A complete n00b asks some really dumb questions... help appreciated!

[fjhuerta]

Hello all... first of all... I promise I've read tons of threads, but I have too many questions. I'd rather ask them first than ruin my car's finish later!

The story. I've been using Meguiars' five step detailing process for a while now - Clay, paint cleaner, polisher, waxing and regular washing. I use the standard (red bottle) products and apply them by hand. Since I've treated my cars since new I haven't felt the need to do anything stronger than that.

Enter a black Miata I just bought. It's a 2010, but it seems its former owner never washed it. Ever. I started by taking it to a body shop to straighten some panels, repaint bumpers, etc. The car is now in perfect shape, but the paint is, well...

* It has a weird haze by its sides. I'm not sure if Mazda's black paint is more a very dark gray shade than black. The haze is only noticeable if I look it on its side.
* It's scratched. It doesn't have swirls - the trunk has multiple tiny scratches. They don't catch my fingernail, and I can't imagine what could have caused them.

So far, I've done the following, all by hand:

* Five step treatment. The paint looked a bit better. No help with the small scratches.
* Meguiar's black wax: Helped quite a bit with making the car darker and shinier. No help with the scratches.
* Carlack's 68 system: The car looks like a puddle of black liquid! But scratches are still there

So, I bought a Black & Decker WP1300 random orbital polisher (Meguiar's polishers are like $350 around here). And I'm clueless about how to proceed...

1) It comes with a rubber backing plate and a wool bonnet. Should I never, ever attempt to use those? Can I start with it? Also, it goes up to 3,000 RPMs or so. Will that be enough?
2) Must I buy something like a hook and strap velcro backing plate? I found out the WP1300 can take M14 threads, so I guess I could buy in Amazon some of those.
3) Polishing pads - found foam ones. Can I buy any model? Are the colors related to their density? I'm starting to get very lost here. Can anyone recommend what I need to get... backing plate or foams or whatever?
4) What can I use to get rid of scratches - Meguiar's Deep Crystal? Clearcoat Safe? will that help with my scratches?

Thanks for any help. I'm really lost here!

[greg0303]

Re: A complete n00b asks some really dumb questions... help appreciated!

Black & Decker WP1300 is a rotary buffer, not dual action polisher. I wouldn't recommend to use that polisher without getting familiar with its control as serious paint damage may occur.

To start polishing car paint with a machine it's definitely better to use a safe dual action polisher. Mastering a technique with those machines is much faster and easier. A set of foam polishing and finishing pads is enough to most paint correction jobs.

For serious below surface defect removal (like scratches) use Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. It's very user friendly and it has enough aggressiveness to do the job.

[fjhuerta]

Re: A complete n00b asks some really dumb questions... help appreciated!

Greg, thank you for saving me time and maybe a costly mistake.

The manual for the WP1300 says it's a random orbital buffer. The box said it's a random orbital buffer. I got the WP1500, since the store said it was even better than the 1300. It said it was a random orbital.

Much to my surprise, it is an orbital. It has no wobble whatsoever. I'd have ripped thru my paint in 3 seconds flat.

I decided to start saving for a real polisher, like the Meguiars. I got a wax spreader instead and some Ultimate Compound. Got to work with the spreader on the car, took 4 or 5 hours, added a layer of Black Wax and even though this combo was really sub-optimal (due to the spreader, not the products), the compound took out a lot of the fine scratches and watermarks. The car still has the Black Wax on top, it hasn't dried yet. The B&D wax spreader is a joke, though - any pressure stops the pad. But it saved me a bit of effort, so I'll use it for quick waxing jobs until I can get the real DA.

Thanks for your help again!

[greg0303]

Re: A complete n00b asks some really dumb questions... help appreciated!

You're welcome.

My first rotary buffer was made by Black & Decker. It didn't have a smooth start option so without a strong hold it could really pull the arm :-) I changed it for Makita and it was like day and night (of course in Makita's favor).

Meguiar's products using non-diminishing abrasives (super micro abrasive technology - SMAT) can perform pretty well, even with just orbital polishers. I've tried Ultimate Compound and M205 Ultra Finishing Polish with Mother's Wax Attack polisher and they did a decent job.

Good choice to get a proper dual action polisher. Your detailing projects will go on much higher level of correction and final results.