Question about detailing

[eslhockey92g]

I’ve picked up a 06 mustang, it came all black. The previous owner had silver strips painted on it. Who ever did it did a good job. Because it is black, the guy who had it last put some small swirl marks in it and such. I wanted to give it a full wash, clay, polish and wax treatment during my break. I’ve only ever just washed and waxed, so I’ve really be doing some research about polishing, what to use, steps and stuff. Because is black things could go wrong fast. My Grand-pop has polish cars before, so ill have him help me.

My question is when I polish the car with some SIP, what do I do about the strips, should I not go over them? The stripes are raised just slightly from layers of paint. I’m just really not sure, most of the examples I have seen that use a SIP have all been just plain, no strips or graphics.

Also any tips or pointers other then the obvious ones like don’t do it in direct sunlight?

Thanks

[redline]

I never ran into trouble with racing stripes in the past. Either way a DA polisher shouldn't damage any paint. A rotary buffer in the wrong hands will.

Just get a good pad kit and a good 2-3 step polish kit and go to town. There are TST vendors that sell quality products. Just search the threads.

[Matt@EuroJerks]

This should help a bunch.
http://www.autopia.org/

[Buster]

if its painted with a clearcoat you can polish right over them. It shouldnt be a problem at all.

[redline]

Originally Posted by Matt@EuroJerks

This should help a bunch.
http://www.autopia.org/

We all know about the site, he asked us as TST members. Sometimes that's more important.

And to Buster, either way the orbital polisher will not damage it! Some cars don't come with clear from the factory, Rally Red Evo's for example. Nothing has stopped them from throwing down a DA polisher.

[eslhockey92g]

Yea ive looked on that site, there is a ton of information on it. My hardest problem was trying to understand what people were saying when the would shorten words, like when using SIP. It took me while to figure out what SIP was.

Since this is my first polish job on black i may just use good old elbow grease. Unless my grandpop wants to show me how to use a machince im sure he has one, to be honest id be to scared to mess somthing up. The car is just about new aside from a few poor car washes. Atleast for the first try but i do have an old bumber in my garage i may practice on to get the feel of a buffer.

Redline, any polishing products that you may recomend or have had exprience with? Any one for that matter. Of all the boards i keep seeing Menzerna products getting the thumbs up

Edit: yup i really dove in to that site i kinda just pooked through it last time, i found alot more information that i thought. I think all my awsners on "how-to" are there.

[Oakes]

You are sure it is painted? Mustang stripes are typically stickers, really good stickers that look to be painted, since the painted stripes from factory = $3,000 option. Easy trick to make sure, run your finger nail across the area where the strip starts and the black ends, if you can feel a difference, i.e. finger nail grabs or lifts very slightly, then it may be a really good sticker. Do not pick at it.

Black is a tricky color to work with, as swirls and imperfections show very easily. When you are using the polisher, slower is best, do NOT go zooming across the paint or it will swirl terribly. Also, work in a garage, out of direct sunlight which I'm sure you already know.

[Oakes]

Originally Posted by eslhockey92g

Redline, any polishing products that you may recomend or have had exprience with? Any one for that matter. Of all the boards i keep seeing Menzerna products getting the thumbs up

Menzerna is fantastic stuff, best polishing compounds I have used to this date.

[eslhockey92g]

Originally Posted by Oakes

You are sure it is painted? Mustang stripes are typically stickers, really good stickers that look to be painted, since the painted stripes from factory = $3,000 option. Easy trick to make sure, run your finger nail across the area where the strip starts and the black ends, if you can feel a difference, i.e. finger nail grabs or lifts very slightly, then it may be a really good sticker. Do not pick at it.

Black is a tricky color to work with, as swirls and imperfections show very easily. When you are using the polisher, slower is best, do NOT go zooming across the paint or it will swirl terribly. Also, work in a garage, out of direct sunlight which I'm sure you already know.

When I bought they said the owner had it professional painted, I really didn't try and mess with it. Something like that I figure a salesperson has no reason to lie about. But it does look and feel painted, there’s not a sharp drop off. But like you said there are really good stickers, I didn't pick at it though. Ill play with it later, when it’s clean.


The more I look I get the impression that I may not need to get anything to aggressive, Just an almost a finishing polish should do me well. The car had a good bit of hazing and swirling but nothing really bad, the car has 8000 miles on it. It wasn’t on the road enough to need any compounds. But I guess ill make the choice was I can really wash it well and see what I have.

Does any one know of a good store in the Montgomeryville/Quakertown area that has good products. I know the advanced autos, Auto zones and stuff will have products, but I could only assume they have very high quality polishes, but I may be wrong. There’s none out at school so I have to wait till I can get home.

[Oakes]

Ardex has this product called SealB, I have it here, it is a polish/compound mixture, very light but get's the job done well. It is recommended for black cars only, I have honestly not been disappointed with it. However, the deeper stuff will need compound of course, but it takes care of light hazing/blemishes and most of all swirl marks.

I used to work for Ford, used it on many Mustangs, including GT500's. It works well and is pretty much fool proof if you have a polisher.

[Matt@EuroJerks]

Originally Posted by redline

We all know about the site, he asked us as TST members. Sometimes that's more important.

Are you serious?

[Oakes]

Originally Posted by Matt@EuroJerks

Are you serious?

I'm not speaking for him.

I think he meant that he would rather look for answers from us because he probably trusts us more to inform him rather than a forum he is to which he is new and unfamiliar with.

[On Sale]

I've detailed many cars in my life and I've come across sticker stripes that are clearcoated along the edges and when you think its painted on, its just a sticker with clear coat sealing it so be careful. Best bet is to open the hood or trunk and check the edges of the stripe real well and maybe even take a razor blade (experienced people only) and try to cut a small spot on the underside of the bumper or somewhere not noticable.

[Oakes]

Another way to check, at least with this body style Mustang, is the stripes on the front bumper. Look closely at them to see and fine straight lines or uneven edges at the body lines/edges. If one stripe is off, then it is most likely a well done sticker. Like I said, I worked for Ford and dealt with Mustangs daily, if it was done right it can fool you.

I'm not doubting that the stripes are painted, just for your own sake to double check so that you don't burnish the tops off or lift the edges. Which will happen