After washing my Black truck Saturday, I used the QD on it Sunday. During this sprucing up process I noticed zillions of fine scratches in the clear coat. I've read the numerous posts on #80,#83...etc. I also know that these will remove a so called "micro layer" of the clearcoat. My questions are:


1. How can you tell if you need a #80, #83 or is there something less abrasive to try before one of those??

2. Do all superficial scratches need a #80 or #83 for removal??

3. How many times can you use one of these (scratch/swirl removers)before your clearcoat is gone and you need a new paint job??

4. I have a Craftsman orbital model 10739 7in buffer. I assume this is the same as a pc you all mention just not as good?

5. Is it possible I'm introducing scratches when I'm doing the SD'ing even with my microfiber towels??

Thanks for any assistance.

 

Always use the least aggressive product first. In this case, #80 is that product. Further, I still have a hard time with #83 on black paint as it really takes a while for the product to break down. Because of micromarring and other reasons, I don't typically use #83 on dark vehicles with a PC (only a rotary). Long story short, go with multiple coats of #80 to remove your problem IMO.

There are oodles of abrasive polishes on the market that can do the same thing that #80 or #83 can do. These two products are made by Meguiar's but, by no means are they the only show in the town. Typically though, these products are easier to find and work really well. If you're wanting to order your items, Poorboy's, Four-Star, and a bunch of others make great products along these lines.

This is kind of open ended. If you're polishing every day, I'd assume that you'll eventually meet clearcoat failure in a head-on collision. Otherwise, you really shouldn't need to go with a product like this on a frequent basis... probably a few times per year and this will pose no problems over a longer term of time.

Very different tools. The PC is a dual-action machine which rotates and oscillates up and down. By this motion, it decreases the potential problems that one could introduce to the paint.

Your orbital isn't a bad tool though... I'm just not very familar with it nor the pads that could potentially be used with that machine. Someone here will chime in though...

I assume you meant 'QD'ing? If so, absolutely.

In fact, between washing and QD'ing, I personally feel that these two actions are where the majority of problems are introduced. Long story short, always let your towel do the work. Pushing downward on the towel to the paint is NEVER recommended.

Further, don't use QD when you need to wash. It's not intended to be a 'waterless wash' type of product but rather a product to remove smudges, light dust, and other types of problems like that...

Any other questions, feel free to ask!

RP

 

RP, where does #9 rank on a scale of aggressiveness compared to #80? I've got a lot of swirling and spiderwebbing, especially on my hood and tailgate that I plan on taking care of, so I've got some #9 and #26 on order. Am I going in the right direction?

 

Hmm... to my recollection, #9 is a tad less cut so, without having seen it but following the golden rule of the least aggressive being the first try, #9 is probably the route to go. They're very close though...

Additionally, I like #80 in an environment where drying is a problem. In short, the #80 is an oilier product and thus, can be worked a bit longer than #9.

As is true with both products, they don't need to dry on the paint. Work them until theres very little moisture left in the product on the paint. At that point, utilizing a nice microfiber towel, remove the product from the paint.

That help a bit? Let me know!

RP

 

RP,

Thanks for the great info on all my questions I'll be picking up some #80 this weekend for an all day adventure with my truck

 

umm.....before trying all that number mumbo jumbo...why not just try some Scratch X from Meguires...

I have fellow people who use it on their black trucks....works wonders..

 

No 'mubo-jumbo' there...

Scratch-X and #80/#9 are pretty different products...

SX is recommended more for 'spot' application as I really think it'd be a beast to utilize all the way across a vehicle; especially a great big black vehicle. It's a great product but, for 'all-over' problems, it's probably not the best choice IMO.

RP

 

I have used both #9 and #80 for fine scratches. They are pretty similair in many ways and a ton less aggressive than #83, but as RP said #80 is an oilier product. I have also found that #9 is an easier product to puchase at a ton of places where as #80 is part of Meguire's Professional Automotive Appearance Care Product Line and a bit hard to fine around town