeper wax like glow, Kamikaze ISM is very good.

Of the coatings I've used, ease of use (easiest to hardest)

1. 22ple HPC - Application is so easy, it's really bizarre. This coating is one tough hombre as well, very good longevity. Can work/apply to large panels before needing to buff off.
2, Kamikaze Miyabi - Easy application, can apply to an entire panel and then buff off.
3. Feynlab Ceramic Light - Easy application, bit of a strong chemical odor though but really no big deal.

If you'd just like to sample the 'coating lifestyle' to see if it's for you, Gyeon CanCoat has great candy gloss, great water behavior and self cleaning and is as easy to apply as a spray wax. You'll easily get 6 months out of it.

You'll see lotsa coatings marketed as 'scratch resistant and sometime even 'scratch proof'...IMO it's pretty much marketing drivel. Claims of hardness, scratch resistance and such are, IMO, way over-marketed with coatings. While they may provide some minor resistance to light marring, it's a harsh world out there and many things (jewelry banging paint around door handles, boxes hitting trunk areas while loading, leaning on hood of vehicle with grimy sweatshirts, etc) *will* leave a mark. Problem with coatings is the only way to remedy those marks/marring is to re-polish (removing coating) and re-coating that area, generally an entire panel as many coatings don't lend themselves well to spot fixes. If you're horribly OCD-ish about having a totally defect free car for 2 years, a coating may not be the best way to go...or a 'lighter' coating like Gyeon CanCoat may be more appropriate with a polish once a year.

As for longevity claims, those are widely varying and widely inaccurate as well, given real world situations. You'll never know for sure how durability will really turn out until you actually try it in your climate and your situation. Some things can be estimated by finding others experiences in similar conditions and usage but that's still just an educated guess.

We have 3 cars with considerably different usage patterns; all protected with same set of products/coatings and maintained generally in the same manner although Car 1 receives the least maintenance but still washed at least twice a month.
- Car 1 will likely get to 3 years (if not longer) before needing to be completely redone.
- Car 2 will likely never need to be redone.
- Car 3 will get to 2 years at the most before needing to be redone.

1. Car 1 is about 5500 miles a year, no freeway, sits outside from April thru November but only really driven daily November thru April, short trips, no freeway.
2. Car 2 is daily driver in nice weather, April thru November, usually no-rain days only, always garaged, 5500 miles a year, rarely freeway.
3. Car 3 is year round daily driver, generally always garaged, 20k miles a year, 95% freeway.

All are in NE Ohio.

Same protection, varying usage far different likely outcomes. Freeway use, especially during winter, is very, very hard on a vehicles finish.

Having seen a lot of faded cars last time I was in Arizona, I'm guessing they have a whole different kind of nightmare to deal with, entire different set of circumstances to cope with. Florida apparently has acid-filled Love Bugs that can etch paint if left for too long...another nightmare entirely.

Point being, no claims listed on a box can even begin to adequately predict longevity. It's the ultimate YMMV scenario.

Lotsa things to ponder, lotsa choices out there. To get a nice overview of the coating process as a whole, go to YouTube and check out the Gyeon Mohs video from the Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing' channel. While it's somewhat Gyeon Mohs-centric, it gives a good representation of the overall process.

Best of luck on whatever you may choose...it's such a subjective topic so despite what some may claim, there is no 'Best' coating, but there is likely a 'Best' for you. Just because I prefer Kamikaze & 22ple means absolutely nothing; I'm just a hobbyist and although it took me quite a few tries with many coatings, those are the best that work for me, the way my cars are used and my maintenance habits...everybody is different and if anyone starts trumpeting "This product is without a doubt the BEST coating there is..." run away unless they can actually explain WHY it's the best there is, employing more detail than "It's shiny and makes nice beads" and being able to actually describe why they find it better in comparison to other products they have *actually used*.

Edit: Oops...just saw the OP is a bit old so....uh, never mind?