Why does paint come off after polishing?

In theory, yes. it is single-stage paint, no clearcoat. Thats why you see the red on the cloth.

 

It's the sun faded oxidized layer you are removing, to expose the fresh paint underneath..

Most polishing systems I have ever used do the same thing.....

 

I've got a 1986 300zx that has the original soft non-clear coat. I've been pulling up pigment for 20 years and the paint is as thick and shiny as it ever was.

Can't do a thing but clearcoat it which will only prevent you from removing the oxidation underneath and in turn separate and peel.

It is what it is just polish it and enjoy it.

 

The 3X8s used both single stage and base/clear paints. The metallic colors were base/clear, but red was one of the single-stage paints.

It is normal for paint to come off during polishing. What you are doing is using a compound that is akin to ultra-ultra-fine sandpaper to wear-down the surface. Consequently, the material that is removed is colored. With base/clear, the material is the clear coat.

Make sure you use a good random orbital polisher to ensure you do not go through the paint. With single-stage, you'll start noticing a color shift when the paint layer gets thin. Once it gets thin, don't do any more polishing -- just wax.

 

You don't need to polish that often. If your car gets typical Ferrari usage -- driven once a week, parked in the garage the rest of the time -- it can probably go years between polishing.

When I got my car, it had been badly detailed and had lots of swirls, so I had it clayed, polished and waxed. That was catch-up maintenance for the paint. Since then, I've had it polished once in preparation for Monterey (Concorso).

The rest of the time I stick to the least aggressive products that keep it clean. Usually I have the car professionally waxed/detailed once or twice a year, and use quick detailer spray in between. The more you keep your hands off the paint, the better, IMO.

Good luck and congrats.
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Best advice in the thread.....

 

Only "polish/wax" when absolutly nessesary. I use a product called Quick Detailer made by Maguires. You spray it on and wipe it off leaving a nice slick and smooth surface. Great in lieu of a wash too

I too have a single stage red finish.

 

Actually, you should have wax on the car if you're going to use the quick detailer -- but you don't need to polish the car in order to apply wax. Wax is like micro protection that makes it easy to spray/wipe off road dust, bee crap, etc.

 

Agreed...just stay away from "cleaner wax".

 

i'm scared to death to wax gabriella. for now, i'm content to just give her the mr.clean bath periodically.
i used to polish my '61 chebby impala and my mom always made me wash the rags at the laundermat, they
were so red!!

 

A polish is a fine grit abrasive. It is meant to remove the top surface of the paint. Use it often enough and and you will remove all the paint. Waxing should not remove paint or oxidation. It should fill micro scratches and leave a slick surface.

Bill

 

What he said. Rubbing wax with a cloth to remove it isn't technically "polishing".

 

Go to Griot's Garage (www.griotsgarage.com) and read/view/download their Detaling Handbook -- it explains the proper steps, process, techniques for cleaning, polishing, waxing, detailing etc... I have found no better resource for all the steps.


http://www.griotsgarage.com/category/product+information/detailer%27s+handbook.do

 

Your intitial post about "polishing" versus "waxing" means that you should brush up on some of the techniques used for paint care. There's no way to tell exactly what you need for your paint unless you can actually touch and see it, but here is some basic (over simplyfied) advice (assuming your paint is in decent shape).

1. Clay bar: I would start by using a clay bar and detail spray to remove all of the embedded junk. Follow the instructions on a good quality brand (and stay away from Walmart/car store cheapy brands)
2. Get a nice R/A buffer with different pads
3. Polish: use a good quailty, very fine grit polish (I use 3M) with the proper pad. Simply put, polishing takes the "peaks" off of your finish (and removes swirl marks if done properly).
4. Glaze: apply a good glaze (which fiils in the valleys of your finish). The combination of polish and glaze are what make the paint most suitable to reflect light properly, so the rays are not deflected and scattered by a "rough" surface.
5. Wax: applies a protective coating and helps to seal the paint from minerals in water, road chemicals, UV rays, etc. Some show quality detailers don't use wax because it messes up the look they get from performing the above steps. I always wax my car since I actually drive it out in the real world.

I do all of the steps once a year in the spring, then afterwards mostly just give it a gentle wash. I use detailing spray if i take a ride and get the car a little dirty, and may give the car one more wax (after a wash) during the season if I'm feeling ambitious. Two more important points: drying and cooling. Drying your car properly (with all the vents, slats, etc.) takes a loooong time, and the paint must be cool when detailing. If your paint is just a bit oxidized, which is why you see the pink color on your pads, you're doing it a favor by detailing. If the paint is really bad, or someone did a crappy respray lately, then your screwed. Detailing your car is like making pizza, everyone has a slightly different way of getting the results they want. Eventually, you'll develop with a routine that works well for you. Good luck.

 

Agreed, this is good information. The only caveat is that Ferraris tend to get far less use, and Griot wants to move products. But the fundamentals are OK.

 

I use this product from Meguiars every time I drive or drove the Car. And once a year major wax/cleaning.
BTW is use "Ultra Soft 16 x 16 Micro Fiber Auto Cloths" MF-24 from Costco to remove dust etc.
You can even wash those and reuse ...not on the paint but Wheels,Rims, engine stuff etc.
(My contribution to save the world.......)
My Car is white so i'll never shine like other colors.
That works fine out here Im Car-I-fornia.
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I never wipe any "dirt", even with a detailing spray. Any "dirt" (sandy, gritty particles) should be washed off with water/soap first. If I go for a drive, and there's some dirt on the fenders behind the wheels, I just leave it until I get home.

I use the detailing spray for dust/pollen/bugs and other very fine crap that gets on the paint. I use LOTS of spray and LOTS of towels.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I do my whole car after every drive. But, I don't drive it in the rain or near construction zones, keep it well-waxed, and most of what I'm cleaning off is just dust (my car is black metallic), insect corpses or bee crap. Start from the top, where it stays cleaner, and work your way down. Have a whole stack of pure white cotton cloths (maybe some people use microfibre) handy. I must have 30 of these ready when I do the Ferrari. Griot's sells them, and they are cheap. You should be using close to zero pressure -- let the product remove the dust -- don't bear down on the cloth -- and then switch to a fresh cloth. After an extended drive, you could be using two cloths per panel. If it's just a quick mid-week lunch run, I don't use as many.

The most dirt accumulates on the back bumper (which is fibreglass, painted) and the lower metal work, including the wheels. You can use a hose/water there. I generally try to keep the car bone dry except for those areas.

You'll also get a lot of dirt in the beltline crevice on the sides of the car, especially behind the rear wheels. You can use a soaking wet (with water) sponge there to get it very wet and remove that dirt. Then finish up with quick detailer (I use Griot's Speed Shine, but the Meguiar's product is equally good, IMO.)

BUT:

If your car has noticeable dirt on it, dragging it across the paint with a cloth is a bad idea. Then soap/water is the right move.
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Jon, every time I see a photo of your car, my heart goes pitter-patter!!!

Man that's nice looking!