Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

[BCF150]

Hello I just recently purchased my weekend toy, (ahem) "backup vehicle" to the wife . It's a 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra, factory stock and in great condition overall with less than 50,000 miles.



Now to the problem. The paint looks decent from a distance, but once you get up close you can see swirl marks and I'm guessing hard water stains everywhere.





I am not a complete newbie to detailing a car, but this is by far the worst one I have had to try to fix. My other vehicles were/are in much better condition and I really just have to maintain them, not correct them. I have always done all my detailing by hand, but I recently purchased a PC 7424. I will list below the products that I have to use. If I need an additional product please recommend it to me, below is what I already have.

PC 7427XP
Various microfiber towels from Meguiars
Meguiars 7" Soft Buff 2.0 Foam Pads - 2 of each type (6 total)
Meguiars Products:
Speed Glaze
Ultimate Polish
Ultimate Compound
Ultimate Liquid Wax
ScratchX
Cleaner/Wax
Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner


Thanks for your help!

[BCF150]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

I forgot to mention that I have already begun the correction process. The car is always garaged and so far I have washed the car and clayed it. Just trying to determine what would best to do next.

[Nappers]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

Always start least aggressive first. I would try Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner on the DA, then if that doesn't knock the swirls down, Try the ScratchX, Then try the Ultimate Compound, it's strong stuff but works good. Remember that the only products that dry are their waxes. With the PC, you won't burn the paint, and I'll quote a fellow MOL'er, if you soak it in lighter fluid and light it.....

97 Ford paint doesn't come to mind at the moment as far as hard or soft or inbetween. May want to get some SwirlX while your at it too. 1 pass won't cure it all, it may take a few passes, a couple of products to get that paint the way you want it. Takes a lot of patience too.




The 5 steps
Wash
Clay
Polish
Protect
Maintain

When you are done and like the results from using the products, lay down some Cleaner Wax as a final jeweling, you will like the results! Tuck uses it and I followed his lead on this, really adds to the shine.

I know others will kick in so have fun! Nice car!!!!!

[Murr1525]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

Based on what you have there, a test spot with the Polishing Pad + #80 could be done. But likely will end up with the Polishing pad + UC.

[Showmob]

I would get a bottle of 105&205 and get agressive with it. Good luck make sure to post after pics

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

Always start least aggressive first. I would try Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner on the DA, then if that doesn't knock the swirls down, Try the ScratchX, Then try the Ultimate Compound, it's strong stuff but works good.

Let's not take that "least aggressive method" concept to the extreme. The idea behind that concept is to "use the least aggressive method to get the job done", not necessarily "start with the least aggressive product and work up." When you look at a paint finish with this level of defect you know that DC Paint Cleaner is just not going to get it done. And the difference in aggressiveness between ScratchX 2.0 and Ultimate Compound is small enough that UC should really be the choice when looking at correcting an entire vehicle. A test spot is still called for simply because you have no clue how this paint is going to respond (or any car that you've never worked on before, regardless what you read on detailing forums) but we wouldn't hesitate to do that initial test spot with Ultimate Compound, a W8207 pad, and speed 5 on the DA. Use moderate pressure and move the buffer side to side, then up and down, then repeat both directions - use overlapping strokes and work an area no larger than 2' x 2'. Wipe off the excess and see where you are. If everything is cleared up, great. You've now got an easy process for the rest of the car. If not, how close did you get? Does the paint still look clear and glossy even though there are some light swirls left? OK, so you either need a second pass, or just a longer single pass. Does the paint look hazy but most of the swirls are gone? Well then, you probably need the aggressiveness to remove the defects, but the paint is reacting a bit poorly and you'll need to follow with a less aggressive liquid/pad to remove the haze. Of course, these are all very generalized options and the reality will probably still need a bit of tweaking.

By the way, that Mirror Glaze Patience bottle is fantastic!!!!

I would get a bottle of 105&205 and get agressive with it. Good luck make sure to post after pics

OK, now this attitude is where we want you to think about using "the least aggressive method to get the job done". These are swirls in the paint, that's it. Yes, there are a lot of them, but that's more down to density (or quantity) of defect and not necessarily depth of defect. Rather than just automatically grab the single most aggressive liquid we make, we really recommend taking things down a notch or two and starting with that Ultimate Compound test spot. If that does the trick, and in most cases it will, why deal with the potential downsides of M105 on a DA if you don't have to? UC will give a much longer buffing cycle, create a fraction of the dust, and potentially be much easier to wipe off than M105. Besides that, this car is 15 years old and given the visual appearance of the paint, we wouldn't be all that surprised to find that it's also pretty dried out. And M105 really doesn't like dried out paint. Further, since the OP already has a fairly broad mix of product on hand, we really don't think he needs to just dismiss all of it and go buy another compound (although we love the idea of M205 as a finishing polish just because, well...............it's M205!)

[Nappers]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

Let's not take that "least aggressive method" concept to the extreme. The idea behind that concept is to "use the least aggressive method to get the job done", not necessarily "start with the least aggressive product and work up."

I stand corrected er....sitting. I didn't know the op detailing experience and was erring on caution so he doesn't get frustrated as I have. Plus with the products he had to start with....

UC and the PC would be a good start. depends on paint. My Yukon has pretty soft paint and is easy to work. My ex's Neon needed rocks glued to a red pad and 105 to touch anything on the paint!!!! It was a pain in the hind end to maintain, very hard paint!

[wifpd4]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

No wonder I haven't found "Patience" at O'Reilly's, it only comes in gallons. It's got some wicked cut, if used right!

[BCF150]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

Hey Guys, thanks for the help but I think I need more advice. I have tested an area on the roof using Meguiars Ultimate Compound and a Lake Country CCS Orange Pad with the 7424XP at setting 5.

Before






After








I got rid of a lot of the haze, but there are still a lot of paint defects, scratches, and pitting / stains left behind. The paint has more shine, but now the defects are more noticable. What do I do next?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

Some of those defects are probably deep enough that you're not going to get rid of them without a much more aggressive process. The fine pits are especially difficult, if not downright impossible, to remove. These are usually little impact craters from small stones, sand and dirt being kicked up by vehicles ahead of you on the road. The car may only have 50,000 miles but how it was cared for, how it was treated while in the garage, etc will determine how those scratches came about and how deep they are.

How many passes did you make with the combination you described? How large/small of an area did you work on at a time? How much pressure did you apply to the pad? A single pass over a 3' x 3' area with just moderate pressure isn't very aggressive at all, but 2 or 3 passes over an 18" x 18" area with very slow movements and almost enough pressure to just about stop the pad from rotating will be a huge step up, even with the exact same liquid and pad.

[BCF150]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

Mr. Stoops, thank you for taking the time to help. It says a lot about you and the company you work for.

I worked a 2x2 section using slow overlapping motions and pressing down until it appeared the pad was almost compressed to the paint. I would say that I made at least 2 passes in each direction that way. I used the LC pads instead of the Megs, just due to the size of the car with the 7" pads being too big.

I finished going over the entire car with Megs Ultimate Compound and the LC orange pad last night. I even tried several attempts at a couple of bad areas with no real return on my effort. I will have to accept it's condition at this point and move on to the polishing with Ultimate Polish. I'm taking the car on a road trip this weekend and have to get it finished up by Friday.

The next time I attack it I may try the microfiber system or I might try to find a local detailer who could use a rotary or wet sand it.

Again Mr. Stoops thank you for taking the time to help me. I will post pics once I have it finished.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Just Purchased 97 Cobra - Need Help with Correcting Paint

Thanks for the kind words!

It's a bit hard to say at this point whether this is an issue of you just being new to machine polishing and so you need to refine your technique a bit, or whether just stepping up to M105 and a more aggressive pad will do the trick, or if it's simply down to having reached the limits of what you can really do for this paint with a DA buffer. There comes a time when even a rotary in very skilled hands can only do so much to restore a paint finish and you need to really step up to the very advanced process of wet sanding and then rotary compounding. But it looks like you've made a huge improvement on your first go with the DA, especially considering the age and condition of the paint. Everyone has to start somewhere, but you've taken a huge step forward first time out, and that's great!