my results after using a PC7424XP on my Honda Civic

[J.S.]

Finally got my PC7424XP in the mail the other day. I was itching to see what kind of results I could get on my badly swirled up and scratched 2006 Nighthawk Black Pearl Honda Civic. After washing my car, I clayed half the hood and did my test on there with a LC 6.5" white pad and some UC.

Side of the car right after a wash...swirls, water etching...










Clay...needed some fast and Meg's clay isn't available here



New PC 7424XP just got in mail the other day, LC 6.5" white pad and UC.








Half hood taped off for seeing what's up...



Close-up of left side of hood as-is right after being washed...


Close-up of right side of hood after claying and a couple passes with some UC...


Was impatient and didn't test my painter's tape before hand and I see that it leaves adhesive behind...


For my first time ever polishing paint I'm pretty blown away at the difference. I do still think there's room for improvement. There's still a few minor scratches here and there...maybe 5% of what was there originaly there when I began. I've done 2 passes with UC. How many more passes with UC can I generally do before I should be concerned? When should I consider moving up in pad aggressiveness? Honda paint is suposedly soft and I'm using UC with is "fairly aggressive" on a white LC pad. I need some guidance.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: my results after using a PC7424XP on my Honda Civic

Well first of all, good work!

As for your questions, it really depends on many factors. You need to consider how often you plan on repeating this process, and how long you want/need that paint to last.

If you want the paint to last for 15 years then you may want to put most of your effort on sound washing, drying, and waxing technique to keep from adding more swirls than are absolutely necessary.

If you just want it to be as close to 100% perfect and only care about short term, then you could get much more aggressive with it.

Personally, I would considering following up with a mass or two of M205 and a finishing pad, wax it, and call it a day if it is a daily driver that you plan on keeping for a while. 95% correction is very good! It really isn't realistic or plausible to expect 100% perfection on a daily driver.

If there are a few isolated deeper scratches than you can always try going at those with a foam applicator by hand and spare wearing down the entire area.

As for how often you can do this, polishing your vehicle 1-2 times a year with a medium level of attack (PC and gentle white pad with UC for example) is likely as far as you would want to go.

After initial correction, I try to stick to 1-2 M205 corrections a year personally.

[john m.]

Re: my results after using a PC7424XP on my Honda Civic

Honestly, if this is your DD as Im assuming than I would seal and wax as is or run over with maybe some 205. With the paint being on the softer side the swirls will return lol. I was actually suprised when I polished mine for the first time, although I think my swirls were much worse (dont ban me guys)

Mine took a little rotary with a PFW pad, an orange pad, and eventually settled for a green pad on the flex and 105. Working with the rotary just sped up the work but 105 was able to finish out good on my paint, same car but 07. Ofcourse I had the help of Nick Chapman Soon I should be posting up pics of mine when I can finish off the polishing. I documented the whole process on my hood and wrote like a 60 page instruction manual on polishing hahaha. I wont be posting that though as I can probably be corrected on much of it

[J.S.]

Re: my results after using a PC7424XP on my Honda Civic

Well first of all, good work!

Thank you.

As for your questions, it really depends on many factors. You need to consider how often you plan on repeating this process, and how long you want/need that paint to last.

If you want the paint to last for 15 years then you may want to put most of your effort on sound washing, drying, and waxing technique to keep from adding more swirls than are absolutely necessary.

If you just want it to be as close to 100% perfect and only care about short term, then you could get much more aggressive with it.

The car's an '06 and I bought it last summer so I've had it for a year. The original car owner never polished or waxed anything. Since having it I've only washed it with 2 buckets, 2 grit guards and a microfiber wash mitt. I clayed it once last year and waxed it. Never polished it...and the last coat of wax has LOONG since worn away. The bulk of the swirls and scratches I have right now are from a dealership who washed my car without asking me. I'm planning on keeping the car for at least the next 5 years.

Personally, I would considering following up with a mass or two of M205 and a finishing pad, wax it, and call it a day if it is a daily driver that you plan on keeping for a while. 95% correction is very good! It really isn't realistic or plausible to expect 100% perfection on a daily driver.

If there are a few isolated deeper scratches than you can always try going at those with a foam applicator by hand and spare wearing down the entire area.

That's cool that you're suggesting that because that's sort of what I was thinking to myself except I was thinking maybe some SwirlX due to availablity of M205. Actually SwirlX is not even available here but I'm going to the US in a few weeks and intend on stocking up on a lot of Meg's products that are hard to get here. I'll only be able to stop at either Wal-Mart of Target. I know they'd have SwirlX but I'm highly doubting they'd stock M205. Do you know?

As for how often you can do this, polishing your vehicle 1-2 times a year with a medium level of attack (PC and gentle white pad with UC for example) is likely as far as you would want to go.

After initial correction, I try to stick to 1-2 M205 corrections a year personally.

Good to hear your suggestion. My plan is to correct as best as I can and then be dilligent with waxing (once a month). Once initial correction is done, I'm intending on using SwirlX or M205 twice a year, maybe once.

[J.S.]

Re: my results after using a PC7424XP on my Honda Civic

Honestly, if this is your DD as Im assuming than I would seal and wax as is or run over with maybe some 205. With the paint being on the softer side the swirls will return lol. I was actually suprised when I polished mine for the first time, although I think my swirls were much worse (dont ban me guys)

T'is my DD. As far as right now, half my hood was my "test spot" and when I finished last night, it's was too dark to continue working. Now that it's the morning, I'm going to do the other half of the hood and then wax it so all work isn't lost. Would you think my paint warrants having a sealant applied before wax?

Some swirls will return I'm sure but I don't think that they be back to the extent that they're at right now. I'm extremely carefull when washing my cars...the majority of the swirls were caused by a dealershipt that washed my car without asking me.

Mine took a little rotary with a PFW pad, an orange pad, and eventually settled for a green pad on the flex and 105. Working with the rotary just sped up the work but 105 was able to finish out good on my paint, same car but 07. Ofcourse I had the help of Nick Chapman Soon I should be posting up pics of mine when I can finish off the polishing. I documented the whole process on my hood and wrote like a 60 page instruction manual on polishing hahaha. I wont be posting that though as I can probably be corrected on much of it

Interesting! I think I should forget that I've heard people mention Honda = "soft paint". If it took you a rotary with a wool pad and M105 to get the results you want, maybe I should stop being so paranoid that I'll wear through my clear coat in no time with a DA.

[john m.]

Re: my results after using a PC7424XP on my Honda Civic

I would say you are fine if you want to seal and then wax or just go straight to wax. Really it is just your preference as to what you want to do.

I would not disregard honda making you think soft paint. For mine the PFW pad was used, a basicaly foam/wool mix type of pad not a strong as a wool pad. And the fact that a rotary was used just shortened the time of working involved. Civic's do have soft paint, as in they are easy to get scratched but also easy to correct. Normally a hit with 205 will do you really good, the reason mine required the 105 with such compounding was a mix of terrible old washing technique and dealer washes, so I had some very deep scratching in my paint. Im at another computer now but I will try and find reference pics if I can of my car when only the hood was done.

[J.S.]

Re: my results after using a PC7424XP on my Honda Civic

I would say you are fine if you want to seal and then wax or just go straight to wax. Really it is just your preference as to what you want to do.

I would not disregard honda making you think soft paint. For mine the PFW pad was used, a basicaly foam/wool mix type of pad not a strong as a wool pad. And the fact that a rotary was used just shortened the time of working involved. Civic's do have soft paint, as in they are easy to get scratched but also easy to correct. Normally a hit with 205 will do you really good, the reason mine required the 105 with such compounding was a mix of terrible old washing technique and dealer washes, so I had some very deep scratching in my paint. Im at another computer now but I will try and find reference pics if I can of my car when only the hood was done.

I think I would like to try out a sealant. For the time being, I finished the 2nd half of my hood with a few passes of UC and put one layer of carnauba wax on it. I'd love to spend a whole lot more time on it but it'll have to wait...besides I need to located some SwirlX or M205.

Thanks for the reassurance that I shouldn't think my Honda doesn't have soft paint. I'm really ignorant because this is the first type of any kind of paint I've used a DA on.

If you have the time, please do feel free to post the pics you're talking about.

[john m.]

Re: my results after using a PC7424XP on my Honda Civic

Aweome! I like sealants and waxes evenly, my new favorite sealant is blackfire wet diamond

I think where you will see the softness of honda paint come into play is when you detail more cars, you will find some of the clear coats very hard and not so easy to correct. For example a corvette. Than you come back to your honda and 205 can do tons where it would barely touch the vette sometimes. Also with it just scratching so easily is where the soft comes in at another point but you will notice these more when you do another brand imho.

Ill go grab my pics a little later to show you how severe my scratches and swirls were