Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

[Escalade]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the passion! I will be using a DA, by hand would be realatively torturous.
I was first going to clay bar it, then I'll just do a test area with the least aggresive products first and go from there.

[Nick Chapman]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the passion! I will be using a DA, by hand would be realatively torturous.
I was first going to clay bar it, then I'll just do a test area with the least aggresive products first and go from there.

What(if any) products do you currently have on hand?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

I tweaked your code on the first page to just go ahead and show the full size pictures, that makes it easier for everyone to see what we're dealing with.

This pictures kind of sums up what the problems you're trying to remove,





I didn't see anywhere in the thread were you mentioned how you would be doing your work by hand or machine and if a machine what type of machine.


Regardless, you need to get some Ultimate Compound and some SwirlX, if working by hand pick up half a dozen foam applicator pads like our X3070 Soft Foam Applicator pads and then rub out all the paint first using Ultimate Compound and then follow this with SwirlX. After that apply a coat of your favorite wax.

The most important step is working the Ultimate Compound, doesn't matter if you're working by hand or machine, you want to remove the defects in the first step and this will mean working small sections at at time, about a foot square or so until you've gone all the way around the vehicle. For a SUV this size you might want to only tackle a portion of the rig each day/weekend.




X3070 Soft Foam Applicator Pad

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

BE CAREFUL!
The paint on your Escalade is probably very thin

This is correct. The clear layer for most factory paint jobs is historically very thin. This means you want to only remove enough paint to correct the problem and in some cases it's better and safer to live with the deeper defects than it is to try to remove them, especially if the car in questions is a daily driver.

Tim is wants to prove me wrong when ever he can

Historically, Tim has a reputation of insuring the information on this forum is accurate, he does not have a reputation of causing problems on this forum or any forum.

When someone makes a bold statement, there needs be verification in order to not to create misinformation.

Tim is correct in that we try hard to make sure the information on this forum is always accurate.

Mario is correct in that factory basecoat/clearcoat paint jobs are thin overall including the clear layer. I think Mario's point was to try to help the member by steering him toward the least aggressive approach which is the correct direction to move on this project.

In the spirit of the friendly forum MOL is known for, let's put this behind us in this thread and move forward with helping Escalade to remove the swirls and scratches and get the results he's hoping for from our products and our forum.


Thank you...

[Escalade]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

Great guys,

Mike, I had planned on using a Porter Cable DA. Would the ultimate compound be too aggressive for the first step as it's #2 on the aggresiveness list. With using the UC should I still Clay Bar first?

Thanks

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

Great guys,

Mike, I had planned on using a Porter Cable DA. Would the ultimate compound be too aggressive for the first step as it's #2 on the aggressiveness list. With using the UC should I still Clay Bar first?

Thanks

From the looks of your car's paint, Ultimate Compound will not be too aggressive. Plus, you can stop any time in the buffing cycle, so when you see the defects are gone stop buffing and you'll stop removing paint. With Diminishing Abrasive products you have to buff until the abrasives have completely broken down, not so with SMAT products and UC and SwirlX are both SMAT products.

What's the difference between Meguiar's Super Micro Abrasive technology and Meguiar's Diminishing Abrasive technology?


Claying is the most effective way to remove above surface bonded contaminants, so YES clay first.

With a rotary buffer and a wool pad and an aggressive compound the compound and the wool fibers will kick anything off the surface while buffing, but with a DA Polisher, the pad can simply float over the top of little bumps, (contaminants), yet not remove them.

Just clay the horizontal surfaces unless you see or feel contaminants on the vertical panels.


Remember, the key to great results is to remove the defects in the compounding step, this means working small sections at a time.

Read through this before starting,

How To use: G110 - G220 - G100 - PC/Porter Cable - UDM
If you're moving up to machine polishing, be sure to read the below thread before starting...
Tips & Techniques for using the G110, G100, G220 and the PC Dual Action Polisher
(These are all similar tools)


And do a Test Spot before going over the entire car.


TEST SPOT

Doing A Test-Spot

Before going over the entire car, see if you can make just one small section look good, that is apply the product you're planning on using over the entire car to just one small section about a foot squared or so. Work it in and then wipe it off, then apply the polish, work it in but not as much as the compound because now you're not trying to remove paint, just spread the product out, then immediately wipe it off, then apply the wax and let it fully dry and then wipe it off.

Now inspect our results. Make sure you can make one small section look GREAT before going over then entire car. If you can't make one small section look GREAT you won't be able to make the entire car look GREAT.

Make sense?

It should look like this,




And if you're having any problems, the post back here after the test section and we'll help you tweak your technique to insure you get it right.

[Tom Weed]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

Great guys,

Mike, I had planned on using a Porter Cable DA. Would the ultimate compound be too aggressive for the first step as it's #2 on the aggresiveness list. With using the UC should I still Clay Bar first?

Thanks

If you can run your hand across the paint nad and it has a rough or doesn't feel smooth, you should probably clay first. I will usually do a section of the hood with clay after washing and once it's dry, is there a notcible difference between it and the unclayed section of the hood? You can determine it from that.
On to what to use, what do you have? You should probably start out with something less agressive like Swirl X if you have it, and with Porter Cable and a polishing pad on a 2x2 section. Work it slow and take your time and then remove, does it remove the defects? If not, then it's time to try something more agressive. Once you find what will work in that section to your satisfaction, then you are ready to move onto the rest of the vehicle.

[Tom Weed]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

Sorry, Mike beat me to it...

[Escalade]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

I just looked for the Ultimate Compound doesn't seem to be available in Canada yet, is there anything similar or should I order some via US sources. Is SwirlX the same formula as the Mirror Glaze Swirl Remover 2.0

Thanks in advance guys, this message board is a wealth of detailing tips and tricks.

[Tom Weed]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

can you get your hands on either #80 or #83?

[Escalade]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

can you get your hands on either #80 or #83?

Will check tomorrow, are the comparable to UC

[02zx9r]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

wont be as aggressive as the Ultimate compound.

[MrCLRider]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

so many options, so little time.

[Tom Weed]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

Will check tomorrow, are the comparable to UC

They are older technology using diminishing abrasives, and if you cannot get your hands on the new SMAT products, those will work, they will not be as aggressive, but a lot of people have done a lot of correction work with those, self included. These were the the go to polishing products until 105/205 came along.

[Tim Lingor]

Re: Black 07 Escalade with Swirls

Morning,

I agree with Tom and Mike. You could use M83 and M80 which has been many of our staples for years and they work just fine! After doing the test spot, you should be able to see how the products are responding. If you do need to go more aggressive, then M86 Solo and the M105 (has the new SMAT's but may be more aggressive than needed) are available in Canada as well. Just remember to use the least aggressive product to get the job done!

Places like KMS Tools or Lordco carry some of the products while Chris from eshine.ca carries a great selection and is a good guy to deal with....

After washing and claying the finish, I would start off with M80 on a polishing pad with the PC set to speed 5. Do a 18"x18" test spot and see how it works. If that is not strong enough, move up to M83 with a clean polishing pad, and the PC also set to speed 5. If that removes most of the marring, then step back down to a M80 which is a finer polish to remove the remainder. If the above does not work, then we will have to look at other options and/or more aggressive products and procedures.

Once you dial in the correct method, then just duplicate that procedure over the entire SUV, sticking to the smaller 18"x18" area for each step. Be sure to read the threads on MOL on how to use the PC correctly and how to work products with diminishing abrasives (Ie. you keep buffing until they are a light residue and then remove; do not dry buff). Keep in mind that some marring may be too deep to remove and/or requires more specialized products, tools and experience in using said tools.

Once you get the finish to where you want it or capable of being at this point, because your Caddy is black I would top with 2 coats of M26 or M21.

Be patient, work small areas and we will get that finish looking awesome!!!

Tim