Soft or Hard Paint?

[NC Miata in NC]

I've had my DA polisher (G100) for probably over 5 years now, though I probably don't have as much experience as most people on here, as I only polish my own cars and family's / friend's cars.

Several people have suggested that Mazdas typically have very soft paint, and given how easily my car's paint seems to scratch I figured they were probably right.

So once a year I do a full clay / polish / wax on my car (2008 Mazda Miata) and my wife's car (2007 Mazda 3). Our cars are parked outside under trees all the time, so even though I use grit guards and all of that, I still seem to end up with a small amount of fine scratches I have to polish out.

Every year I start out with the thought of soft clear coat and try to go at them with M205 on a finishing pad at speed 4 / light pressure. And every year it seems not to work. So I step it up to M205 on a polishing pad, then speed 5, smaller area, more pressure, even using a water spray to lengthen the time I can work the M205. And every time I look at the results, it seems to not make a dent at all. I've even tried multiple passes on the same area. So eventually, I work my way up to M83 and then finally give up and go to M105. The M105 always seems to do the trick and I've found that if I spray with water and work it a little longer with lighter pressure towards the end, I don't even end up with much micro-marring to take care of.

So what gives? Do we happen to have a range of model years where Mazda switched to harder paint? Or does it sound like from my description that I may be doing something wrong?

I have the Meguiars DA polisher DVD and have watched it several times and follow the steps religiously. But I still wonder if there is something I'm missing?

[Ultraman]

Re: Soft or Hard Paint?

Maybe your Mazda's paint isn't as soft as you think. M205 usually does the job on softer costs like on Honda vehicles. I get similar results on M105 in removing hairline scratches and nasty swirls.

[TOGWT]

Re: Soft or Hard Paint?

Different OEM plants use different paint specifications; so the density (hardness) of paint will vary even on the same model

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Soft or Hard Paint?

Several people have suggested that Mazdas typically have very soft paint, and given how easily my car's paint seems to scratch I figured they were probably right.

That's the key right there. While we can say that the vast majority of Mazda vehicles we've worked on have had fairly soft paint, that does not mean they all do. As with every other major manufacturer these days, Mazda builds cars in various plants in more than one country, and environmental regulations vary from country to country, which easily effects the characteristics of the paint. But beyond that, auto companies often change paint systems from one model year to the next, and even differences in the mixing of the paint can alter how a paint behaves.

We are a bit surprised that you have to resort to M105 to correct them, but if that's what it takes, then that's what it takes. Of course, you may find that Ultimate Compound does the job every bit as well, without the need for a supplemental wetting agent to give it a longer buffing cycle, and with less dusting than M105.

At the end of the day, paint systems are all over the map, so a test spot the first time you work on a given car is a must. But if you have never been able to correct issues on either of these cars with M205 and a finishing pad (admittedly an extremely gentle process), then logic dictates you never will. If you find yourself always having to use a more aggressive product combo to correct the paint on these cars, there is no sense in testing the mild combo each year. If it didn't work last year, it won't work this year, or next. When the time comes and you buy a new car, then a test spot is going to be called for because you'll have no idea how that paint will respond.