Just as an FYI, Z5 does NOT remove any light scratches and swirls. It merely attempts to fill them in. Z5 is one of my favorite sealants, but I don't use it remove paint imperfections......that's what a polish is for.

 

I stand corrected. By filling in the grooves of small swirls in the clear coat however, it effectively makes them disappear. So what polish do you use to remove paint imperfections?

 

Don't quote me on this, but i believe they sand down your existing clear coat and then re-apply a better, stronger and more durable one to it.

Again, want to call a reputable shop bc if they mess up it could then mrean a whole new paint job.

 

Actually, I wouldn't say it "effectively" fills them in either. I am a big advocate of Z5, as it's a VERY durable sealant, but if you are using it for the sole purpose of hiding swirl marks, you'll be very disappointed.

As for your question on polish, there are a variety of great polishes on the market that work well. The polish you choose will depend on the condition of your paint as some are more abbrasive than others. The best overall polish I've used is Menzerna's P0106FF. The Poorboys SSR lineup is also good.

 

Wetsanding is typically a last resort. Using an abrassive polish with an orbital buffer like a Porter Cable 7424 will remove a very thin layer of clear coat and remove most light scratches and swirls.

 

agreed. paint scratches way to easy!

 

I'd try and not do any major polishing so frequently through out the year. It does remove a very small amount of clear from your car and over time it may have a negative impact. What you want to do is just preventative maintenance. Using quality microfiber towels, using a good car wash that will encapsulate the dirt and other particles and safely remove them without scratching the paint, and using a quick detail spray to do the same in between washes (providing the car is clean - mildly dirty). I wouldn't attempt to use a QD over a dirty surface as it won't provide the necessary lubrication to remove dirt safely.

 

You can compound your car twice a year for well over 20 years before you would remove the clear coat.

 

Really? Hrm.. well in that case

 

Yep, seriously.

You are correct in that polishing does remove a thin layer of clear coat, it just takes a lot of polishing to completely remove it. I posted this a month or two ago. https://www.myg37.com/forums/showpos...41&postcount=5

 

speakin of clear coat guys....is it possible to take our cars to a reputable shop and have them do THE WHOLE thing over with another layer of premium and stronger clear coat that perhaps does not scratch as easy or possibly even some "self-healing" stuff (though I dunno if the magic of self healing paint that Infiniti uses is in the clear coat I would assume so)

Is a process like that possible, practical? I mean I understand that it would cost a lot but I would be willing to pay up to $1,000 or so for it. But I suppose if clear bra-ing half your car costs that much - clear coating it must be much more. *sigh*

Thoughts?

 

No matter what kind of clear coat you put on, your paint is still going to scratch and swirl. Harder clear coats might withstand come "minor" imperfections a little better, but the downside is once they scratch or swirl, it's much harder to remove. Harder clear coats, like on a Corvette or early 2000 Audi, even with a PC you won't budge many imperfections without countless hours of polishing. At that point, you'd want to invest in a Flex or a Rotary or you'll be paying a pro lots of money to fully correct the finish. There's no great answer other than properly maintaining your vehicle on a regular basis. Unless you plan on spending upwards around $10k or more, I wouldn't bother repainting a vehicle. It usually creates more problems than it does good and usually brings down the value of your vehicle.

 

I can vouch for that George. A customer's 2002 Vette that I detailed last summer had an unbelievably hard clear coat.

 

I just used Meguiars ScratchX on my LP and it did a pretty good job of getting rid of the light scratches and swirls for about $6. It got a couple out that I did not expect.

 

Personally I'd rather have a mild or semi soft clear coat. As stated having a hard clear coat will reduce scratches and swirls, however when you do get thm it's a major PITA to remove em!

ScratchX is good for spot removal, however I wouldn't even think of using it on my whole car. For the avid person wanting to keep their car in good shape a Dual Action Polisher is a worthwhile investment.