My e90 M3 AW has some noticeable swirl marks all over it. I have Meg’s swirl remover and Griot’s Machine Polish 3. Only twice have I washed and fast sprayed it down. Soon, I’ll be performing a complete iron-x, clay, swirl removal, shine, and wax.
I’ll start by using the GG machine polish 3 with a Griots Orbital, an orange pad, and a verify the results because I know it’s largely trial and error. If I don’t achieve the desired results, should I try again with the same products or switch to a stronger remover? Is Griots 3 stronger than Meg’s swirl remover?
BMW’s paint is regarded as being soft, although it is not single-stage paint soft. Even with the most vigorous pad and compound, it still required many passes when I recently corrected some paint. If you’re attempting a one stage correction, you can also combine chemicals.
I would go up if it appeared unmolested after one pass. However, if it gets better, I’d make another 1-2 passes.
Definitely +1. I use and adore several of Griot’s goods. However, I’ve switched to Rupes “Bigfoot” for paint correction from the Griot’s orbital (which is just branded in any case). It is a superb tool. It is offered by several Forum merchants.
I’ve never used either of those polishes before. However, in my opinion, Meg’s Swirl Remover is more of a cleaner/filler and has virtually any cut, whereas Griots Machine Polish 3 is very light.
Of course, everything depends on how much adjustment you require. I would increase the type of polish if you are using an orange pad with proper technique and pressure and still aren’t obtaining the desired results.
I recently polished my AW e90 and upgraded to Menzernas fg400 compound after some trial and error. The less abrasive polishes, I discovered, weren’t providing the correction I desired. In addition, I planned to cut back on my working hours…
My AW E93 paint is hard in comparison to my F350, my grey and black Nissan Titans, and my white Armada. I regularly fix swirls and spider scratches on my other vehicles using a Porter Cable DA with an orange pad and medium cut compound (Maguires D300 or Maguires cut compound), but I was unable to get the desired cutting motion. About half of the minor spider scratches were repaired, but none of the deeper ones. I had to switch to the old rotary (which I don’t use very frequently because it’s a Makita tank and I’m old) to remove the deeper damage. To get a flawless surface before applying sealant and wax, I next used the DA with a lighter pad and polish.
It’s difficult, in my opinion and based on my experience, but I suppose it all depends on the individual. Probably could have obtained that with an additional two or three DA passes.
In This Article...
How Durable Is My Paint? 5
The adjectives “hard” and “soft” are frequently used by professional detailers when referring to or talking about machine polishing car paintwork.
Although it is often believed that each automaker favors a particular sort of paint, this is not always the case and should not be taken for granted. Consider the German automakers Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen. Their paint is often between moderately and extremely harsh. Most Japanese automakers, including Subaru and Honda, use medium- to very-soft paint. These generalizations are useful as a basic guide, but as any detailer will attest, there are always exceptions, especially if the vehicle has undergone a re-spray.
Hard paints are typically more difficult to correct, but once rectified, they are rather simple to modify. On the other hand, soft paints might be challenging to perfect but are simpler to repair. Even a short wash with a microfiber to remove polish residue can be enough to reintroduce small scratches on some very sensitive paints.
How does the hardness of your paintwork effect you? Which machine polishing pads and compounds will work the best for you depends depend on how hard or soft the paint is.
Bentley paint is either firm or soft.
A client who owned this stunning 2009 Bentley Continental GT in black got in touch with me.
Initial assessment revealed that the automobile had some swirl marks from improper washing and drying procedures, as well as a few deeper scratches that needed a bit more care and attention to detail, including the application of trizact sanding paper.
Having previously driven Bentley and Rolls Royce vehicles, it was safe to assume that the paintwork would be of its typical soft consistency. Meguiars M105 ultra cut compound was used in conjunction with a mid-abrasive 3M yellow pad. A blue 3M finishing pad and 3M ultrafina finishing polish were used to polish the paintwork after the initial buffing with the aforementioned pad/compound was finished.
We considered the best course of action for providing the Bentley with the best possible protection, and Car Pro cquartz sealant was chosen due to its simplicity of use, longevity, and protection. This nano sealer is a great option for protecting soft painted cars because it contains 99.3% silica.
Before applying the sealant, a thorough panel wipedown with diluted IPA is performed to eliminate any filler and polish residues. After each coat, there must be a 3-hour curing period before the unit may be left outside over night.
The car was given to the extremely pleased owner the following morning after being properly cleaned to remove any nighttime dust.
Jaguar paint is either firm or soft.
I’m looking to see if anyone has any knowledge about current Jaguar paints to help me decide what to use. Naturally, I’m going to test it, but I thought I’d attempt to use what I’ve learned on the forum.
My father’s 2015 F type R, which is metallic British Racing Green (not the actual BRG), will receive the royal treatment here in a few weeks. I’m going to give it a once-over and some power lock love as it has been parked for the winter.
Basic study tells me that Jag generally has rather soft paint, and it has some very mild swirling and scratching (drag marks/wipe marks) that is primarily visible. At first, I assumed Menzerna 3800 with a white or orange thinpro and Jescar finishing polish would be sufficient. I believe Rupes UHS might be too aggressive, and I don’t believe a compounding step will be necessary to make it right. But then it occurred to me that I’m not sure if they utilize UHS clear.
Is polishing BMW paint difficult?
BMW paint is typically consistently hard. However, this does not necessarily imply that your items are at fault; it may simply be your approach. It won’t turn out well if you use a sledge hammer of a combo to compensate for any probable technique errors.
If you currently own an S3 and are using a random orbital machine, I would recommend adding a microfibre pad to your toolkit and spending more time getting familiar with the “whys” of machining. It might take a little longer today, but it will eventually pay off.
How can you know whether paint is soft or hard?
The terms “hard paint” and “soft paint” are frequently used in the detailing industry. However, what do they really signify and how does it impact how you take care of your car? AMMO NYC’s Larry Kosilla is here to explain.
According to Kosilla, the labels “hard” and “soft” should be viewed as a spectrum rather than as two opposing poles of a coin. A paint is deemed soft if it is flexible enough to be repaired and polished. It gets labeled as harder and harder as it gets harder to adapt and repair. It’s up to the detailer to experiment on each particular automobile and determine for themselves what amount of paint they’re working with, as Kosilla points out, since no two cars are precisely alike and could, for any number of reasons, have different paint structures.
However, that is only a brief justification. Kosilla created a comprehensive film that explains the various paint structures as well as the techniques to be applied once the paint’s strength has been established.
This material was downloaded from YouTube. At their website, you might be able to discover the same material in a different format or more details.
BMW paint is it thin?
According to what I’ve read, BMW paint is extremely tough, which is wonderful, but it leaves the factory thinner than paint on other cars. Just a word of warning for those who must wet sand their vehicles. Utilize a paint meter first.
Is Japanese auto paint pliable?
Because it changes so much and is unpredictable, it can be difficult to tell whether a car’s paint is soft or firm when cleaning it. While some car manufacturers do tend to fall on one end of the spectrum or the other, there are a variety of additional factors that might affect the paint’s hardness, including the conditions in the plant where it was painted. The way paint dries and the temperature or humidity at which it dries can influence its hardness. Even identical cars made in the same year and factory might have variances in paint hardness due to this.
Some auto brands do appear to have hard or soft paint on a regular basis. While you should never depend only on these patterns and should always do your own tests, understanding which brands have a tendency to have harder or softer paint is a good place to start when assessing the paint hardness of your client’s car.
Luxury and German-made brands are frequently on the pricier side. Brands like BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen may fall under this category. On the other side, Japanese automakers like Mazda, Nissan, and Honda are known for being gentler. Aston Martin, Ford, Jeep, and Jaguar are frequently in the middle of the spectrum. To be clear, even though this can be a useful starting point, you should always perform your own test to confirm the paint’s hardness.