After years, do you think I finally need to polish? (dull reflections)

[jim04g]

It's not a new car or a show car. Always parked on the street. Have been satisfied with irregular washes, and just a couple of times a year - first a mild clay if needed - then a very easy by-hand all-in-one cleaner-polish-sealant, which would leave this light colored car with a bit of protection and a (better-than-just-the-clear-coat) shine that reflected fairly sharp images of overhead sky, trees etc.

This time it was different. Water beading as expected, and looks OK, shiny, especially from a distance, but close-up noted the reflected images were somehow dulled.

Not sure whether a "razor sharp" reflection comes more from the topmost coating or the underlying clear coat.

Unless something strange happened with the products used, would you think this means after 18 years an actual polish with some real abrasives would be in order. Is an effective hand-polish even possible?

Thanks for comment.

 

[WylieCoyote]

It definitely needs to be polished, maybe even compounded, in order to take the top layer of oxidation off. Do yourself a favor and get a good quality dual-action polisher and some cutting pads, and go after it. You'll love the results if your clear coat is still intact.

My favorite combination, the one that returned my dad's burgundy F150 to looking new, is Meguiar's Ultimate Compound followed by Meguiar's Ultimate liquid wax. Lake Country orange pad for compounding and Lake Country red pad for wax application. It worked a miracle....but his clearcoat was still good.

 

[jim04g]

Thanks for the info.

Ah. You think the clear coat has gone too long without ever being corrected.

If only there were some extra bucks lying around . Seriously though, do remember looking into a safe-for-amateurs low-end "random-orbital" when the car was new. Think Porter-Cable was popular back then. Dual-Action must be somewhat stronger? Never pulled the trigger on one as there is no where to plug it in on the street.

Edit: Just poked around a bit online and see there is now a category of $35-$40 polishers (Black and Decker, Ryobi, etc.). Don't even know if you can change the pads. And not sure if very effective for vehicles, as a subset of reviews describe off-label (personal) use.

 

[WylieCoyote]

This is what I recommend.

Griot's Garage G9 Random Orbital Polisher

Griot's Garage G9 Random Orbital Polisher - Not sure if you'll like it? See what Mike Phillips has to say about itHERE! Take one for a spin and power your shine to new heights! Griot's Garage G9 Random Orbital Polisher is the innovative redesign of ...

www.autogeek.net

Dual-Action Hook And Loop Flexible Backing Plate 6 Inch

Dual-Action Hook & Loop Flexible Backing Plate 6" - A molded urethane backing plate for excellent flexibility and balance. If German carmakers think this backing plate is good enough to use on their top-of-the-line vehicles, you can bet it is the ...

www.autogeek.net

 

[RTexasF]

Just poked around a bit online and see there is now a category of $35-$40 polishers (Black and Decker, Ryobi, etc.).

Those are nothing more than wax spreaders, fuhgetaboutit. Either use a proper dual action polisher & pads, pay a detailer, or leave it be.

 

[The Critic]

HF has very decent DA polishers nowadays.

 

[jim04g]

Hey, appreciate the recommendations. So Porter Cable is still a "name" in these tools. That's a nice machine you linked. A bit confused looking at Lake Country - many shapes and colors. (Gotta learn why, for example, you chose foam (not MF or wool), and Orange and not, say, Tangerine, or Red vs Crimson.)

Well both Autogeek and HF have 20 or even 25% off coupons occasionally . . . It's possible pre-winter prep this year might include some polishing.

 

[RooflessVW]

The Porter Cable machine is ancient at this point.

My recommendation for anyone looking to polish their own car is:

G9 Random Orbital Polisher

Get a perfect finish with the G9 Random Orbital Polisher. Powerful 1,000-watt motor & patent-pending counterbalance for efficient defect removal.

www.griotsgarage.com

and

5" Orbital Conversion Kit

Transform your 6" Random Orbital with our "5" Orbital Conversion Kit. Get better control and feedback with four foam pads and a vented backing plate.

www.griotsgarage.com

You'll have a powerful, easy to use machine that will always have a place in your arsenal, and high quality pads that are easier to maneuver than your standard 6" fare.

Lifetime warranty to boot.

 

[RooflessVW]

That being said, it's hard to know what your car needs without seeing it. Any pictures would help.

If this is the '04 Acura you have posted about before, it is likely that you're in need of a compound + polish

 

[jim04g]

Thanks for the further recommendations, and for helping explain about changes in the paint.

And you got it; it's the '04. So was not seeking perfection. It's just that I'd gotten used to seeing sharp reflected images after the familiar process, and posted here to try to learn what might have changed.

Fairly continuously raining lately, but, as requested, tried to get an example of the reflection in between showers. Curious what experts might say.

That said, perhaps because it's a (common) silver metallic, the many defects, swirl type micro scratches being the least, which have accumulated over the years just are not very noticeable to the average eye. After a cleaning, including this last one that sparked the question, it still shines in the sun.

In image-editing terms, it's like the edges (in the reflections of tree limbs, leaves, cables) need a sharpening filter, but wouldn't have needed to be enhanced last year.

Front Hood (reflection, cloudy ~7PM)

Roof (reflection, cloudy ~7PM)

Trunk Lid (close view of 18-year-old paint)