How many times can you safely polish your car?

[mike79]

I polished my car with menzerna IP and FP twice so far, and after this winter, im thinking about doing it again before I start my new zaino layering. How many times can you safely do this, without worrying about going too far down into the clearcoat?

 

[icu812]

in other words
"how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop"


































the world may never know.

 

[04 Blk Cobra]

I wax my car very frequently... like once every couple weeks.... its black so I am convinced that it evaporates quickly... I have always been curious too if this is a bit much :shrug: ..... I use anything from Maguiers, to Black Turtle wax color match, to Mothers....

 

[DARKSTI]

someone did a test on this but i forgot the link. they ended up concluding it would take a LOT of polishing to even start getting too close, so youll be fine.

 

[svtcobras]

Eagle One wax as you dry..

 

[93Snake]

you won't remove any paint with just waxing unless the paint is single stage clear coated. all you guys above have nothing to worry about with waxing your car. do it as much as you want ... polishing with abrasives like someone said above is not a set number

 

[Bowens99GT]

what kind of buffer are you using? Its very hard to cut into the clear coat with a porter cable. A lot easier if you have a professional type polisher. I'm using the same setup, dont even worry about it bro, polish away.

 

[03Cobra19]

Eagle One wax as you dry..

riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight..... :bored:

 

[LCCOBRA]

to Black Turtle wax color match,

Plz don't use this as I tried it on my Camaro (before I knew any better and about http://www.specialtymotoring.com/index.html) and that stuff is crap. Maybe it works for you but it didn’t last but a few days. Our cars deserve better!

 

[THE FLASH]

I polished my car with menzerna IP and FP twice so far, and after this winter, im thinking about doing it again before I start my new zaino layering. How many times can you safely do this, without worrying about going too far down into the clearcoat?

Mike, it depends on what kind of polish you are using and the type of cutting pad you are using. If it has a lot of cutting properties and you are using a heavy polishing pad, dont do it very often. Remember the clear coat is only about as thick as a sheet of paper. I do know that Zaino does not have any cutting properties.

 

[mike79]

Mike, it depends on what kind of polish you are using and the type of cutting pad you are using. If it has a lot of cutting properties and you are using a heavy polishing pad, dont do it very often. Remember the clear coat is only about as thick as a sheet of paper. I do know that Zaino does not have any cutting properties.

I am using Menzerna IP and Menzerna FP to polish the car, with a PC buffer, orange pad to cut with the IP, white for the FP. Stuff works AMAZINGLY well, but I just want to make sure that I dont do any damage...I dont want to lift the pad and see black paint on it and start to cry like a little girl in other words.

BTW, anyone who has a black, or dark car, this stuff is the SHIT! ALL swirl marks and marring is gone. After your done you have to wash the car though, to remove any oils from the FP stage. The menzerna adds the depth needed that the zaino doesnt have. It literally is amazing looking.

 

[THE FLASH]

Mike, I would only use the heavy cutting polish and orange pad one secession to get the desired results then not again for a very long time if ever. You can use the white polishing pad maybe 2 times a year with a light cutting polish (if you got the desired results with the orange pad I would only use the white pad and light cutting polish 1 time a year if it is needed). The black finishing pads are good to use oll the time they do not have any cutting properties. Remember to always start off with the white pad and light cutting polish first to see if that will work before you bring out the big guns. Once you get your car looking great, I have some tips to help avoiding any future scratches....just PM me. They are a little strange, but they work. And also remember that some scratches you wont ever get out unless you use a rubbing compound or wet sand the clearcoat. Hope that helps.

 

[93Snake]

nice post flash, he's right the key to avoiding swirl marks has alot to do with washing/waxing techniques

 

[Scott P]

The general concensus is that it will take you a long time to go through a clearcoat with a PC. Don't worry about polishing your paint off. It just isn't going to happen.

 

[Jpjr]

The general concensus is that it will take you a long time to go through a clearcoat with a PC. Don't worry about polishing your paint off. It just isn't going to happen.

Right. It's sort of like prescription drugs.. anything you can buy 'over the counter' is generally quite safe.

As far as the Menzerna.. I think this might be the Sonus stuff I have, just rebadged. Can you buy Menzerna anymore?

 

[KenCobra03]

I wax my car twice a year and it looks great.

 

[rodthrower]

Check out post #17 here -
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=982381&page=1&pp=20

If the source is accurate, it shows the Menzerna IP as being fairly abrasive. Given that, I don't know if I'd use the Menzerna IP with an orange pad any more than I had to...

FWIW, I have read nothing but good things about the Menzerna products and I think I'm going to try them. Mike79, question for you - what speed settings did you use when applying the IP and FP? Would also appreciate any other tips/recommendations you may have...Thx..

 

[05 Roush]

Less is more! I wouldn't polish any more than necessary. All my vehicles have shiny, swirl-free paint without the harsh buffing. :thumbsup:

 

[Larry is a great guy]

i'd say once a month. Just as long as you wash your car thoroughly before adding a new coat