Need help understanding what I did

[lots2learn]

Here's the picture: 1987 Prelude. Repainted by Macco about 3 years ago with the cheapest paint job I could get. Was the victim of a hit and run about 2 half years ago and lost all interest in the car. Now, we have a 2001 black Lexus that needs some paint correction. So, I purchased a used PC and 2 orange, 2 white and 2 red Cobra Cross Groove pads and decided to learn on the oxidized Prelude. With testing I got the best shine using the orange pad and Scratch-X. I thought I would sweeten the shine by using SwirlX and the white pad but not so. I started marring the finish so I buffed it again with the ScratchX and the orange pad. The paint is incredibly reflextive when compared to the oxidation but I know there's more. Maybe SratchX and the white pad? Any suggestions? Frankly, I'm a little confused by the combination that worked the best vs the combination that marred the paint. Thanks in advance guys for any help.

[Ravi_1992]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

Pictures would really help a lot,
I would Go with Ultimate compound with a medium cutting pad ( lake country orange pad ) and then swirlX with a finishing pad. I don't know id scratch X is meant to be used on an entire car.

[Murr1525]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

How much product were you using?

[lots2learn]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

Thanks guys. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow afternoon. By the way, I tried the UC with the orange pad. It cut the oxidation but it took two applications. The ScatchX and orange pad gave me a better shine.

Murr, I used the X pattern and after I felt that that the pad was sufficiently primed I cut back on how much product I used. I worked about a 2x2 pattern. I also experimented with the speed but I found that I was getting better results with speed 5 and about 6 passes. I would start out with a lot of pressure and then end with just the weight of the PC.

Thanks again and I'll see if I can get some pictures.

[Murr1525]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

And it was ScratchX 2.0?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

The experimenting you're doing is great - that's why we always recommend doing test spots before proceeding with the entire vehicle. There is no problem using ScratchX 2.0 on the entire car, and if the paint responds better to it than to UC, SwirlX or anything else, then so be it.

Now to throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing. Just because you dial in a process that works great on the '87 Prelude, that does not guarantee in any way that the same process will be best on the '01 Lexus. A cheap repaint versus a quality factory finish? They are night and day different. The two could require vastly different approaches. Just keep that in mind as you continue testing things - and do the same sort of testing when you finally do start working on the Lexus.

[lots2learn]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

Thanks guys.

Actually Michael, that is the aniexity that I am trying to overcome. My thought is that if I can gain some understanding of how chemicals, pads and machines function independantly and collectively then maybe I'll achieve a better novice guess. Here is a picture of trunk. The picture is the best I could do and yes, it is that cloudy. Any suggestions are welcomed to get me to the next level of clarity. Thank you.

[lots2learn]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

Murr, I'm sorry, yes, ScratchX 2.0.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

The factory finish on the Lexus will likely be a clearcoat, whereas the cheap repaint on the Prelude is probably a single stage/lacquer paint. You might need to step up both your polishes and pad combos, but as you did with the Prelude, polish a test spot first.

[GoZoner]

Re: Need help understanding what I did

I feel sorry for your mistreated Prelude