Day One

[gotgone]

Here is a long one. I got my PC and Poorboys SSR 1.0 and 2.5 two days ago. Today I washed and then clayed my black miata. I started off with the 1.0 on a white pad. Then went to an orange and still had some swirls and scratches. I then went to 2.5 and a white pad. Still had scratches. I switched to an orange pad and probably got 60% of the scratches out. Some I could feel with a fingernail and gave up on them. The others got better, but I can still see them. My questions are can I use either polish by hand. Should I order the SSR 3.0 and 4 in pads. Should I just keep going over them with the 2.5/orange combo. I have made 3 or 4 passes over the whole car. I brushed the pad after each panel. The original pad was changed 3/4 of the way. I had to keep reminding myself to go slow. I tried to do 1 in per sec. Overall I am pretty pleased with the results. Like a lot of other folks just striving for perfection. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[BigLeegr]

Well, I recommend doing 1 section/panel until I find what works, then use that combo for the rest of the car, rather than do the whole car and find that I am not happy with the results.

I think SSR3 might be too strong for what you need. The 4" pads might help. Repeated applications are often needed when using the pc. A rotary might be faster, but there is a higher risk of damage if you aren't experienced with it.

2.5 might be an option for you by hand, depending on how "healthy" you are (needs some elbow grease and "enthusiasm" to get it to work well). SSR1 can be used by hand.

Keep trying on 1 panel and see what gets better. (Reminder that an orange pad will likely haze black paint, so you will need to go over it with the white pad to clear that)

Have you watched BlackYukon's tutorial yet? It's linked in one of these threads. It's very helpful in seeing what can be achieved and how to do it.

 

[gotgone]

I did one panel for 4 passes. That particular panel cleaned up fine. I then moved on with what I thought would be a good process.There are scratches primarily on the hood and one door that I am trying to correct. I did check Black Yukons tutorial. Infact I have read it several times.

 

[Redwings97]

Are you letting the products break down fully? Breaking down to almost clear on your paint. I found my first few attempts with the PC, I was not allowing the product to break down completely.

 

[gotgone]

I feel like the product was completely broken down. If anything I may have worked it too long. Basically it was clear before I stopped on each pass. There were times when there was hardly any product to wipe off. I have a couple of the yellow pads coming. I will try them first with the 1.0 and then the 2.5. Do I still use a speed of 5-6 when using the yellow pad?

 

[BigLeegr]

Steve has mentioned that SSR1 shouldn't be used with a yellow pad. SSR1 is a finishing polish. It's not meant to be used for major correction (such as one would use a yellow pad for).

Maybe try working smaller sections at a time. Sometimes patience and finesse work better than getting aggressive. Remember, to remove scratches you are removing the paint around it until the paint is level with the bottom of the scratch. Once the paint is gone, it's gone.

 

[gotgone]

I do worry about removing too much paint. I am going to try again doing smaller sections. I suppose there is a point where you just have to say good enough. My problem is I am a perfectionist and hate to give up. This is the first vehicle I have ever owned that I couldn't get just the way I wanted by hand methods. Oh well old dogs and new tricks. Thanks again for your advice.