Question for the pros Re: C6 Z06 paint.

[youlose]

I sold my 03 Cobra a while back and bought an 06 Z06 in machine silver. The car is in great shape but has a lots of little things in the paint that happened in the cars first 6k miles before I bought it.

It has been about a year since I bought compound or polish and would imagine there have been some steps made to improve these products.

I am planning on using a mini rotary with System One and a yellow foam pad to cut out true defects (2500 paper if needed). I am comfortable with System One and it's easy to clean up!

After scratch removal, I want to compound the entire car with my PC to level it and then polish it and of course wax it.

My question is: what compounds do you recommend? M105 or Super Intensive Polish for compound? Something better? Planning on using a 5.5 inch orange pad with the compound unless you have better idea...then followed by white pad and Menz Final Polish/wax.

I am aware that Vette's have a pretty hard clear coat so I figure maybe there is something better than the Menz Intensive Polish I have been using the last couple years.

I'm hoping for opinions from those that have in fact used and tried these products extensively and can speak from a broad range of experience.

Thanks!
Mark

 

[zaxjax]

I would use M105 or Menzerna Powergloss on that hard clear coat.

 

[danponjican]

If you are comfortable with the S1 Polish, why not do the whole car with that. Just did my new edge with this combo (with the wool/foam combo pad) and it was a breeze.

 

[Saleen281sc]

I sold my 03 Cobra a while back and bought an 06 Z06 in machine silver. The car is in great shape but has a lots of little things in the paint that happened in the cars first 6k miles before I bought it.

It has been about a year since I bought compound or polish and would imagine there have been some steps made to improve these products.

I am planning on using a mini rotary with System One and a yellow foam pad to cut out true defects (2500 paper if needed). I am comfortable with System One and it's easy to clean up!

After scratch removal, I want to compound the entire car with my PC to level it and then polish it and of course wax it.

My question is: what compounds do you recommend? M105 or Super Intensive Polish for compound? Something better? Planning on using a 5.5 inch orange pad with the compound unless you have better idea...then followed by white pad and Menz Final Polish/wax.

I am aware that Vette's have a pretty hard clear coat so I figure maybe there is something better than the Menz Intensive Polish I have been using the last couple years.

I'm hoping for opinions from those that have in fact used and tried these products extensively and can speak from a broad range of experience.

Thanks!
Mark

The GM line (Vette included) doesn't have any special "hard clear" on them. They have a more durable clear than previous years, but its not even in the same league as what Mercedes and Volvo are using.

I am very fond of the System One, but depending on your level of defects I'm not sure if a mini-rotary will get you where you want to be. You may need to step up to a full size variable speed rotary.

Heat is what makes it easy to remove defects. You don't need as much abrasive when you can generate the heat on the paint to soften it up, which of course means you don't need to keep stepping down in abrasives (and removing clear) to get all the swirls out.

Something else that works well for me, is 3M's Microfinishing compound to remove tough imperfections, then a follow up as normal with System One.

I ALWAYS start with a foam pad, and check my result before moving into a wool pad.


I do a lot of custom painting, mostly H-D bikes, but I have also been "hired" out to refinish Ferraris, and a few other exotics.

Here are a couple pics of my custom H-D tank/fender that was trizact and System One finished, using just a foam pad. They still needed rebuffed and glazed, but the result is killer.

I painted these in my shop, FWIW.

 

[youlose]

Nice work! I was hoping to use the PC to do the general correction on the paint after fixing the "scratches" with the mini rotary. I'm not afraid of the variable speed full size rotaries but on this car I would rather take my time and minimize my chances of burning through and/or ruining a piece of trim--like I did on the last C6 Z06 I detailed.....

Zaxjax, have you used both M105 and Power Gloss with the PC and had good luck? Or do you use a rotary full time as well?

Thanks guys!