So I have soft paint...

[CivicSiGuy]

Hey guys,

Pretty new to the site and detailing in general but had a quick observation/question from reading the threads. I have a '08 Nighthawk Black Pearl Civic Si and have read that Honda paint, especially NBP, is notoriously "soft"; I was wondering in what sense? I have noticed this in the form of swirls/light scratches in my paint. Should I be wary of anything above SwirlX? What are others' experience with this paint?

Also, is it possible to take off too much clear coat with an abrasive used by hand, i.e. UC? Thanks, and I look forward to the advice.

[Maserati Mario]

Hello and welcome to MOL!
You always want to start with the least agressive method, so your thinking is correct.
I don't think many have "removed" their CC by hand, usually it's by machine or wet sanding so you should be safe there.

[Eddie6th]

Hi,and welcome.

I've got the same paint job.Yes,it is on the softer side,but it's not a problem to work with.As mentioned.least aggressive first.Soft in this context,means compared to other paint types.Not that it is actually soft,that you can't work with it.

You'd have a hec of a job going through by hand.your arms and fingers would fall off first.

[Wheelman]

Does that mean something like Ford (from what I hear hard paint) is the opposite of that? Very little swirling, etc.

Is there a way to tell if your paint is too soft for some of the products?

[john m.]

Your paint will be fine man, I have an 07 civic same color and ours is soft yes but it is a little harder than the civic paint in the past. You can tell if a paint is to soft when it scratches really easily like from micro-fibers. Nick Chapman had a thread a while back on a truck of his that had the softest paint ever.

Dont worry though you paint is fine. Like Mario said, always start less aggressive and do test spots to dial in a process

[CivicSiGuy]

Thanks for the tips! I was just curious about the power of UC compared to the softness of my paint.

Question for Eddie:

Do you try to keep your finish totally devoid of swirls? I've read that it's near impossible to do with our paint, hence some taking to the 'five feet rule'. Later guys.

[Murr1525]

Its certainly possible, the question is if it is worth it.

I have a daily driver, parked outside... so I dont go too overboard, or it is a waste of time.

[john m.]

Thanks for the tips! I was just curious about the power of UC compared to the softness of my paint.

Question for Eddie:

Do you try to keep your finish totally devoid of swirls? I've read that it's near impossible to do with our paint, hence some taking to the 'five feet rule'. Later guys.

Idk about eddie but I have the same exact car 07 and for me it is very possible. I dont keep it perfect as like murr said for a daily driver its just to much work. But the only thing is you will have to polish it again when you start to see swirls again. Its not quite as soft as you would think but it is soft