New car needs some correction

[MrHorspwer]

So I bought me a new ride and thought it'd be fun to walk through the paint correction with pictures. The car: 2011 Buick Regal 44,000 miles 2.0L Turbo - manual transmission The condition: First and foremost... it's black Swirls, scratches, and holograms from a life of "soft cloth" car washes Baseline, fresh after a wash: Some swirls: First things first... that tape pinstripe has gotta go! Bring on the power tools! :exhale: Ahhh, that's better: The plan: I currently have a PC 7424, but I think I am going to order a Flex and set up the PC strictly as a 3" machine. Machine work will be done with the Flex. What's currently in my cabinet: Meguiars Ultimate Compound Meguiars Scratch X Meguiars #83 DACP Meguiars #9 Swirl Remover Meguiars #3 Machine Glaze Meguiars #5 Show Car Glaze Poorboy's Professional Polish Poorboy's EX-P Sealant Klasse AIO Klasse SG DP Max Wax Carnauba ...not that I'm opposed to adding more products Strictly using products from my cabinet, after a wash and clay bar, I'll start with DACP, move to Poorboy's PP, finish with Poorboy's EX-P, and top with Max Wax.

 

[FirstNissan]

Wow, quite a improvement without the pinstripe. Makes the car look a lot more of a luxury motor.

 

[JustinH]

Looks as if they took a lot of cues from BMW.

 

[Bud_One]

I like it

 

[daves87rs]

Looks good so far!

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: JustinH

Looks as if they took a lot of cues from BMW.

Or the Chevy Cruise *cough*...seriously though, I like the styling of these Regals, congrats on the new ride! Are these not the motors that had issues with incorrectly sized rod bearings?

 

[MrHorspwer]

Originally Posted By: gregk24

Are these not the motors that had issues with incorrectly sized rod bearings?

Nope. The rod bearing issue was for 2014 2.0L turbos, RPO LTG. The early ones are LHU.

 

[MrHorspwer]

So, I changed direction with my plan. Originally, I thought I may pick up a Flex and go that route. I changed my mind and am going to try Meguiar's DA Microfiber correction system. I did a little shopping: I remember hearing about the system about a year or so ago, being discussed on the Ammo NYC podcast. http://www.meguiars.com/en/professional/products/dmckit5-da-microfiber-correction-system-kit-5/ In the picture: Meguiar's G110 V2 5" DA microfiber pads (extra cut, cut, and finishing 5" backing plate 3" DA microfiber pads (cut and finishing) 3" backing plate Megs cutting compound, polish, and finish wax (all DA system specific) Wolfgang Depp Gloss Paint Sealant 5" low profile foam pads (cut, polish, and finish) Unfortunately, it didn't warm up much this weekend and I have two sick kids to deal with. No progress was made on the actual car. Next weekend should be in the 60s...

 

[Guitarmageddon]

Just remember, the least amount of abrasion first, then progress up if needed. On your car, I don't think the microfiber cutting pad is needed. At most aggressive, maybe 60% speed, a cutting pad, and a medium polish takes care of most things. Also, pick up some IPA for a wipe down in between steps; don't want to skew the results or put a sealant over an improperly cleaned "canvas." Also, remember your low profile pads are going to generate more pressure/heat right off the bat, so be cautious of how many section passes you do. In no order, here are the variables that can increase cut and I don't suggest changing any more than two with each attempt. -Pad material -Technique pressure -Machine speed -Compound/polish abrasion level (i.e. compound to heavy polish to light polish etc..) Didn't mean to insult your intelligence if you already know these things. Just a few tips in case others wander in. Its really intimidating at first because you feel youll "scratch your paint" but after using a DA, you see that there's really nowhere but up, as long as good prep and fundamentals are applied. I just did a refresh on my audi and reapplied some Opti-coat I had left over and the stuff is great. Little to no maitnenance besides maybe a quarterly clay bar the coating lasts for years. I prefer it over messing with waxes/sealants every few months.

 

[Vikas]

wow! what kind of wallet correction did that purchase do?

 

[MrHorspwer]

Results are in... From this: To this: I'll get some better direct sun pictures tomorrow. By the time I had finished, the sun was on the other side of the house. Wash Clay Wash Meguiar's DA Microfiber Compound on cutting pad Meguiar's DA Microfiber Polish on finishing pad Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant applied by hand (another application tomorrow too) Is it perfect? No. It spent 44,000 miles living outdoors with no finish care other than going through the grinder once in a while. There are still plenty of blemishes, many of which probably could be corrected given the time and effort. Did I accomplish my goal? Absolutely. The swirls are gone. The holograms are gone. I can live with isolated blemishes, but it was disgusting that just the the whole finish looked like junk.

 

[MrHorspwer]

Before: After:

 

[Amirkhat]

Originally Posted By: FirstNissan

Wow, quite a improvement without the pinstripe. Makes the car look a lot more of a luxury motor.

Yes, I second that notion, it looks almost like a BMW now, very sharp.

 

[Amirkhat]

Looks like it did a great job, the car looks excellent. Did you treat the glass at all? It will be interesting to see how it holds up to the winter there. Though their entirely different, I'm not sure which ones worse for the paint salt or extreme heat/UVs.

 

[bobbob]

Good Job, best of luck with your new ride.