Hi, just been out doing some work on the car. Been trying to take out some of the scratches in the body work (gelcoat) now the car is finally on the road! I've been using P1000 (800 on really deep ones) and then finishing over the top of the repair with P1500 and eventually T-cutting it. The repaired area looks really Matt when compared to the nice shiney rest of the car and it looks a bit odd! I was just wondering if anyones got any idea as to how to do the job properly?? Is it just more elbow grease required with the T-cut or should I be using even finer grit wet and dry?? (halfrauds don't sell anything higher than 1500) I really need to be myself a decent polisher I think if its going to be elbow grease! Cheers in advance....Oli.
go to autoglym super resin polish over the t-cut. as it's name suggests, the t cut is quite coarse, so as to cut back the paint. the auto glym
polishes, and brings back the shine.
it's what i've done anyway. works spot on.
tom
Go to your local Paint factors. They supply paint and supplies to the motor trade. look in yellow pages for your nearest one. They will have
everything you need at half the price that Halfrauds will try to sell it to you. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just a quick bit of advice, don't use any ammonia based product on GRP or modern auto paint finishes. It degrades the substrate.
Easy - go to Detailing World and ask your question, someone will be able to sort you. From what I have
learnt on there you need much finer wet and dry, Meguiars do 2500 and 2000. Then bin the T-Cut - ghastly stuff. Need something like the Poorboys SSR
range or Meguiars 83 or 80 or ScratchX. Someone with more experience on the site will help, you will be amazed at the paint defects they can sort
out.
[Edited on 6/9/06 by richardR1]
99% of professionals use Farecla G3 - for good reason
I'll second the Farecla G3 - easy to use, very effective, not too expensive. Just remember to do what the instructions say, i.e. spray water
regularly onto the work.
I got a really good shine on my bodywork with it.
David
I've just come round to the wonders of Farecla G3. My Tornado Red (read pink most of the time) is now looking like the day it left the
factory....
Cheers
yep. Farecla G3 after the wet and dry. Gets a good shine. After that I use Normal car polish to finnish.
G3 THEN USE G10 FOR A GLASS LIKE FINISH . YOU NEED A POLISHER LIKE THIS ONE
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRADE-POLISHER-SANDER-soft-start-6-speed-FREE-KIT_W0QQitemZ330024710428QQihZ014QQcategoryZ72201QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
G3 THEN G10
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Farecla-G10-Extra-Fine-Grade-Liquid-Compound-500ml_W0QQitemZ230024252419QQihZ013QQcategoryZ72201QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZVie
wItem
Think I'm just being a wimp. I went out to try again later last night and t-cutted like mad on a small square and it looks good now! I've come across g3 before, we used it on boat hulls in my racing years....That polisher looks good but a bit pricey for my (currently unemployed) wallet! Cheers though....Oli.
I wouldn't use the Autoglym stuff either. It's full of silicone. and plays merry havoc with opened up poly gel, even after polishing.
I've been told by a couple of old hands; use lots of hard wax polish, wipe on, rub off,...over and over.
Simoniz do some good natural wax based polishes.
Cheers,
Syd.
Cheers for that syd. I've been using turtle wax t-cut (silicone and ammonia free - i checked after the replies!) and simoniz or turtle wax polish....the simoniz stuff seems marginally better than the turtle wax but all much of a muchness! Cheers Oli.
I used very fine wet and dry on the scratches and lots of patience (2000 iirc). Followed by G3 and then G10. Came up a treat. Took quite a while to do though.
An electric polisher is nice, but really not essential if you're prepared to put some effort into it. My scuttle and bonnet bulge were both done
by hand (click on the webbie link below to see how they came out).
DJ
i used a combination of a cheap bodywork polisher from Halfrauds (not the mega cheap 12V one, it is mains powered) and also by hand. Worked just fine.