Is there such thing as perfection?

[Meticulous-Detail]

I recently detailed my Shelby which is used for cruising and car shows. , see here Shelby 50th Anniversary Celebration Car Show Prep 10 GT500-Meticulous Detail , I used halogen lights in a garage.

Here is the issue, I still notice light swirls and scratches in the paint but they are only visible in sunlight or at night under a street light or garage light and you MUST look at the paint at an angle. I have tried taking picture to post up but they don't show up in the photos.

Second issue is on some of the fender and door edges there is marring from the car cover. This marring is from the cover rubbing on the edges and it looks like a white haze. The haze is hard to see and you have to look at it at angles, again it doesn't show up in pics that well. I had no choice but to use the cover because the car was kept in a driveway, but I am moving to a house with a garage shortly and will not be using a cover.

I have polished the car twice since new with a DA and am wondering how far I should push the issues. The car will be put away for the winter and I am wondering if I should take this time to tape off the car and work on each panel and section until perfection without time being an issue or just leave it alone? I also don't want to keep polishing the car every year removing more and more clear coat.

I am also concerned about the marring because it is on the fender and door edges, don't wanna burn the paint.

I go to allot of car shows and check out allot of cars from resto-mods to exotics and I have noticed the same light swirls and scratches on 99% of the cars. To be honest I don't think I have ever seen a car without them unless it was a silver color.

I have some CG Glossworkz on hand and was going to give that a shot and top it with a sealant and then wax.

Thoughts???

[rider9195]

I just finished detailing my fathers Corvette for a Corvette's at Carlisle. I did my best to remove all the deeper RIDS or lessen the appearance of them. I finished off with 106FA on a black pad with my PC. The finish looks 100% micro marring free. I'm not too worried about the rest of the RIDS. I always finish off with a glaze and then a wax as the glaze will fill in those light imperfections you speak of.

What process do you use on your car? I would try a very light finishing combo and then glaze for almost perfect results.

Also what about your wash and dry process? That is where most light swirls come from.

[ihaveacamaro]

Originally Posted by rider9195

I just finished detailing my fathers Corvette for a Corvette's at Carlisle. I did my best to remove all the deeper RIDS or lessen the appearance of them. I finished off with 106FA on a black pad with my PC. The finish looks 100% micro marring free. I'm not too worried about the rest of the RIDS. I always finish off with a glaze and then a wax as the glaze will fill in those light imperfections you speak of.

What process do you use on your car? I would try a very light finishing combo and then glaze for almost perfect results.

Also what about your wash and dry process? That is where most light swirls come from.

A glaze should be able to fill those in perfectly if they are really light.

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Yes.

See this article,

"Taking your car's paint to it's maximum potential"


Point being that sometimes you can't get a finish to absolute perfection due to factors outside of anyone's control.



There's also a thing I call,

Perfectionist Detailing

It's a good gig if you can get paid for it.

[Meticulous-Detail]

Originally Posted by rider9195

I just finished detailing my fathers Corvette for a Corvette's at Carlisle. I did my best to remove all the deeper RIDS or lessen the appearance of them. I finished off with 106FA on a black pad with my PC. The finish looks 100% micro marring free. I'm not too worried about the rest of the RIDS. I always finish off with a glaze and then a wax as the glaze will fill in those light imperfections you speak of.

What process do you use on your car? I would try a very light finishing combo and then glaze for almost perfect results.

Also what about your wash and dry process? That is where most light swirls come from.

Click on the link to my detail process. Maybe I will try a light polishing with some Menzerna or M205, then a glaze, sealant wax.

My wash process is foam, rinse then wash with 2 buckets with grit guards, then dry with leaf blower, then waffle weave with UWW+.

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

Yes.

See this article,

"Taking your car's paint to it's maximum potential"


Point being that sometimes you can't get a finish to absolute perfection due to factors outside of anyone's control.



There's also a thing I call,

Perfectionist Detailing

It's a good gig if you can get paid for it.

Thanks Mike, any suggestions for the hazed areas caused by the car cover? Should I try a light wetsand with 3000 and then some polish or just leave it.

[Blackthorn One]

You can have perfection at great cost, but you can't keep it perfect if you drive it without being prepared to repaint the car periodically. The only way to keep a car perfect is to keep it in a garage constantly, and transport it in an enclosed trailer. You could try a protective film to prevent the cover from marring the edges.

[swanicyouth]

Here's the funny thing about these type of imperfections. Go to a new car dealer that sells BMW, Mercedes, etc...Alll the new cars that are black have these faint marks. I think I know what you are talking about. They are like RIDS, but shallow and very hard to see. Some stray ones here and there and then a cluster.

I wonder what causes them. I think they may come from wiping off spent polish..
Maybe there is some clear coat in it. When I see these they seem to be in strait lines. But I'm convinced cars come from the factory this way and they are not DISO.

Nobody can see them, so I wouldn't worry about them.

[truckbutt]

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

Yes.

See this article,

"Taking your car's paint to it's maximum potential"


Point being that sometimes you can't get a finish to absolute perfection due to factors outside of anyone's control.



There's also a thing I call,

Perfectionist Detailing

It's a good gig if you can get paid for it.

You mean as opposed to the wife saying, "You're gonna polish it again?"

[CieraSL]

Here's a good read:

How good is good enough?

[Meticulous-Detail]

Originally Posted by swanicyouth

Here's the funny thing about these type of imperfections. Go to a new car dealer that sells BMW, Mercedes, etc...Alll the new cars that are black have these faint marks. I think I know what you are talking about. They are like RIDS, but shallow and very hard to see. Some stray ones here and there and then a cluster.

I wonder what causes them. I think they may come from wiping off spent polish..
Maybe there is some clear coat in it. When I see these they seem to be in strait lines. But I'm convinced cars come from the factory this way and they are not DISO.

Nobody can see them, so I wouldn't worry about them.

Yes, that is what I am talking about. It drives me crazy though when I am at a car show and in the sun only at an angle can you see them. I am going to try a glaze and see what happens.