Ultimate Compound Question

[Super Dave]

For Mothers Day my wife has asked me to detail her car. It is a beige/creme colored PT Cruiser that is approximately 8 years old and has rarely seen a wash or wax. I plan on doing the following...


Wash
Clay
Ultimate Compound with Porter Cable Dual Action
Ultimate Polish with Porter Cable Dual Action
Paint Protect 365 by hand or maybe NXT Generation Tech Wax


My question is how do I know if the car really needs the compounding step?


My Porter Cable is new and I have never used any kind of buffer. I have watched millions of videos on the Porter Cable so I am not to worried about the machine. It is the compounding that worries me. I do not want to destroy my wife's car.
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[The Guz]

Re: Ultimate Compound Question

Start with a test spot using the least aggressive pad and liquid. So UP on a polishing pad. If you are content with the results then you can seal the car. If you need more correction then move up to UC.

What pads are you using?

[Super Dave]

Re: Ultimate Compound Question

I have Chemical Guys pads. Don't know what colors... not at home right now. Wish I knew about the new Meguiars pads before I bought them.

[Murr1525]

If not taken care of, UC will probably be a good idea, even if applied quickly/gently, for a stronger cleaning.

Also, you may want to look for something like Tarx, Ironx, or TRIX, etc, for some deeper cleaning.

[davey g-force]

Re: Ultimate Compound Question

Yeah, I wouldn't hesitate to go straight to UC in your situation.

But if you're really worried, you can start with UP on a test spot (as Guz suggested) and see how that performs.

[Top Gear]

Re: Ultimate Compound Question

...My question is how do I know if the car really needs the compounding step?...

That is the question I answer by doing spot compounding, as well as realizing that I'm not limited to a one-shot one-time correction event (since it's my car and I'm doing it at my convenience).

When I was new to the DA, I was afraid I would damage the paint, but now I know that is almost impossible, at least on my super hard paint on metal panels (rather than the plastic). Now, I spot compound and do a full, thorough polish just to save many hours where compounding most areas is not necessary - or not "today", anyway. When I've compounded the entire car, the work is also compounded, even worse if claying the whole car as well. It can take an entire weekend to do a full correction that way, as opposed to maybe 6 hours. Just depends on how swirled the car is and how much time/energy you have and what level of result you want.

Sure, though, I guess in a perfect world with infinite energy and no back pain it's better to do the full deal every time, since that's what a pro would do. However, some say there's a limit to how much compounding the clearcoat can take over time, and polishing can often get a swirl-free panel with much less abrasion. So, the answer is usually "depends"