Embarrassed

[Humbled]

Im sorry if this is long,but I really need help. First let me say that I am embarrassed and discusted to ask for help. Not that I think Im to good to ask for help,but I thought what I wanted to do was so simple that any idiot could do it.I have a 2012 camaro that is red. I noticed in bright direct sunlight,there were all these little scratches or maybe swirls. I wanted to fix the problem. I bought a little 6inch orbital polisher(microfiber bonnets) from one of the big autoparts chains(I know,big mistake).I knew these polishers were not strong and I couldnt hurt my paint. I bought the medium cut cleaner and the fine cut cleaner and I already had the show car glaze and nxt wax. To make a long story a little shorter. I used these products the best I could(obviously not good enough) and now my hood(the only part of the car I did this to)looks worse!!! If you look at it in direct sunlight its dull and cloudy(more dull). And I didnt even get out all the scratches!!Its awefull!!! Im so discusted with myself. Im a rookie,and I know I made rookie mistakes. Now Im scared I cant fix this. My confidence is gone. Have I ruined my hood? When its not in direct sunlight it looks good and is smooth as glass. But in bright sun and the right angle.....OOOHHHH!!!! Could someone from meguiars please help me. Ill be happy to pay for any help you can give me. Just give me a name and phone number I can call so I can explain this in more detail. Let me say I KNOW ITS NOT THE PRODUCT!!! I know its all my falt. I should have never done it!! Thanks in advance!!

[Rick McDonough]

Re: Embarrassed

I'm sorry you are in this situation with even more defects to remove at this point. I would suggest trying a product called Ultimate Compound. The Ultimate Compound can remove up to moderate below surface defects, but won't further induce swirls like some of the older style compounds. Wash and dry the hood of the Camaro first to knock off any dust or debris. Then, work the Ultimate Compound into a small area (one square foot area) by hand with a soft foam applicator like you would use for waxing. Work the product in with moderate pressure for 1-2 minutes, and then remove immediately with a high quality micro fiber towel. Repeat as many as 5 times in a specific area if needed, working section by section. If that removes all of the swirling follow with a good coat of wax back over the paint. I hope this is helpful.

[Humbled]

Re: Embarrassed

I'm sorry you are in this situation with even more defects to remove at this point. I would suggest trying a product called Ultimate Compound. The Ultimate Compound can remove up to moderate below surface defects, but won't further induce swirls like some of the older style compounds. Wash and dry the hood of the Camaro first to knock off any dust or debris. Then, work the Ultimate Compound into a small area (one square foot area) by hand with a soft foam applicator like you would use for waxing. Work the product in with moderate pressure for 1-2 minutes, and then remove immediately with a high quality micro fiber towel. Repeat as many as 5 times in a specific area if needed, working section by section. If that removes all of the swirling follow with a good coat of wax back over the paint. I hope this is helpful.

Thanks so much for your reply. My main goal right now is not the little scratches or swirls,its just to get the hood back to "normal".,without that dull film look on it. If I can do that,then I plan to get a porter cable 7424xp or something similar and work on the swirls. With the correct tools and pads,maybe I can acomplish what I started to do in the first place. Ill try the ultimate compound as soon as I get off work and buy it!!! Thanks again!!

[imz4n]

Re: Embarrassed

Compounds (UC )are meant to dull the surface, as the product needs to put fine scratches in to remove the other larger scratches. Follow the compound with a polish like Ultimate polish to remove the fine scratches the compound leaves behind. Work the area as many times to get the results you area looking for. Then follow with wax. The machine you purchased will work, you just need to use it in specific ways. Faster speeds for compounds and slower speeds for polishes. The type of pads use also affect the process as well. Cutting pads for compounds and finishing pads for polishes. When using a machine work slowly as to let the machine and product to do the job, work in small areas, this will do 2 things for you, let you work the product long enough to get the job done and letting you see if what you are doing is working or not for what you are trying to do. The only product that should ever dry on the paint is wax.

[Marc08EX]

Re: Embarrassed

Do you have pictures of the damage? What medium cut cleaner did you use? Maybe you have soft paint.

I would suggest buying the G110v2 because it already comes with the correct backing plate to use with the pads I'll suggest below.

Have you clayed the surface yet? If not, I would suggest using the Smooth Surface Clay Kit.

I would use the following products to achieve the highest possible shine

1. Ultimate Compound with the W8207 Foam Polishing Pad.
2. Ultimate Polish with the W9207 Foam Finishing Pad.

Then use your NXT 2.0 wax after.

Make sure to work clean.

Here are 2 good articles to read through that will help you with detailing in general and how to use your new dual action polisher:

1. Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle
2. D/A Buffing 101: An Introduction to the G110v2 (and similar)

Hope this helps!

[Humbled]

Re: Embarrassed

The only bonnets that I was able to get were-microfiber and terricloth. Which one with what? I also have a very soft synthetic wool bonnet. Ill buy both UC and UP if I need them both. Plus the cheap polisher only has one speed. I guess I could use the polisher for the UC and use the UP by hand. Ill try anything. The main thing is I DONT WANT TO DAMAGE MY PAINT!!! Im obviously a rookie and I dont want to screw my hood up. Thanks for your reply!!!

[Marc08EX]

Re: Embarrassed

I wouldn't use the terricloth bonnet. That might be a little too aggressive. I would try using the microfiber bonnet with the UC. If that still leaves some hazing then I would try using UC with a foam applicator pad (like the ones that come with the Meguiar's waxes). Meguiar's uses the latter technique in their Saturday classes with great success. For more pictures, go to Pictures from Saturday Classes.

[Rick McDonough]

Re: Embarrassed

I agree that a Dual Action Polisher (like our G110V2, or even the PC 7424XP) would be a great suggestion. A D/A Polisher will clean the surface more thoroughly then by hand while still being safe. If you use a D/A you would want to apply with a foam polishing pad (W8207 or W8006 depending on your backing plate), still working in small sections. I hope it all works out!

[Humbled]

Re: Embarrassed

[QUOTE=Marc08EX;513228]Do you have pictures of the damage? What medium cut cleaner did you use? Maybe you have soft paint.

I would suggest buying the G110v2 because it already comes with the correct backing plate to use with the pads I'll suggest below.

Have you clayed the surface yet? If not, I would suggest using the Smooth Surface Clay Kit.

I would use the following products to achieve the highest possible shine

1. Ultimate Compound with the W8207 Foam Polishing Pad.
2. Ultimate Polish with the W9207 Foam Finishing Pad.

Then use your NXT 2.0 wax after.

Make sure to work clean.

Here are 2 good articles to read through that will help you with detailing in general and how to use your new dual action polisher:[LIST=1][*]Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle[*][URL="http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?45702-D-A-Buffing-101-

[The Driver]

Re: Embarrassed

Were missing one thing here... We need pix! Post pictures so we can identify the exact problem. Then we can diagnose 100%!

[Humbled]

Re: Embarrassed

Thanks to everyone for the help. By the way all products used are meguiars and the car has been clay bared. With the info ive gotten from you guys and since all I have right now is the cheap polisher. Im going to go buy the ultimate compound and ultimate polish. Apply the compound with the polisher and a micrfiber bonnet. Working in a small 1 to 2 foot area at a time and going slow, back and forth,up and down for several passes. Then apply the polish by hand with a foam applicator in the same area for 1 or 2 minutes.Then wipe clean with a good microfiber towel. Then check my work. If no results, repeat both steps?or just one? And also.... How much of the compound and polish should I use? And I do know that after my results are good,follow with wax.Im sorry to be such a pain. I just dont want to damage my hood.Thanks alot!!!

[Humbled]

Re: Embarrassed

Ill try to take pixs again after work. Its not sunny out today and its real hard to see it unless its sunny out.sorry

[tguil]

Re: Embarrassed

Been doin' this for longer than most forum members have even been alive so with inflation my $.02 is worth at least $2.00.

Just do what Rick first suggested. It's going to take a while but it is safe and it will work.

Then buy a quality pc and foam pads as soon as possible. They are indeed "magic".

Tom

[Humbled]

Re: Embarrassed

Thank You tguil.Since you have far more knowledge than I, I will start with what Rick said on the first reply.Ill use the Ultimate compound and a foam pad(by hand) and see how that works. I understand that it might take several passes to get it done.After that(if it works)Im leaving it alone until I get the right tools I need to do a good job!!! Thanks again.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Embarrassed

It really sounds as though all you did was to haze the paint by either using an overly aggressive bonnet, or sort cycling the Medium Cut Cleaner, or a combination of the two. We're sure that in your eyes the result looks really bad, but the odds of you having done any really serious damage here is virtually nil. The haze that is created by the above mentioned processes can look pretty nasty, but the marring is actually so fine that fixing it is pretty simple, given the proper tools, liquids and techniques. It looks so bad because the ultra fine defects are so closely spaced and widespread that they dull the paint quite noticeably, and probably not very uniformly (which just makes it look worse). The products and processes you used would have taken off such an incredibly minute amount of paint that you needn't worry at all.

Rick mentioned using Ultimate Compound with a soft foam applicator pad, and that's a good idea. But something you want to avoid at all costs is creating fingertip pressure points when using this combo. That means you need to spread the pressure of you fingers across the applicator pad, and avoid having your fingertips press down on the pad. Before you run out and buy Ultimate Compound, though, give this technique a try with the Fine Cut Cleaner you already have. Even a mild product, if coupled with an aggressive pad, can create some marring of the surface. But if you use this with a soft foam applicator pad and just moderate pressure, easing up as you break down the abrasives, you should clean things up quite a bit. Keep in mind that this may not clear up the fine scratches and swirls you have, but it should do wonders for the haze you've created with your earlier attempt.

Once you pick up a good DA buffer and the proper pads, you're going to love what Ultimate Compound and a W8207 polishing pad will do for those swirls and scratches. If this is Chevy's Victory Red paint on your Camaro, then we highly recommend following UC with M205 on a W9207 black foam finishing pad to really make that color pop and bring out maximum clarity. Finish off with your favorite wax and you'll be loving the results. Personally, I use this combo on my wife's Victory Red Chevy and the results are stunning.