Pearl paint

[billvernon]

I recently acquired a 2006 300C with Satin Jade Pearl paint...a fairly rich, soft green that looks a little different in different light. The paint has some swirl s in it but nothing too bad. By hand I recently washed, clayed, polished, sealed/glazed & waxed the car using Meguiar products. The results are disappointing to me. The paint is nicely reflective but the pearl in the paint does not show well. Pearl paint usually has a nice warm glow to it but that is not how this paint presents itself.

I had trouble with the Ultimate Polish. I couldn't seem to "work" it....it dried very quickly & then was tough to get off. I used a manufactured soft cotton pad to apply it & a micro towel to buff it.

So.....are there special or other products that're better for pearl? Do I have to get a power polisher to work the paint properly? Or...????

I'm much more interested in getting the richness of the pearl to show than I am to have the surface highly reflective.

Your comments, advice, help are requested & very welcome.

[Murr1525]

Re: Pearl paint

Which all products did you use?

[billvernon]

Re: Pearl paint

The regular, Smooth Surface, not very aggressive clay bar & detailer, Ultimate Polish, Show Car Glaze & NXT 2.0 Paste wax & I use Ultimate Quik Wax to keep the car clean & shiny.

Hope this helps &.....thank you for your interest.

Bill

[Murr1525]

Re: Pearl paint

UQW is to be used on a clean surface. UQD is the one for dusting.

As far as the products, not going to do a whole lot better than those.

The only real option would be a different wax could change the look a little. Gold Class+ or #26 may be a little richer, less shiny. Ultimate Wax is also a little deeper. Nxt is probably the glossiest. But might only by small changes.

[billvernon]

Re: Pearl paint

Thanks for the info.

I'm also getting some advice about getting a Porter Cable Duyal Action polisher plus the necessary pads etc & correcting the paint.

Looks expensive but maybe that's the only way I'll get the look I want.

Thanks for your help. Bill

[Murr1525]

Re: Pearl paint

Well, a lot of swirls and such can change the look a little.

But working by hand or machine wont change the looks though if the paint is at its best. Once it reaches its potential, thats where it stays.

[billvernon]

Re: Pearl paint

Does anyone have any recommendations about products or techniques that work well on pearl &/or light colours?

Thanks. Bill

[PPLd]

Re: Pearl paint

I have never worked on a Pearl paint but I have tried a metallic blue that changes color at different angles you look at it. My daily driver is silver as you can see from my profile pic.

I do not have M07 Show car glaze but from my experience of DC2 Polish, it seems to darken a metallic paint a bit which I dont like on my silver metallic. If you think your pearl paint is a light color, I wouldnt use pure polish on it. Products like Swirl X followed by NXT2.0 is nice enough for that. I have the flakes poping up bright and paint is shiny.



To make the paint even wetter, I have applied a carnauba paste wax on the blue car. It's cheap for less than $20, but since it is not a Meguiar's product I'd better not mention its name here.. Send me a PM if anyone is interested to know about that wax.

[billvernon]

Re: Pearl paint

Very interesting!

Thanks for your thoughts & advice.

Bill

[Carolina08]

Re: Pearl paint

Hi Bill,

It sounds to me as you have good products, I might try using them in a different way. I'm not sure how you used them, but I'd definitely try leaving the coat of polish/wax on for a shorter duration of time, and maybe a thinner application onto the pad. Humidity, and direct sunlight could have affected your application.

Also, you may want to check around online or keep an eye out for other Chrysler's this color to see if they have the pearly effect you are looking for, or maybe the factory paint is similar on the other models. If you get your hands on a Dual Action Polisher, compounding the vehicle may only help your cause to have the pearly effect to come out if all else fails, but it certainly won't hurt it, especially if there are some swirls.

Good luck Bill!

[billvernon]

Re: Pearl paint

What you say makes sense. I think my car's surface may have been too hot from the sun for the polish to be as effective as it could be. Also, if I can try a DA on a section of the paint then it may be worthwhile for me to buy one.

Thanks again for your thoughts/advice.

Bill

[Carolina08]

Re: Pearl paint

No problem Bill, but yeah the heat from the sun definitely probably made the polish difficult to work with, I've made that same mistake before and I won't ever do it again haha.

Btw, I detailed cars for several years by hand, but using the DA just takes the whole experience to a different level. The shine and richness of the paint just increases and looks more professional in my opinion. Really consider it!

What you say makes sense. I think my car's surface may have been too hot from the sun for the polish to be as effective as it could be. Also, if I can try a DA on a section of the paint then it may be worthwhile for me to buy one.

Thanks again for your thoughts/advice.

Bill

[billvernon]

Re: Pearl paint

I was checking out DAs on eBay when I got your note. I think it's probably the answer for me.

Thanks. Bill