i was told that rubbing compound will take out small scratches and imperfections in the paint? is this the best way to go about that or should i look at something else? and does anyone know how this stuff works? what about clay bars, can they be used as a good preventive measure against this in the future cause black shows rubbing scratches soooo easy

 

Rubbing Compound should only be used in extreme cases. It is pretty much at the top of the abrasive ladder when it comes to compounding paint. Chances are you'll end up doing more harm than good using such a product.

Rule of thumb when using compounds and polishes to correct paint: Use the least abrasive method possible. You only have so much clear coat on the car, using a heavy abrasive like a rubbing compound, your going to significantly shorten the life of your paint. So you use the least abrasive compound first, and gradually move up the ladder, IF NEEDED.

If you are looking to remove swirls and light scratches, you'll need to use a machine. Taking out swirls by hand can be done, but it is a very laborious process, and can be done much easier via a DA or Rotary polisher.

As for clay bars, all they are for is to remove fine particulate from the paint that washing didn't remove. After you've washed your car, run your fingers across the paint. Chances are it won't feel as smooth as ice. You'll feel a roughness to the paint. What your feeling are small contaminants, such as brake dust, rail dust, tar, sap, pollen, paint overspray, etc. What clay will do is remove all of these contaminants, giving you a completely clean surface, ready for compounding and polishing. The last thing you want to do is take a polishing machine to a contaminated surface, all you'll be doing is rubbing it back into the paint at high speeds, causing even more damage.

Clay bar will not remove swirls. Clay bar will not protect the paint. It is simply a tool for getting the paint completely clean and ready for paintwork correction, or if correction is not needed, an application of wax.

To get your car completely defect free, you'd have to follow this regimen. There is more to it than what I've listed, but the basics are there.

Wash
Clay
Compound
Polish
Glaze (not necessary, but it adds depth and wetness)
Wax or Sealant

Problem is you have a black car. You've picked to worse color to try and keep defect free. You can get the paint looking good, but chances are, you'll have a real hard time keeping it that way. You just have to come to terms with the fact that it is a daily driver, and your never going to keep the paintwork in perfect condition.

But if you have any more questions, feel free to ask

 

good summarizing post. +1 rep

 

yeah black sucks haha but looks dec when done ahh yeah def +rep (best detailing advice so far )
any advice on preventive maintence, like waxes protect, but what else protects and how well do they work, maybe i can just get like 10 surface coats on it haha

 

Try a scratch out type product first as rubbing compounds should only be used to try to save the cars paint as a last resort.

Think of it as a very fine abrasive, it will scratch the finish.

 

AS A DETAILER MYSELF, I CAN'T SAY THAT COMPOUND IS THE LAST DITCH CHANCE. fIRST I WOULD TRY A MACNINE GLAZE AS STATED ABOVE, GLAZE IS LIKE WAX BUT CONTAINS NO SILICONE OR TEFLON. THERE ARE MANY DIF LEVELS OF GRIT FOR COMPOUNDS. 3M MAKES A FINE GRIT COMP CALLED FINESSE-IT. IT WORKS GREAT FRO BRINGING OUT SHINE W/ MIN SWIRL MARKS. aLSO IF YOU HAVE A REAL (NOT ORBITAL) BUFFER YOU CAN GET A FOAM PAD AND FOAM PAD POLISH AND REALLY BRINGS OUT DEEP SHINE AND REDUCES SWIRL MARKS. tHIS WORKS GREAT FOR BLACK AS MY DADS TA IS BLACK AND IS IN SHOWS ALL THE TIME. NEXT WAX SUCKS..!!!!! IT BEADS WATER ON YOUR CAR ON THAT CREATES ACID RAIN MARKS ESP IN BLACK. wATER SHOULD SHEET OFF THE CAR SO NOT TO LEAVE MARKS. uNLESS CAR NEVER SEE'S RAIN (MINE) DO NOT WAX AS I NEVER HAVE. i PROB MACHINE GLAZE AND FOAM PAD MY CAR 2-5 TIMES A YEAR DEPENDING ON SHOWS ECT... SO IN TURN COMPOUND WORKS GREAT FOR REMOVING SURFACE SCRATCH'S AND MARKS THAT MACHINE GLAVE WILL NOT GET OUT.. ALSO ANOTHER TIP USE A DAMP RAG WHILE PUTTING ANY MATERIAL ON PAINT AND DO SECTION BY SECTION.. i BEEN DOIGN THIS FOR A FEW YRS AND MY CAR SHINES FR BLOCKS AWAY AND PEOPLE CAN'T BELEIVE IT'S 2YRS OLD. SEE VB GARAGE IF YOU DON'T BELEIVE ME.. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU GUYS OUT..

Oh And Clay Bars Work Great Too For Removing Paint Cont. But Do Nothing For Shine As Mentioned By Gt. Very Good White Up By The Way Gt..

 

Step 1 Buy Porter Cable and appropriate pads

Step 2 get 3M compounds Finesse IT-II (39002) and Swirl remover (39009)

Step 3. Try Swirl remover first if that doesnt work, got to the 39002 product and then finish with the swirl remover

 

what about that quixx stuff i heard it works like magic but i never tried it.

 

I agree with much of what you said, but I've got a few points I'd like to discuss. This isn't aimed at you either, just differing viewpoints for the membership

First, pertaining to polishing machines, Dual Action polishers aren't as useless as people make them out to be in this trade. If you have something like a Porter Cable, UDM, or Festool Dual Action Polishers, it will be able to do the kind of swirl removal needed. Albeit, it may take more time to do with a DA polisher, the paint will be much more safer. Putting a rotary in the hands of an amateur is almost guaranteeing paintwork damage. With a DA polisher, it is very hard to do any sort of damage to the paint, with a rotary, it may only take a matter of seconds to burn through the paint.

Once the rotary is mastered, you'll likely never want to go back to a DA, but for a beginner, I'd stress that you only use a DA polisher. The learning curve for a rotary is very steep, and it takes a lot of practice to master the tool. I wouldn't run out to home depot, buy one, then expect to be buffing like a pro immediately. In fact, you'll probably be upset with your results, as you've done more harm than good. So for beginners, I highly recommend a DA polisher as a starting point.

I'll have to disagree with you. Although glazes may give you the shine of a freshly waxed car, it should be no substitute, at least, in my eyes. Most people look at waxes as a way to bring out the shine in a car, but that wasn't it's original purpose. Wax was meant as a way to protect the paint surface, to give a barrier between the clean paint, and outside contaminants. I'd rather have water beading, then have it directly resting on a bare paint surface. Think of wax as a sacrificial layer between your paint and the elements. If your worried about water spots, get a good waffle weave microfiber towel.

What I do, after it rains, is go outside, take the nozzle off the hose, and allow the water, like you said, to sheet off the car surface, by allowing the hose to flood each panel. Now, due to the waxed surface, and very little surface tension, the water just sheets off. You'll see that your left with very little water on the surface of the paint. This is where you take the waffle weave microfiber towel and ever so gently blot dry the paint. You have to be careful, and I wouldn't recommend doing this method on a particularly dirty car. But I've done this multiple times, and have never had to worry about water spots drying to the car after a good rain.

Change the words "damp rag" to "damp microfiber towel", and you've got my vote

But props to you to posting some valuable information, although we may to see eye to eye on every point, it gives the community differing viewpoints, and in the end, everybody wins