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      05-24-2012, 01:23 PM   #23
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Perfect! Now that I know this can be done after seeing the proof, looks like it is time to buy a 12 pack of Red Bull and do mine this weekend.
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      05-24-2012, 04:27 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Titanium Silver View Post
Wow, after reading this, I might just have a shop do it for me. They quoted $550 for full exterior paint correction on my Jet Black. I would love to tackle the project myself, but I don't have a good enough work space to get it done (especially if it takes a couple days).

Your car looks amazing! Great work. It always feel good putting some sweat into a project and getting the desired effect.
Thanks! $550 sounds like a pretty fair price. You'd be out at least $300 just for initial supplies + Porter Cable. If they do good work, then go for it. Yeah, you'd need to have a garage, or well covered area to to do the work. Depending on how bad your scratches are, it could definitely take 2 days. It may not seem like it, but it is a lot of physical work, i.e. you get tired. You're moving around quite a bit, and doing a lot of crouching, bending over and standing in awkward positions.

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Perfect! Now that I know this can be done after seeing the proof, looks like it is time to buy a 12 pack of Red Bull and do mine this weekend.
Do it! Take some before and after pictures and report back in this forum.
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      05-28-2012, 11:53 AM   #25
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Sorry, I did not take any pics of the shadow line. As you can imagine, there were plenty of fine scratches. The polishing took car of them all. I might be more happy about the results to the shadowline, because those were easy to notice in any light. Now it looks perfect.

Not sure about the chips. You'll probably get the best results with very careful application of the touch up paint. Then the compounding will smooth out the worst of the rough spots.

If you have a ton of chips and bug damage, a respray may be easier. Compounding seems best for swirls, maybe the pros can weigh in as well.
Not intend to thread jack but I plan on attacking my swirls and scratches this coming week as well but same situation is on my bumper.

Will I be able to bypass the chips and polish it anyway? I can imagine it could cause me more pad to do so but other than that is there any cons?
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      05-28-2012, 12:40 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by werly View Post
Not intend to thread jack but I plan on attacking my swirls and scratches this coming week as well but same situation is on my bumper.

Will I be able to bypass the chips and polish it anyway? I can imagine it could cause me more pad to do so but other than that is there any cons?
It's no thread jack, this is the perfect place for the new DIY folks to learn.

You want to polish away the swirls and are concerned about the chips? While I didn't have any chips, the mild pad/polish compound like I used will simply glide right over. It may slightly smooth the edges of the chips, but it won't make em worse.
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      05-28-2012, 01:01 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by SamS View Post
It's no thread jack, this is the perfect place for the new DIY folks to learn.

You want to polish away the swirls and are concerned about the chips? While I didn't have any chips, the mild pad/polish compound like I used will simply glide right over. It may slightly smooth the edges of the chips, but it won't make em worse.
Thank you for the answers. I was debating whether to polish the front bumper or not since I plan on replacing the whole bumper in the future but not so soon. It feels weird to me to just leave out the front bumper unpolished but the rest of the car shinny. So I still want to work on the bumper a bit as long as no serious damage will be done polishing a chipped area.

Also, how'd you attack those shadow trims + side mirror trims? Did you use PC polisher with smaller back plate and pad or hand polish them? I have a Flex with 6.5" and I assume it would be much of a hassle working on those tight spots
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      05-28-2012, 02:02 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by werly View Post
Thank you for the answers. I was debating whether to polish the front bumper or not since I plan on replacing the whole bumper in the future but not so soon. It feels weird to me to just leave out the front bumper unpolished but the rest of the car shinny. So I still want to work on the bumper a bit as long as no serious damage will be done polishing a chipped area.

Also, how'd you attack those shadow trims + side mirror trims? Did you use PC polisher with smaller back plate and pad or hand polish them? I have a Flex with 6.5" and I assume it would be much of a hassle working on those tight spots
I used a 6.5" pad. A 4" would have been better for the trim, but I didn't have one. You can manage with 6.5". The only real tricky spots are the trunk lid where it meets the spoiler, and the spoiler itself. For those I really needed the 4" to get it perfect. Maybe next time!

I say go ahead and give the bumper a shot. Won't cost you much, except a bit of time.
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      06-11-2012, 02:45 PM   #29
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Keep in mind, that despite the supplies + porter cable costing at least $300. They are a good investment given they will pay you back detail after detail.

It sure beats paying $550-$1000 for a one time detail/correction. Think long term people!
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      06-11-2012, 03:13 PM   #30
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Originally Posted by checkmate View Post
Keep in mind, that despite the supplies + porter cable costing at least $300. They are a good investment given they will pay you back detail after detail.

It sure beats paying $550-$1000 for a one time detail/correction. Think long term people!
Yep, gotta think long-term, or if you have other cars that would benefit from the DIY approach.

Of course, DIY is not a solution for everyone. You need a lot of patience, a bit of OCD attention to detail, and plenty of time. If you don't have one or more of those things, best to pay a pro.
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      06-11-2012, 06:51 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by SchnellM3 View Post
Great Job! Looks fantastic

it is. well painted. worth the effort.




http://www.niceledlights.com

Last edited by Heake1978; 06-13-2012 at 07:37 PM..
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      06-11-2012, 07:00 PM   #32
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ty for the post! I just started doing my research and want to do something similar.
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      06-13-2012, 02:27 AM   #33
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Nice work! Is it recommended to wax after the Power Lock Sealant? I thought the Sealant was suppose to be the final step.
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      06-13-2012, 06:11 AM   #34
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Originally Posted by baldbuhda View Post
Nice work! Is it recommended to wax after the Power Lock Sealant? I thought the Sealant was suppose to be the final step.
Pretty sure sealant goes before wax. The sealant seals the paint, not the wax. Which is meant to wear off.
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      06-15-2012, 02:03 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SamS View Post
Pretty sure sealant goes before wax. The sealant seals the paint, not the wax. Which is meant to wear off.
I thought it was an either or situation. Sealant or Wax.
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      06-15-2012, 08:14 AM   #36
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Originally Posted by baldbuhda View Post
I thought it was an either or situation. Sealant or Wax.
No, they do two different things.
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