Almost every automaker uses a different paint or clearcoat formula; some are finicky (Rolls Royce), some are hard as granite and very difficult to polish (Audi), some are soft as butter and will be damaged by a swipe with a microfiber towel (BMW Jet Black), and some are simply a pleasure to work with.
Porsche is into the group of companies I enjoy working with (at least the modern Porsche models). It is soft, making corrections simple, but not so delicate that even the smallest error will result in swirls and marring. Even while every automobile is unique and every person has different requirements, a Porsche will require far less time for paint repair than most other cars. Therefore, for those Porsche owners out there, a full rectification job on your car will cost less money.
I spent the previous week working on a stunning black 997 Turbo. It had a fair lot of swirls, but I was certain that I could make it look fantastic in a short period of time. It was concluded that a straightforward one-step polish would be the best way to remove 50% to 75% of faults and restore as much gloss as possible because my client only needed a mid-level paint correction on it. Knowing what to expect from a given amount of work on a current Porsche paint job, I anticipated that my correction estimate would be low and my time estimate would be high (I’d rather under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around!).
So I grabbed my Porter Cable 7424XP, Lake Country Black Finishing Pad, and Meguiar’s M205 Ultra Finishing Polish and got to work. I was able to reach an overall repair rate of about 80–85% with a relatively rapid procedure. When using my Brinkmann Dual LED light to evaluate the paint (but not in direct sunlight), I could only detect the tiniest amount of haze on the pristine black surface. As a result, I swiftly went around the car with Optimum Poli-Seal once more on a black pad. Any haze that might have remained after that was fully removed—a haze so slight that most people would not have ever seen it.
It only took 7.5 hours to complete the entire operation, which included washing, claying, rotary work on the 3M Clear Bra, internal cleaning, a Leatherique treatment, and polishing.
In This Article...
grim
When we first started reading and occasionally posting on Corvetteforum about five years ago, we used to read comments made by members there about how soft Corvette paint is and how this explains why the paint on Corvettes scratches and swirls easily. We also used to read similar comments on Autopia.
The problem is that the folks who said that Corvette Clear Coats are soft didn’t understand the paint technology and associated paint softness with scratch-sensitive, so we started educating people that the paint on NEW Corvettes isn’t soft, in most situations we’ve experienced it’s really hard.
Disregard what they say (keep their forum name in mind and in the future, ask them about whatever they post), and keep this in mind…
Until you take your automobile out into your garage and start working on it, you won’t know whether the paint is firm or soft, or more accurately, if it is workable. And when we refer to the “job,” we mean the procedure for clearing up defects.
I’ve worked on guards’ red paint with Menzernas and other pads at pretty much every grit level. Porsche paint is hard and durable. Others can’t claim that. On a white pad, the paint color of my previous autos, which meant I had worn through the clear finish, was obvious while using a PC. That implies that the transparent coats themselves may be thin.
The more accurate phrase, in my opinion, is scratch susceptibility coupled with visibility. It is simpler to see in dark hues than in lights. Metallic finishes conceal clear coat scratches.
black987
Soon, I’ll polish my 2008 black Boxster. I’ve heard that Porsche employs flexible clearcoat and paint that is simple to damage with the incorrect tools and methods. The finish on any car would naturally have this issue, but I’ve heard the Porsche finish is particularly delicate. Now, I’m not sure if that is accurate or not. I do, however, want to hear some advise from others who have had good luck polishing their vehicles, particularly those with darker colors.
Just to give you a little background, I have a Porter Cable dual-action buffer and blue, black, orange, and white foam pads. Right now, I’m using Meguiars #205 polishing paste. I wanted to know the following things, so please answer them:
Use of Maguiars #205 is safe, right? Exists an other polishing agent that might produce better results?
Is the paint on my automobile 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.
Ferrari paint is either firm or soft.
We’ve learned that hard paint is often used by automakers like Audi, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes, whereas soft paint is typically used by Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus (most Japanese manufacturers), and Porsche.
How firm or soft is BMW paint?
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.