How deep to polish?

[NVCobra]

Hello, i have a 97 SVT Cobra black on black. It sat outside for a few years hardly washed or waxed. Ive clayed,scratchX,deep crystal polish step 2 , and then put 2 coats of NXT on it and it looks very good. But when i look real close i can see a whole lot of very very tiny pin holes and light scratches and what look like very shallow dimples . I got some #83 and a cheap random orbital buffer and its looking alot better but im afraid of going to deep. Can i actually level the paint? How can i tell if im getting to deep? Thanks.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How deep to polish?

Originally posted by NVCobra
Can i actually level the paint? How can i tell if I'm getting to deep? Thanks.

The term maximum potential is a term used to describe taking a specific paint job to its highest possible potential for beauty. Every car's finish is different. Some cars can be taken a state of flawlessness, while others will still have visible defects. Regardless, of the overall end-result the result that matters is that everything that could be accomplished, was accomplished. By this I mean, if it's possible to remove a scratch without risking burning through or taking off too much paint, then the scratch is removed.

For your car's finish, how far you go towards taking your car's finish to it's maximum potential is up to you and requires experience to make the judgment call as to when to stop.

There comes a point where you're better of to live with a defect then to try to remove it because the end-result may be the need for a new paint job.

Without being their in person, it's hard to say what can and what cannot be achieved.

The pinholes sound like a defect you should learn to live with because there is no way to know how far through the paint they are. If they're solvent pops, then they are all the way through the clear coat and thus to attempt to remove them will be detrimental to the finish.

You can probably safely get away with polishing out many of the light scratches. Go slow, focus on the task at hand.

Hope this helps...

Mike

[Beercan31]

But when i look real close i can see a whole lot of very very tiny pin holes and light scratches and what look like very shallow dimples

The pin holes May have been caused by water droplets drying on the surface of the finish, When a water droplet is the right shape it can cause a magnifying effect and burn a hole through the surface of the clear coat, Paint and some times to or through the primer.

The shallow dimples are called Etching and may have been caused by Acid Rain, when water droplets evaporate the water in the droplet evaporates and will leave behind all the pollutants, I am not exactly sure what temperature acid boils at but I do know it's much higher than water.

I got some #83 and a cheap random orbital buffer and its looking alot better but im afraid of going to deep. Can i actually level the paint? How can i tell if im getting to deep? Thanks

I have a limited amount of experience on this one but the best I can say is #83 does have an medium diminishing abrasive in it. Can you go to deep with #83 and a cheep buffer? probably but not likely, Unless you kept reapplying the product on the same area over and over again.

Your Welcome

[NVCobra]

Hey thanks guys...its weird because it seems like the more i polish it , the clearer and more reflective it gets. The reflected images look much sharper and defined but as i look close to the surface at an angle it looks like the dimples are getting wider in dia. but shallower in depth. Ill try to get some pics, but i dont even know if i could pick up what im seeing in a photo. Im starting to feel kinda weird out in the drive way looking at the paint so close.

[IceColdOne]

Oh no!!! Another member going

CAR CRAZY!!!

[NVCobra]

They just dont understand us!