So I finally got done with my first attempt at cleaning up the paint on my 08 black obs sedan. i went a bit conservative not knowing if this was something I could keep up with myself, so I went with a one-step polish.

paint condition - car riddled with light swirls/spiders, also a few deeper scratches and imperfections here and there which I knew I would not be correcting at this time.

technique:
- ONR wash, 2 buckets, grit guard, microfiber and sheepskin mitts
- P21S gel wheel cleaner
- clay magic clay bar
- ONR wipedown
- menzerna PO106FA PC7424XP white pad, speed 5
- ** wash/wipedown
- blackfire WD sealant


questions and comments:
- this took me more than 10 hours over 2 days. I found that I had a really hard time removing the polish residue. Not sure if this was due to polishing technique (tried 3 pea sized drops and also tried a thin ring around the periphery of the pad; 2x2' area; r/l, up/down, 15 lbs pressure, 1"/sec). I tried using a damp mf towel, tried ONR, tried 50/50 isoprop alcohol, tried the chemical guys pad conditioner spray (which smells great btw). ultimately what i discovered worked the best was a wipedown with dawn soap. am i doing something wrong at this step? i hesitated using the dawn but this step slowed me down so much..

I also found after I was completely done that despite my washes i have remnant polish dust that seems imbedded into the finish now.. very frustrating.

i had similar problems removing the blackfire sealant. i used about a quarter sized amount on a foam applicator and tried wiping down with a MF - again took a long time and the residue was so difficult to completely get off. whats the trick here? i read somewhere terry cloth works better for this but I hesitate to use terry cloth on my car.


the end result - majority of swirls are gone. deeper scratches and imperfections remain (not unexpected). but now finally taking it into the sunlight, i see i have these small white dots/flakes around the whole car which are difficult to quick detail off..

 

I'll let the pros chime in here, but offhand I'd say your problem is the foam applicator which I don't think is meant as a polishing pad. Get yourself some Lake Country or similar polishing pads and -- I hate to say it -- redo the car.

 

i used LC white pad for the polish step. the foam applicator was to apply the sealant by hand.

 

for the polish if you had a hard time removing it you probably didn't work it long enough. I usually work it until it's almost not visible anymore, it breaks down to a fine dust that easily wipes off with little to no pressure. You could also, spritz the surface with a 50/50 mix of isopoanol alcohol/distilled water and wipe with a MF, that should remove any traces of the remaining polish.

For the sealent, you probably applied it too thick, it should go on very thin and then it will wipe off effortlessly.

only other thing I can think of is, is it very humid? that would make it hard to remove also.

 

If you can feel the dots, you might be able clay them off. Are the dots the result of the polish being flung off the end of the pad? ie.. splatter? Best to wipe that off asap.

I use Optimium polishes and Edge pads and have decent results. When I get residue, it's usually from having too much polish or the pad is getting caked up. The pad will start jumping around too.