Cut and Buffing

[flmont]

I have a 02 Lapis blue with some kind of paint treatment,plus scratches,swills,Its has hazy paint Etc..So I want to do a cut and buff on it,but is there a concern that whatever that treatment would be on the car, Could I do the buffing process without screwing up that treatment.I intend to do a small test sample before I get into the complete Cut and Buff, But I was just curious if any Detailer's here may know the best process,..I dont what a chemical reaction between the treatment and the compound Ill be using to do the Cutting and screw up the finish,.. Thanks Frank

[rick3000]

It hard to say without knowing what "treatment" was applied, however it doesn't sound like it was anything permanent or robust if the paint has all of those defects. Some stealerships apply sealant and call it a "treatment." Sealant is basically a more robust wax that can last up to a year.

The process of "buffing" to paint correct is the process of removing the clear coat around the defects, to level the clear coat at the lower level of the defects, so they are no longer visible. Paint correcting will remove any treatment that remains on the paint after thoroughly washing the car, because you are literally shaving the clear coat, and anything applied on top of it, down.

I would recommend a very, very thorough wash, I know detailers debate this a lot but I mix dawn dish soap in with the car wash to strip everything I can off the paint. Then I would suggest using a clay bar and IronX to get the paint as clean as it possibly can be. (Be careful with iron removers, and clay bars, they can damage the paint if you don't know what you are doing.)

Definitely do a test spot, I used Meguiars D300 with a microfiber pad on a DA polisher (Microfiber is considered aggressive, but you can control that based on how long you polish and how much pressure you apply). I did not correct the paint to 100% because I did not want to remove that much clear coat, I probably did a 60-70% paint correction and it looks amazing unless you really stick your nose up against the paint. I follow that up with Menzerna SF3500 polish to bring back the shine after the paint correction. Paint still looks fantastic three years later with a coat of sealant once a year and wax every 3-6 months.

[flmont]

Thanks for that info rick3000,..I have the Meguiars,.but I wasn't sure of the Wax,..I'll post a Pic tomorrow for the car and surface,.Iam also thinking of just painting it as well....But the Cut and Buff is much easier

[Frodo]

If you're thinking of painting anyway, you got nothing to lose.

Try the polishing route. I basically agree with what Rick recommended (though I'm not familiar with IronX). You cut too deep, or otherwise don't like the results? Re-painting is still an option.

Odds are very good you'll be happy with the outcome from just buffing/waxing or buffing/sealing.

[rick3000]

Unless you have clear coat failure (no more clear on top of the paint), you should be able to get the paint looking like new. Repainting is tricky, cheap paint jobs are worst than living with some scratches, expect to spend a few thousand for a good paint job.

Frodo, iron removers basically dissolve small bits of metal imbedded in the paint through oxidation. Clay bars try to pull them out, iron removers kind of melt the metal away. But it's a heavy duty chemical, and needs to be thoroughly washed off any non-paint surface and the paint within a few minutes. But if you're doing a once ever ten year paint correction, it's worth the $20/bottle.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by rick3000

Unless you have clear coat failure (no more clear on top of the paint), you should be able to get the paint looking like new. Repainting is tricky, cheap paint jobs are worst than living with some scratches, expect to spend a few thousand for a good paint job.

Frodo, iron removers basically dissolve small bits of metal imbedded in the paint through oxidation. Clay bars try to pull them out, iron removers kind of melt the metal away. But it's a heavy duty chemical, and needs to be thoroughly washed off any non-paint surface and the paint within a few minutes. But if you're doing a once ever ten year paint correction, it's worth the $20/bottle.

Agreed.
I'll take your word on that regarding the iron remover, Rick. You've always had good advice on detailing.
That said, hopefully I'll never have to go that route—I get lazy on detailing on occasion.
But I don't think I've ever let things go for 10 years!

[Larrymal2]

You could always get it wrapped any color you like.