Porsche951

I just spent the better part of my day off today trying to remove 3 1/2 years worth of minor swirls in my Spa Yellow paint. Along with a Porter -Cable I had purchased 3 grades of polish from Menzerna. Intensive Polish, Final Polish and Finishing Touch Glaze. After accessing the condition of my paint I opted to skip the Intensive Polish, figuring it was too aggressive for paint that only had minor flaws.Unfortunately after 3 hours of polishing with final polish I moved the car into the bright sunlight to get a better look at my results only to find that a fair amount of the minor swirls were still visible. Not wanting to start all over again I continued on with the Finishing Touch Glaze, followed with 3 coats of Zaino sealant. Tomorrow i'll pick up some quality carnuba wax to finish it off. The paint looks very good not quite up to the standards I'd hoped for but I figured I'd err on the side of caution and take the conservative approach by skipping the Intensive Polish. Apparently the Final Polish is milder than I thought it would be, I'd say only slightly more aggressive than a clay bar. Next spring I'll give it another shot, starting with the Intensive Polish next time.

wanabe

good report...
my guess is that you might not have worked the product enough (most common error of a first polish job)-
gotta really "work the box" (about 2' by 2' area- start side to side then diagonals and finish the box front to back. repeat if the polish hasnt been worked enough- the polish will be pretty much gone by then).
btw, no problem erring on the conservative side- as you suggested, you can always repolish in awhile (i would suggest waiting awhile- since you have to rezaino each time).
post up some pics- if you can get swirl pics we might be able to guess at the level of polish needed for next time.

Porsche951

I'd be hard pressed to get a decent pic to show any swirls. They are almost invisible in most lighting conditions. In extremely bright light and under florescent light I can see them but under average conditions the paint looks perfect. Most people would think I was out of my mind when I'd tell them my car needed to be buffed out. Maybe I'm a bit anal, I most definitely don't have too much time on my hands.

wanabe

porsche951-
you dont have to explain to me- you are preaching to the choir bro!!

all that counts is what you think of your car. you might try a swirl filler (since you used zaino, i would suggest that you try z-5... you use it just like z2- you can use it instead of z2). this might keep you happy with your car for a few months (the z5 wont last too long, but if you reapply it when you wash the car it just might work for you) until you have to do a real removal. lotsa guys are happy with z5 so i think its worth trying (easier to use than a swirl remover).
btw, swirl removers do not actually remove swirls- they rub down the edges of the swirl so light does not reflect off of it. to really remove them you have to go more aggressive (and remove lots more clear coat). my point is, if you cant see it imo its not there!! and if you can buy that logic, a swirl filler just might work for you (most of us use them at one point or another).

Xd

Congrats on the purchase Porsche951 I purchased one recently myself for use in the UK. When I was reading up on it, I was recommended That I buy the Sonus DAP kit as the pad that comes with the unit is useless. The Sonus DAP's come with three grades of pads plus some micorfibre final polish covers, oh and a flexi velcro backing. Depending on the intesity of the swirls you would work your way down through the most agressive pad plus cleaner to the final polishing pad plus mild cleaner/polish. The pads are VERY important, I have tried the Meguiars pads which I find are a POS and just break up, the Sonus pads seem firm enough at the most agressive end to flexible enough at the polishing end to use on the Porter Cable.

I have found Poorboys SSR 2.5 to be a good all rounder, starting on no. 3 on the PC to apply the product and then moving and breaking the product down on no. 5, you will know its been exhausted by it starting to powder.

Porsche951

Hi Tango Man, If Imola Orange were available stateside I'd seriously consider trading in my 01. Regarding pads mine were made for Classic Motoring Accessories at ProperAutoCare.com I can only assume that they are quality pads.I also purchased the flexible velcro backing plate as well as an assortment of grades of pads. I believe not starting with Menzerna's Intensive Polish is where I made my error.

AustinS2k2003

Try Z-PC...

Xd

SOunds like you are on the right track, does yours have a clearcoat or is it a solid colour?

s2ksimon

Porter Cable is strictly for mild swirls and mild scratches. Anything heavier will take 2-5 +hrs approximately.

I no longer am a fan of using the Porter Cable to Remove Medium to deep swirls.

People drop off badly swirled cars to me regularly and my Porter Cable takes forever to rid them. I once spend 6+ hours on one guys car. He comes back to pick up the car and asks me of the progress, how many coats of wax i put on ? I told him I hadn't even got to that part yet. I was still swirl removing.

It takes many many passes with loads of product, and at times up to 5-6 hours on one section of the car and that's no lie.

My new regimen is a Rotary Polisher for swirl removal with a 7" backing plate and pads. Rotarty takes time to get used and requires more concentration as it cutting slightly deeper in the clear coat. Also, there is the risk of burning the paint.

Then after swirl removal, I clay bar with QD, then using the Porter Cable to apply pre-polish like AIO, then apply LSP..

if you have any questions, feel free to PM me..

I know of many "hobbyists" that have made the transition to a Rotary or even a Cyclo, due to the understanding the Porter Cable minimal capabilities.

Once you understand its minimal capability, then i'd say you've graduate to the Rotary level.

Xd

For a professional I can understand why you would want a rotary, in fact you may use both. For me as a hobbyist the PC is fine, in fact its also safe. I am not mixing my cars, just trying to keep a select few in tip top.

My current project is my wifes Mini (new one) which has been cleaned frequently by the previous owner with a gritty shammy leather so there are deep scratches. Okay the PC is harder work but with good pads, a little time and Poorboys SSR 3 I have reduced them to something tolerable. I will not remove them entirely because I feel that will make the clearcoat too thin in parts.