Late model corvette polishing help

[Jim Shearer]

I am working on a late model black Corvette and I want the best possible shine.

Would it be okay to use 105 with a polishing pad then follow up with 105 using a finishing pad or would that be pointless?

I am thinking a third step would be 205 with a finishing pad, a fourth step using M21 with a finishing pad, and the final step M26 with a finishing pad.

Is this overkill? The surface looks pretty good now with some swirls in the clear coat.

Anybody?

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Late model corvette polishing help

Hi Jim,

For starters, I moved your question into a new thread as piggy backing questions into others threads generally causes the problem you faced (no one sees the question.)

As for your question, some people, or should I say some circumstances may lend themselves so well to M105 that applying it via polshing pad, and then a finishing pad may make sense.

Generally speaking however, you will want to follow the M105 with something like M205 on a finishing pad to further refine the surface. M105 is a heavy cut compound, and it is not intended for finishing work or fine polishing.

Now that said, if your surface looks pretty good now you may want to start by testing M205 on a polishing pad to see if that will handle the swirls.

Are you using a rotary, or a dual action buffer?

[Bounty]

Re: Late model corvette polishing help

The extremely hard yet scratch-sensitive Corvette clear kind of forces you into a multi-step process. A product/pad combination aggressive enough to remove the defects tends to also create some haze and micromarring. The detail oriented Vette owners in my area (myself included) have found success in using the same product in progressively less aggressive pad combinations befoe moving to a less aggressive product.

Fo example starting with something like M105/CCS orange light cutting pad, then M105/white polishing pad, then M205/white followed by M205/black finishing pad. Obviously your mileage may vary so select a test spot and work backwards from least aggressive product/pad combo until you find what you need to remove defects and then begin the polishing process.

Good luck!

[Jim Shearer]

Re: Late model corvette polishing help

Are you using a rotary, or a dual action buffer?

Thanks Mark. I am using a Meguiars DA, #110.

The extremely hard yet scratch-sensitive Corvette clear kind of forces you into a multi-step process. A product/pad combination aggressive enough to remove the defects tends to also create some haze and micromarring. The detail oriented Vette owners in my area (myself included) have found success in using the same product in progressively less aggressive pad combinations befoe moving to a less aggressive product.

Fo example starting with something like M105/CCS orange light cutting pad, then M105/white polishing pad, then M205/white followed by M205/black finishing pad. Obviously your mileage may vary so select a test spot and work backwards from least aggressive product/pad combo until you find what you need to remove defects and then begin the polishing process.

Good luck!

Thanks Bounty. Isn't it strange that a surface so hard scratches so easy? I used #83 with a polishing pad just to get some minor swirls off followed by #80 then #21, etc. Occasionally I wound use the #80 with a finishing pad before moving on to the #21.

I am very anxious to try the new products! They are supposed to arrive today.

Jim

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Late model corvette polishing help

Would it be okay to use 105 with a polishing pad then follow up with 105 using a finishing pad or would that be pointless?

You know the answer to that as it applies to all cars, not yours specifically, would be the above combo might work really well or it might not, it really just depends upon how polishable the paint is that you're currently working on.

And that's one of those things where you won't know until you go out into the garage and bring turn the On-Button on and do some testing.

There's a link to a video posted somewhere on this forum that shows our very own Mike Pennington using M105 with a finishing pad to remove light swirls on a demonstration hood at NACE this last year and the results were phenomenal.

So get your hands on some M105 and M205, or even look at Ultimate Compound and SwirlX if you're not going to be needing a rotary buffer and do some testing to see which product/pad combo is producing the results you're looking for.