Junkman2008

Hey boys and girls, as a detail nut I've seen people do things to their damaged paint while trying to fix it that made damage worse than when they started. Some folks do not realize the power of compounds or polishes and a polisher (or buffer as they are also called). Knowing the right procedure to tackle paint damage can save you hundreds of dollars at the paint shop. This thread is a perfect testament to that very thing.

I've notice that there are users of various different types of polishes and waxes on this forum. Let's break them up into 2 different groups. There are those who use professional grade products such as Zaino, Meguiar's and Adam's (group 1), and then there are the guys who purchase the over the counter quick fix stuff such as Meguiar's ScratchX, Turtle Wax and Nu-Finish (group 2). For the group 2 people, this thread may not be for you as the repair done here is of the professional type. Feel free to learn from it though.

Meguiar's has two different lines, a consumer line and a professional line. The consumer stuff is what you find at your local automotive store. It usually contains fillers that don't actually repair the paint damage, they do more at masking the damage (the damage usually will show back up after a couple of washes). The professional stuff is for actually repairing the damage, and can only be found at a Meguiar's store or at their website. This DIY's is for people who actually want to repair their damage.

As a former avid user of Meguiar's and Zaino products, I can say that they are excellent products. I have had nothing but positive experiences with them. I now use Adam's products exclusively. I have been asked which is the best, to which I respond this way.

It is not a question of which is better, it is a question of which is better for you. As an avid user of all 3 products at one time, I can easily tell you that ALL THREE are quality products. The main difference between Zaino and Adam's is how they are applied. Some find Zaino confusing to use. Zaino users look at people who use other products like a Mac user looks at PC people. They understand the application process and wonder why anyone would have problems figuring it out.

I offer this: Say for example you tried product A and did not have the success you were looking for. Then you tried product B and had a much more positive experience. In comes someone else who strips all of product B off your car and reapplies product A and the car looks outstanding. Does that make product A better? Not necessarily because maybe the guy who came behind you with product A is more familiar with it and thus knows how to achieve its full potential. Someone who is more familiar with product B may have likewise success.

Thus I say, it is not a question of which is better, it is more a question of which is better for you.

Now with all that said, check out the positive experience that I had using some Adam's products and a little know how.



A friend of mine dropped me a PM about a scratch he picked up. He told me that he tried to fix it but nothing worked. He then wondered out loud if I had anything that would work. So I told him to bring his Vette over and let's find out.

Once he arrived and I got a look at the damage, I realized that the scratch was like a well: Deeeeeep! He didn't realize how bad it was. Once I explained to him the options (either have the entire rear fascia painted or let me take a crack at it), he stated that he wanted me to give it a try. He said that he had seen a thread I did for a lady with a nasty scratch on her front fascia and if her's could be fixed, anything was possible. So, I busted out my bag of goodies and went at it.

Here was what we were looking at. This was the long shot. I wanted to see if I could notice them without getting close. Dave and I didn't see the second scratch until I washed the rear fascia off.



Now for a Corvette owner, these scratches would keep you from sleeping at night. They were really noticeable. I'm sure there are other members here who can relate to this, especially when you're talking about your baby. It's like having lettuce stuck between your teeth on a blind date.





As you can see, these were some serious scratches and the one between the tail lights has went through the clear coat and down to the paint. This was going to take some serious magic. So out came my PC-7424, the Adam's Swirl and Haze Remover (SHR) and a wet Adam's Dual-Action Swirl Killer Pad (by wet, I mean that I had dampened the pad with a couple of squirt of Adam's Detail Spray).





I went at both scratches twice and this is what they looked like after I was done.





Now the scratch on the outside of the rear fascia was going to be a little work but I could see that the SHR was going to eventually remove it. However, the one between the tail lights was going to take something stronger than a polish. This scratch was going to require some wet sanding.

The Junkman's Disclaimer: Now let me stress the importance of this being something that you never try at home unless you have been professionally trained on how to do this. You can quickly cut through the clear coat on your car and be into the paint with a few strokes of the wrong sandpaper. I only show this for documenting purposes only, not as an endorsement for you to try!

Realizing what needed to be done, I broke out my wet sanding supplies. Some 3000 grit sandpaper, a sanding block and a clean bucket of water. I let the sand paper soak for 25 minutes before I started using it.



After the sandpaper was ready, I went at it. Dave had chewed his fingers down to the nubs by the first minute.



After knocking the areas even, I took these photos. The white that you see that really enhances the scratches is some of the clear coat that I have removed from the car. I constantly checked my bucket of water and the sand paper to ensure that they never turned red in color. If so, that would have meant that I had went through the clear coat and into the paint. That would NOT have been a good thing.





Next, I went back at the scratches with a wet orange pad and the SHR. After 2 passes with that combo, the scratch on the outside of the rear fascia was pretty much history. One thing to note between the picture above and the picture below. You can see how much damage the sand paper has done in the picture above because there is no shine in the area where the scratch was. Now look at the picture below. SHR has brought that reflectivity back to showroom quality.



The one between the tail lights was still there, but was a whole lot less noticeable. This would have required repainting the bumper to fix it 100% but as any paint shop will tell you, matching the color red is usually a nightmare. In the business, we like to call this "a great save".



Now I'm ready to put some wax on the rear fascia and see the final results. Out came the Adam's Machine SuperWax.



After applying and allowing it to haze, I wiped it off and saw the final results.





Here's a wide shot of the rear fascia.



...and now for the money shot!



Needless to say, Dave and I where very happy with the results. Dave was so happy that we decided to go out and celebrate on his dime at BW3's. Sorry, I forgot the before shot. Once that chicken arrived, things were kind of a blur for a while!




This is an example of what can be done using a orbital buffer and the right professional products. With a little practice, you too can save yourself an expensive trip to the paint booth, or a detailing professional. As you can see above, it doesn't take a lot of money or work, just the right stuff.



The Junkman

usarmyman

iTrader: (1)

Excellent write up. You seem very knowledgeable. Do you detail cars for a living?

Junkman2008

You're not going to believe this but I own a computer consulting firm. Rubbing on cars is what I do for relaxation. My father was a body man for 40 years but I was too stupid to learn from him. I had to teach myself all this stuff. I regret the fact that I didn't learn from him now but I now understand the passion he had. I like looking at a beautiful truck or car almost as much as I do a beautiful woman.

ramsey rider

iTrader: (3)

Nice job .I just went through this after painting my truck.It is amazing ,the products out theyre nowadays.Wet sanded my truck and i could still see some scratches and haze,bought some of the haze remover and walaa ,looks great.Good write up ,you should do more.

Junkman2008

I plan on sharing as much as I can here. With some of the trucks I'm seeing, it is apparent that guys here take pride in the appearance of their rides. I'd be glad to help out.

KySilverado

iTrader: (7)

Good write up. I myself have gotten into the detailing recently. Out of necessity. I've used the Meguire's professional line, and 3M. I'll keep an eye out for the Adams. With a little work, some luck, the right tools and materials its amazing what you can do with scratches.

Junkman2008

I have a discount coupon that you can use to get 10% off if you decide to give their stuff a try. Just let me know.

Derek @ EDO

iTrader: (73)

Very nice, amazing job

Im interested in those products, I was just looking at the full kit:
http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-338-a...isher-kit.aspx

Do you have a coupon to get 10% off that?

Thanks,
Derek

Junkman2008

You have PM!

That is a very good kit!

For those who may be interested in it, allow me to explain it in detail, along with what you will get. Also, let me suggest some things you may want to add to it in order to have the ultimate detail kit. I don't like to suggest someone buy ANYTHING unless they know exactly why they are buying it. In other words, don't buy it just because I suggested it, buy it because I explained to you why you need it and it makes absolutely perfect sense to you as to why you're purchasing it.

I feel if a man knows a trade, then he can break it down so that a ten year old can understand. Here's my suggestion.



I am only going to concentrate on the exterior of the car. The interior is a totally different bag of tricks. I don't want anyone buying a bunch of stuff without understanding exactly what it is they are buying. This is very important to me as money is a tad short these days!

The Adam's Complete Dual-Action Car Polisher Kit is a great starter kit that contains the following, which I will explain in detail.

Porter-Cable 7424 Dual Action Polisher - This is the Porter-Cable 7424, or PC for short. It is a dual-action polisher. The fact that it is a dual-action polisher is what makes it safe enough for a novice to use. Dual-action refers to the way that the pad rotates. It mimics the earth's rotation around the sun. The earth rotates but as it is rotating, it is also orbiting around the sun. The pad of the PC does the same thing. Because the pad does not sit in one spot on your paint AND the fact that the PC is not as powerful as a true rotary buffer, it is next to impossible for the PC to harm your paint.

This is what makes a dual-action (or orbital polisher as they are also called), safe for the novice user.

The diagram below shows the pad motion of the 2 types of buffers. Because the pad of a true rotary buffer only spins and spins at a much higher rate, it can get hot enough to burn or even take the paint off your car!



The rotating action of the PC is no where near as powerful. As a matter of fact if you apply too much pressure, the pad of the PC will stop spinning. It will continue to orbit but as you can see by the diagram above, the orbiting action does not sit in one spot on your paint. Because it is moving around (or orbiting) in this manner, it cannot build up enough heat to cause any damage to your paint. This is the safety feature built into a dual-action polisher that makes it idel for the novice detailer. If you decide to purchase one of these, you will be overjoyed with it's performance. For you folks who have been doing this by hand, your joints will be overjoyed you too!

One thing to note: You can buy this kit with, or without the PC. That comes in handy for those of you who already have a PC.

Adam's 5-7/8" Velcro Backing Plate - This is the plate that holds the pads which you will swap for the plate that comes on the Porter-Cable-7424 (PC). The plate that comes with the PC is made for 6.6" pads. The Adam's pads are 5.5" and thus, require the smaller plate.

Adam's Foam Pads (1 each orange, white and black) - These are the pads that you will be buffing with. Orange is for heavy swirl and scratch removal, White is for medium to light swirl and scratch removal, and black is for waxing.

Adam's Swirl & Haze Remover Car Polish (16 oz.) - This is the polish that you will use to remove all manner of scratches and swirls. It can be used on the orange or white pads, and can be thinned by spraying the pads with Adam's Detail Spray. This reduces the cutting power which may be necessary for really light scratches. This swirl and haze remover can also be used by hand. Adam's users call this SHR for short.

Adam's Fine Machine Car Polish (16 oz.) - Also known as FMP to Adam's users, this is also a swirl and scratch remover. The difference is that FMP is concentrated and made to use with the PC, not by hand. You will not use as much of this as you would use of the Swirl and Haze Remover. This is for major work on a car that has truly been neglected. This car would be a ideal candidate for FMP.





Adam's Machine SuperWax (16 oz.) - This is the outstanding wax that you will use to obtain that deep shine that you all have seen in my DIY's.


2 - Adam's True Blue Super Plush Microfiber Towels (16" x 16") - These are the sweet microfiber towels that are heads above the junk you buy in auto stores or Costco. They also DO NOT have a tag sewn into the seam like the cheap, low quality towels do. These towels, as well as every product sold by Adam's are made with quality and care in the good ol' USA. :bigthumb:

Adam's Detail Spray (16 oz.) - This product has multiple uses. It is used to wet the pads as I described earlier, and it is also used to wipe the car down after waxing or as a quick detailer. This is some sweet stuff that you will quickly go through ao I suggest you add a gallon of it to your order.

Adam's All-Purpose Cleaner - Just what it says, you can use it to clean a boat load of stuff!

The next item that is the Adam's Super Foamy Car Wash Gun. In order to appreciate why you would need to buy the foam gun, you must first understand its purpose. First, take a look at this video of what the foam gun does:

Foam Gun

The purpose of the foam gun is to soak the car down in a thick, rich lather which will loosen up all of the caked on dirt and grit. The foam gun does not power dirt off the car and it is NOT a high pressure sprayer. It is ONLY a super soaker if you will. So why do you need it you ask? Read on.

Ninety percent of all swirls and scratches are introduced to your finish during the washing process. If you wash the car improperly or use the wrong materials to wash the car, your finish will quickly begin to look like the black car above. The last thing you want to do is take a mitt full of soap and go across you dry, dirty finish. That does nothing but grind all that surface dirt into your paint.

You can knock a lot of the surface dirt off the car by initially rinsing the car. However, that caked on film will remain. By soaking the car with foam, you loosen up that caked on film and thus, lessen the opportunity for that film to scratch the paint as you are washing the car. This is the sole purpose and very important reason you need a foam gun. Some people may be turned off by its price. To those folks, I offer up my car's finish as a testament to its effectiveness.





That my friends is the wet look.

(con't below)

Junkman2008

The next thing that you will need are two buckets to use during your wash. One bucket is for the soap, and the other bucket is for rinsing out your wash mitt. The proper procedure is to start at the top of the car and wash your way down to the halway point (usually, the door protecting moldings). Then, use a second mitt to do the lower half of the car. Never use the mitt for the tires, undercarriage or wheel wells. Adam's has other goodies specifically made for those areas.

The buckets are only half of the washing equation. It is what the buckets contain that drastically protects your finish. In the business, it is known as the Grit Guard System. The Grit Guards are the inserts that sit in the bottom of the buckets. As you remove dirt from the car during the wash, you scrub the mitt across the Grit Guards which helps deposit the dirt and grime in the mitt to the bottom of the bucket. The design of the Grit Guard not only helps keep the mitts grit free, but it also keeps the grit and dirt from rising back up into your wash soap. This significantly reduces your wash water from becoming contaminated with dirt, which would normally end up back on the car creating scratches and swirls. Couple your wash technique with a rinse bucket, and you have practically eliminated the opportunity for scratches and swirls.

I love these buckets, especially the fact that I can roll them around. The Junkman is not a spring chicken anymore! However if you are on a budget, you can purchase the Grit Guard Inserts separately. Take one of the inserts with you to a Wal-Mart and test fit them in one of the 5-gallon buckets they sell. The insert MUST fit all the way to the bottom of the bucket in order to be effective. This will help keep the cost down for those of you who just got through thinking, "That's a pricey bucket!"

For further reading on the Grit Guard bucket, check out this write up I did on them. By the way, you'll notice that I tend to do write-ups on everything I do! Here's a write-up I did when I rebuilt my computer. I'm a documenting fool!

Let's not forget about those tires. You want the black and wet look without actually having that stuff slinging upon your paint. For that, you want to purchase the Adam's Vinyl, Rubber and Tire Kit (VRT). Unlike most of the stuff on the market, this is not a spray, it is more like a lotion. That means, you won't have product spraying all over your rims, or on your windshield when doing the dash. This also means that all the product stays on the tires and does not end up all over your fenders. That is VERY important to me as some products can actually eat through your finish. How good does it look? Well have a look for yourself.



VRT goes on wet looking, not wet!

Here's a cool item. Need to clean your wheels? Break out a drill and order you a Adam's GREEN Clean PowerStick with 16oz Green Wheel Cleaner. I got sick and tires of beating my knuckles up against my wheels so I had to get one of these. Man, this thing is a knuckle saver big time! Use this in conjunction with the wheel cleaning supplies that I posted about earlier.


The last thing you need are the Microfiber Towels. You can never have too many of these towels. Buy as many as you can afford. You also need to be aware of how to care for them. I have documented the procedure that I follow in order to ensure that my microfiber towels never loose their plushness. You can read my care instructions here.

Oh, one more thing. In order to recieve a 10% discount on anything that your order from Adam's, use the coupon code "Junkman" (without the quotes). Use it as often as you like and feel free to give it out to your friends and coworkers. Adam's was kind enough to do that for me because of all the DIY's I post and the positive results that I have. That was really cool!

Well, that just about covers everything you need to get started on the road to a swirl free finish. You won't believe how much better your ride will look once you get it back in tip top shape. Most of you will wonder as I did, how you drove around with it looking as bad as it did before you truly committed yourself to taking care of it properly. I cringe when I look at old pictures of my cars and trucks!

Allow me to throw this out there for anyone who may live in the Louisville, Kentucky area. If you want to see what Adam's Polishes can do for your ride BEFORE you make a purchase, shoot me a PM. You can come over to my place and I will give you a hands on demo of what it would take to get you on the road to shine. The only thing it will cost you is lunch and time. See if you can beat that deal!

If you have any questions, post them here so that other members can see the answers as you may not be the only one with the same question. Again, don't buy anything if you don't know why you're buying it. My word means a lot to me and I don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction. If you don't fully understand a product or why it is used, ask me. I have studied and used this brand for quite some time and feel as if I am somewhat of an expert on it. If I don't know the answer, I'll find the answer. The owner of the company was so impressed with the results that I have had with his products that he allowed me to get a discount whenever I order stuff. I am passing that same discount on to whoever needs it here, with his permission of course.

Well, I'm off to battle some swirls!



The Junkman