OK, i know there's plenty of threads on how to do it but this one is different.

I've owned a PC7424 for ~1.5 years (with assorted Lake country pads with hook and loop back plate). I've only used it ~3 times (take out light scratched from kids trying to key my gf's car or scratches from misc items). And all this time i've never polished my car. I had an acura TL which it's paint was good, and my G35 is 1 year old and i don't think it needs a polish (or does it?).

So my questions are:
-When should i polish my car?
-How often can/should you do it?
-How many times do you think it's safe to do it before my clear coat is too thin?

I wax my car monthly, and i do it by hand (Megauirs NXT is easy on/off) so maybe that's why i don't have as many scratches from washing the car.

 

There is no set time frame as to how often you should polish your car. It will really depend on the condition of your paint. As an example, if you have poor washing/drying habits, you'll probably need to polish more often than if you have solid washing/drying habits. Washing and drying is where you incur the vast majority of paint imperfections. I personally give my G a full detail twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Don't worry about your clear coat becoming too thin due to polishing. You can polish your G twice a year for about 20-25 years before you remove the clear coat.

 

if you're scared of polishing you might want to try Prima Amigo. it's a
synthetic filler and hides light swirls and haze VERY well.

i have a darkblue cooper-s where i tried it by hand and it did a good job
filling up hazes. you can use a RO on it if you want, but no need to really
'work it in' like polish. even by hand it appeared as if i ran my RO with
polish.

www.detailersparadise.com

 

I'm not scared to detail my car, it's just that it's 1 year old and doesn't really need a polish. I wash with the 2 bucket method with microfiber mitt and dry with a large waffle micro fiber towel, and follow up with plush microfiber towels to grab the rest.... Just wanted to know how much polishing is too much... I plan to keep the car a long time, so i don't want it's clear getting too thin

 

Unless you plan on keeping your G for 20+ years, don't worry about the clear getting too thin from polishing.

 

my G was 6 months old after I got it and I gave it a nice claybar and polish. It looked even better than it did coming off the lot. Polishing wont really do any harm. If you have those cobweb effects on the paint, I recommend buffing it. I use meguiars M80 speed glaze as it does a good job removing wax and removing the swirls at the same time. heres what I used on my G and it outshines alot of cars on the road now. I will be doing this professionally real soon as well.

- hand wash car (use grit filter on bottom of bucket to clear off any dirt contaminents off the wash mit

- use Meguiars claybar kit to get rid of contaminants on the paint

- Use Meguiars M80 for prewax step (remove wax) and swirl removal. To ensure you removed the wax, do the squeak test (wipe your finger on surface and see if it squeaks).

- Menzerna polish (u can use any but depending on how abrasive the polish is. u might wanna see the manufacturers or any site recommendations on which one to use) I use teh super intensive with a while pad as it isnt as aggressive on the paint surface as using an orange pad.

- Meguiars showcar glaze (adds depth of shine to your paint surface)

- wax with Meguiars tech wax 2

Can you tell I like Meguars? I know theres better stuff out there but meguiars does a pretty darn good job.

Mind you this will probably take you the better half of the day to do all this with a PC.

SG

 

I wouldn't say the PC is fool proof. I was dummy and was a little over aggressive with a yellow pad+Menzerna IP. I broke through the clear.



These days I make a note of areas where I've been really aggressive with the polish (to take out deep scratches). Now I just use Menzerna final polish 4x times a year with a follow up with a final glaze, FMJ, and maybe a top coat of wax. Also taking extra care in washing/drying the car. Seems to be okay. I use the intensive polish maybe once a year now.

 

The only thing I would add is that if you are using Meg's #80, I wouldn't finish with Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (SIP). I would finish with Menzerna Final Polish or nothing, since #80 is basically a finishing polish anyway. In fact, In my opinion, you should use SIP before you use #80 because #80 is less abrasive.