Car Polishing Using an Elerctric Buffer

[vesnyder]

It is gettting close to Spring here in the Midwest and am thinking about polising the old 911. Do any of you use an electric buffer when applying polish or wax to your cars finish? I have a bunch of surface/paint scratches that need buffed out and have tried Zaino's swirl mark remover manually with no success - the car is black which makes them even more noticable. I've used them on my daily driver but never considered using them on my baby, but every time I wax/polish my body is sore for a week - and I have a cabriolet!

What polising compounds does everyone recommend?

Thanks

[Phoenix]

This should be a great post! I'll bet we all struggle with this one.

I watched the folks who painted mine using an electric buffer, but then again he's a serious pro at it. I'm not sure I would trust myself to do it. One wrong slip and....arrrgghhhhhh

[pbs911]

Black is probably the toughest to do. I would never do it myself and I would have to see another black car done by someone even consider allowing them to do mine. Personally, I never even touch the paint with a wash mit, wax or towel in anything other than a back and forth direction - the same direction as the flow of air over the surface. If I was to do it, however, I would ONLY use an orbital electric buffer.

AS for polishers, I use 3-M glazing compound. Be sure to wipe is off before it dries or it is a bi#ch to get off.

[911pcars]

I'd suggest buying a used body panel (any make) from your local boneyard to practice on.

Go to the Meguiar's site and get a list of their detailing products. You'll need:

a low speed buffing machine: <2500 rpm
foam buffing pads, one for each type of polishing compound
assortment of polishing compounds from fine to medium (depending on the depth of scratches)

I believe they have a video on detailing paint. Might be a good idea to pick that up as well.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org.911pcars
www.seinesystems.com

[Vipergrün]

Well, with the hell I have been going thru recently with my touchup paint fiasco (do not use lacquer based paint over stock enamel finish), I have become decent at using the buffer. Go slow and light, and mellow on the compound. I'd start with the finest compound you can buy (3M) and go from there if needed.
Let the buffer to the work. My car is Black Metallic, the worst of both worlds

cheers
-Brad
80SC - in need of professional touchup

[pwd72s]

Never a power buffer on my car. Usual technique is Meguiars #7 polish, only in needed places...then a coat of #6 cleaner/wax by Meguiars. I top that with a coat of pure carnuba, several brands I've used for this step, all seem to work about the same...Harley, Blitz, Meguiars...haven't been able to tell much difference. But, I'm doing all this on original 30 year old factory enamel... the more modern paints could be different. I'll try to attach a pic of the shine. Think it's adequate? Thanks to Jeff (Rufblackbird) for scanning the photo for me.

[R22tech]

Vance- I have alot of experience with Black paint. It is definetely a different procedure than ANY other color. For a concours finish, you must use a high speed polisher if you have scratches, spider webs, heavy swirl marks, ect. You have to cut the paint to get to a fresh layer and that takes speed. The best product I've used for concours events is called "Liquid Ebony" polish and swirl mark remover. You have to go to an auto paint supply store to get your hands on it. Bring it to a professional detailer whom you trust with a high speed polisher. Only check his work on a black car, the other colors will not show you how good he is. After he's done polishing, apply a HARD liquid wax, not a cream or paste wax, as those should be left for other colors that don't need as much protection as black. OEM Porsche hard wax works well and is VERY DIFFICULT to work with. The results are worth it, and it will allow you to use a standard orbital buffer in the future for polish/wax jobs. Regardless, black doesn't stay swirl free for nearly as long as most other colors. The key is to get the paint PERFECT and PROTECTED so when you do get swirls, you can proceed as you would with othet colors.

[rstoll]

Great testimony pwd!! Amazing!

[R22tech]

Not really a fair judge because you can touch up a picture, but this one close to actual.

p.s. now that I see it on the post- it's too dark. Really hard to judge on this monitor.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Ohmygod. These are automobiles, not jewelry. Get lives.

Stephan

[R22tech]

Just trying to be accurate and help the guy......

[boyo]

I will agree with the "never use a power buffer" statement, and disagree with the "get a life!" statement. Only a car? Only a Porsche!

Everyone I've seen who uses a power buffer has "swirls" in their paint. I have been hand waxing the same car for years (straight lines, never circles) and nary a swirl in sight.

I've also seen a number of cars fresh from the detailers which look almost pearlescent from all the swirls left in the layer of wax by a power buffer. Know what I mean?

One speck of dust under a power buffer, and you've spun it around in a circle on your paint 50 times before you notice its there.

Plus, nothing like a little "elbow grease" to give you that feeling of satisfaction of a job well done.

-Boyo

[curtisaa]

It ALL depends on the person pulling the trigger. If you have a paint job with "orange peel" (as some factory jobs do), then in order to bring out the paint you will need to color sand and buff, using the correct compounds. If you have had your car repainted, you bet it needs additional color sanding and buffing. ASK a "hottroder" if he's had someone use a buffer on his car, and 95% will say yes, at one time there has been someone whom has done a color and buff.

[epbrown]

Originally posted by Stephan Wilkinson
Ohmygod. These are automobiles, not jewelry. Get lives.

Maintaining the paint and body are as important as any other maintenance. If you want to do a half-assed job on your car saying "it's just an automobile" that's cool, same as if you never change your oil, adjust your valves, or put in new plugs. But dont be asinine just because everyone else isn't just like you. Not everyone sees his car solely as a future parts car in someone's restoration project a few years from now.

Emanuel

[R22tech]

Boyo is right about waxing- do it by hand( I forgot to mention that). But polishing BLACK paint takes a skilled hand on a high speed POLISHER.

BTW: Paul, your new wheels rock! I may have to gets me sum o' those!

[pwd72s]

R22...thanks, but I've been running those wheels since, oh, '77 or so. Sorry about that stone chip. I'd have thought you had a neat car otherwise. (Whoops, how do I put the "just kidding" rolleyes here instead of at the end?) And Curt? My car had tons or Orange peel when I bought it, but it's amazing how 28 years of loving wax jobs can remove it. Actually the peel was pretty much gone by year 10 or so...Maybe the factory added the Orange peel, knowing it would eventually be polished/waxed out?
We did that, waxed a lot, back in the old days...

[curtisaa]

Paul...is that Irish green ? the PIC makes it look almost black. I thought our cars were the same color. BTW, we had a Sregistry meet down here Saturday: Great guys...poor turn out, too bad.

[carnut169]

My Porsche is silver (a very easy color to work with) but my RX7 is black... and I just buffed her out this weekend. Used a high speed buffer at 2000 rpm, and 3M products made for dark colored cars- a rubbing compound with the right foam pad, followed by a swirl mark remover w/ the right foam pad, and finished off the deal w/ Zymol applied by hand. Judge for yourself.....

[carnut169]

Here is another:

[stealthn]

Hi,

Good post... I think it's a personal opinion. I have hand waxed/cleaned my cars and truck for years, but I want to step up to a buffer.
I have tried several componds, manufacturers, and ways to clean, wax/polish my truck and Porsche's.

I like Meguiar's products best. Although I tried their 1,2,3 system, on my 79 911SC and it didn't remove the swirls. I do like the 6 cleaner and the wax/polisher, as well as the quick polish.

I like Mother's in the Interior on the leather (cleaner & conditioner).

I am thinking about the polisher because of the swirls; I saw a "TV car show" that a Meguiar's tech used one on a brand new street rod and the results were awesome. Of course this was a fresh paint job and wet sandpaper could have got the same results, but the polisher looked alot easier.

I will post some pictures once all my "little projects" are completed.

Just my two cents..