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is porsche paint super hard ?

seeforez

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Joined
10 Jan 2016
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1,475
So i have a machine polisher (silverline) and i have been trying everything possible to remove swirl marks out my gen1 black bonnet and wings, started off softly softly with a white pad and some general polish - no change even after several runs
then tried yellow and orange pads with meguiars ulitmate compound and farecla scratch remover - no change even at high speed with 4-5 runs with each
Then i got annoyed and got some of the normal cutting compound out (used for blending paint ) and tried that with the yellow pad at high speed and still absolutely no change.... :pc:
is the paint superhard or do you think somebody previous has washed it every weekend with a gritty sponge and the swirls are just too deep ?
What are my options ? ? ?
 
It might be worth you getting the paint thickness checked as sometimes if some panels have been repainted the clear coat can be quite thick and takes a lot of work to remove the deeper swirls.
Be careful with a rotary as you can easily cut through on a edge especially if using an aggressive cut and giving it some beans.
I'd get a local detailer to just see what your dealing with before going to mad.
 
The swirls are only too deep if they are through to the base coat. If they are just in the clear then they are always removable.

The right pad and compound, combined with working the compound correctly will produce results. I use Menzerna 400 with a cutting pad. Start at low RPM (no 1-2) on the rotary polisher until the panel has some heat in, then go up to medium (no 5) for another 5-8 passes. By this time the compound is starting to look waxy. Then move it up to the highest setting for another 5-8 passes before working back down to the slowest speed.

My bonnet still has some orange peeling from when I re-sprayed the front end a few months ago. This weekend I'm going to sand the clear down with 4, 6, 12 and 1500 grit paper to completely flatten the lacquer. Then I'll use the above method to get it back to a mirror shine.

:thumb:
 
Porsche paint is typically on the soft side compared to most German marques (but we're not talking Japanese soft). If the car has been repainted anywhere then you could have any type of paint in terms of hardness in those areas as it will no longer be Porsche paint. Bonnet and wings are the most likely culprits usually, for obvious reasons.

Have you tried working on different panels or just one so far?

The general rule is to start with the least aggressive combination of compound and pad and work your way up in half-steps until you find one that works. It's best to identify in advance which (if any) panels have been painted as you will need to start from the least aggressive combo on these each time. As ragpicker said, if you still have clearcoat then you can still remove swirls it's just a case of finding the right level of cut.

If you're using a rotary then you are not likely to be lacking any cutting power but they require a fair bit of experience to use well IMO. If you're not using a rotary it might be worth considering a microfibe pad for a bit more cut than foam.

As you're familiar with Maguiar's, try some #105 or #101. If you've still got swirls after using either of those then it may be an issue with technique.

Good luck
 
thanks all some really useful comments, i am using a rotary polisher.

I am familiar with a rotary polisher as many years ago i used to machine cars all the time but in those days i had one machine pad and a tub of G3.

Obviously things have moved on, i'm aware you stop off with the soft options and increase abrasiveness but im just not seeing the results.

Good advice about asking a pro and i might try something a bit harsher first?

On a scale of 1-10 how abrasive would you rate the products that i have used ?
 
It should be considered to be of intermediate hardness.

Have a look at the polished bliss website for more information.
 
good website monkey, any recommendations for cutting pad and compound for stubborn swirl marks ?
 
I would flat out the swirls with 2000 before using any burnishing compound but as stated check the paint depth first.
 
kas750 said:
I would flat out the swirls with 2000 before using any burnishing compound but as stated check the paint depth first.

i thought about this but that is something i'm not too confident about doing, i always seem to create new minor scratches?

Is their any tips to this, ie use plenty of water or use a larger pad behind the paper, what should the pad be made of etc ?
 
Clean warm soapy water has always worked for me.
I use a rubber block and on any curved panels just the paper.
It will need minimal work to get rid of the scratches.
 

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