Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

[GBryant]

Hey everyone, just joined this & it's my first time posting here. So, I have a 2014 silverado that's brownstone metallic. Has scratches everywhere, but they're light scratches, not bad. The hood and roof from what I've noticed so far has light etched water spots as well. I tested small areas with ultimate polish and it did well, but definitely didn't get all the scratches out. Then tried a small spot with compound & a follow up with the polish, and that was perfect. But I've had people tell me not to use compound on it. Just want to know what everyone thinks I should do? I will be using a Griot's 3" and 6" orbital with their orange correcting pads. Thanks in advance

[drumdan]

Re: Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

You have to use the product that will get the job done, which in this case is Ultimate Compound.

You could also play with your technique, and the amount of product you are using with Ultimate Polish. I've had that product work miracles, but it totally depends on the paint..

Did you try UP with the Orange pads? How did you dress the pad? What speed? How much pressure? How many passes?

Old compounds were very harsh, and would scour the finish. The most popular compounds sold by Meguiar's do not do that. In very rare cases you might get a hazy finish, but it's easily cleaned up by M205 Ultra Finishing Polish, Ultimate Polish, SwirlX, or even M09 Swirl Remover 2.0.

[GBryant]

Re: Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

Thanks for the reply. But ah okay, I see. I'm guessing GM paint is more on the hard side.

I did use the Ultimate Polish with the orange pads. Only used the 3" orb with the combo, not the 6". I dressed it with an x-pattern at 3.5-4 speed setting. I did 4 passes back and forth and 3 up and down. And for the pressure, I really let the machine do the work... so little pressure.

Also, would the setting need to be higher on the 6 inch or lower when doing the entire truck? Just seems to be a little more aggressive than the 3 inch. Any tips would be great.

[BillyJack]

Re: Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

Old-school compounds had "diminishing abrasives". At first the abrasive particles cut aggressively, then with continued work time, they get smaller in size to polish out their own trails. UC uses "super micro abrasive technology", where the abrasive particles are much smaller and don't leave such nasty marks in the clearcoat and don't rely on a well-timed buffing cycle. I work for a new car dealer and keep a bottle of UC in my desk for any minor blemishes I see on a showroom car or a delivery. Thanks to the abrasive technology, UC works as well by hand as by machine. It just takes longer.

Bill

[drumdan]

Re: Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

Thanks for the reply. But ah okay, I see. I'm guessing GM paint is more on the hard side.

I did use the Ultimate Polish with the orange pads. Only used the 3" orb with the combo, not the 6". I dressed it with an x-pattern at 3.5-4 speed setting. I did 4 passes back and forth and 3 up and down. And for the pressure, I really let the machine do the work... so little pressure.

Also, would the setting need to be higher on the 6 inch or lower when doing the entire truck? Just seems to be a little more aggressive than the 3 inch. Any tips would be great.

The Griot's 3" tool isn't known for it's correction ability. You will experience faster, better results with the full size tool.

The 3" probably needs to be at speed 5 or 6, but the full size can be anywhere from 4-6.

I also use light pressure. Light but firm. I tend to place dots of product around the circumference of the pad instead of the "

[GBryant]

Re: Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

The Griot's 3" tool isn't known for it's correction ability. You will experience faster, better results with the full size tool.

The 3" probably needs to be at speed 5 or 6, but the full size can be anywhere from 4-6.

I also use light pressure. Light but firm. I tend to place dots of product around the circumference of the pad instead of the "

Alrighty, good to know. I'll try the dots instead.

[HCAD]

Re: Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

Definitely jump to the 6" pad for 80-90% of your truck Bryant. You want to enjoy this process, not suffer through it. Save the 3" for those tough areas around the bumper or along narrow pillars. And I agree with drumdan, if you want a clear finish without swirls, you use what gets the job done. Hopefully, after all of your efforts polishing, the correct washing techniques are followed and you won't have to compound ever again!

[GBryant]

Re: Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

Just got enough time to start the correction process. I've done small areas on my truck, but this will be my first time doing this on the entire thing... don't know whether to be nervous or not about messing up the paint. Once again I will be using Griot's 6" DA as well as the 3" with the orange correcting pads and the MG's Ultimate line. What are all the steps I need to follow to make the best out of this? As in how many passes... DA speed, movement speed, how big of an area.. pad dressing etc.. Do I need to use Ultimate Compound for sure? Or will Ultimate Polish be just fine? Defects are minor, nothing major. Ive attached a video link of the defects on the paint to help out (be sure to watch in HD). Thanks in advance.

[The Guz]

Re: Ultimate Compound on Newer Paint

Test spot with ultimate polish and go from there.