What the heck is this

[Martiy]

Hello Everyone,

I have been lurking (although just joined) around reading the forums for quite awhile and have learned alot, but I have come across something I cannot figure out.

Before I begin, just to let you know I have been using PC 7424, meg pads, farecla pads and a combination of several 3M Perfect it & Meg Pro products and everything has been going really well so far...well mostly..

I have a 3' x 2' section of my hood (Azure Blue Metallic) that looks like I used the wrong pad and or product application and it has left (at least I'm pretty sure it was me that did this and was not there prior) some micro marring that looks kinda like mini orange peal. Its not visible in regular light or under a halogen, but when Im working I use the overhead lights reflection in my garage to check my work and it is under these lights that this micro marring really shows.

I have gone over it like 30 times with medium and fine polish, swirl remover, tried various polishing pads etc etc. With Meg #82 or 3M swirl remover and a polishing pad the marring seems to be s l o w l y going away but ever so slightly and its driving me nuts!!

I'll post some pics so yuo can see a little better (The paint looks alot darker than it is cuz I used a flash)


Right side hood


http://members.shaw.ca/bkmartineau/PC072318.JPG

Left Side Hood

http://members.shaw.ca/bkmartineau/PC072317.JPG


Right side again

http://members.shaw.ca/bkmartineau/PC072313.JPG

and RIGHT again

http://members.shaw.ca/bkmartineau/PC072313.JPG


http://members.shaw.ca/bkmartineau/PB061849.JPG

http://members.shaw.ca/bkmartineau/PB061852.JPG

Lastly, has anyone heard or used Farecla products? I have found a local supplier (autobody supplier)and I have never heard of them before



ANY HELP IS MUCH APPRECIATED!!

[ScottB]

please remember no linking to competitors products ....

As to the pics, it seems to show some micromarring. This is where larger swirls have been broken down into small scratches that still have some rough edges that catch light. Keep moving to lighter polishes, high speed, and lighter pads.

[Martiy]

:o My apologies about the link, I should have read the posting rules a little more carefully...sorry bout that

[FloridaNative]

How long are you working the polishes for? If the polishes are not worked long enough to completely break down, the small particles will leave micromarring.

[abrcrombe]

Definitely follow the advice above. I did not think that paint was blue until I saw the pictures of the whole car. Nice car man. Another thing, try different combos if the above does not work. I have read about one guy who had to try like 30 (could be exaggerated) different combos until he found the right one to remove the micromarring. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

[Martiy]

thanks for the kind words

I have been working the polish in at least 4-7 mins and by the time I remove it, it has definately flashed and broken down.

I believe it happened when I tried out a Meg yellow polishing pad, and not sure why it would do this. Everywhere I tried the pad it would begin to leave little spots that would eventually look like the pics if I went over it enough times. At the time it happened I was only using 3M swirl remover which is a light polish with some fillers. I am definately not happy with the Meg pads, and as a matter of fact even the generic applicator bonnets seem to perform better.

It has been an extremely stubborn spot and the only spot where there is micromarring from the swirl removal process.

Hehe, the car is blue but the pics are taken from very close up and zoomed (I did not use the flash as I stated last night, it was late lol), so like I mentioned you cannot see the marring until you really look for it or look at the reflection of my garage lights in the paint. In the pictures it does look alot worse than it actualy is as a result of the zoom of the camera.

[Surfer]

Nice Esprit, don't see many around. Guy we used to race with had one of the Final Editions that were underrated for power, think it was an 2003.5 SE? Only issues he had was a weak clutch especially after the cpu reflash and other mods. Was quick on a road course.

[Rapidity]

in one of those pictures you can actually see the individual atoms that make up the paint.

[Martiy]

LMAO Rapidity....I wasn't sure if I would even be able to get the marring to show up on camera so I took the pics from ultra close.:)


Surfer....There is definately no shortage of power, mine has the Race ECM, K&N's, high flow Cats and straight pipes. I believe at .85 bar of boost I am at 440hp & 400 lb/ft TQ at the crank.

Transmission is by far the weakest point on these cars, specifically the 1st - 2nd syncromesh and the overhung 5th gear. Unfortunately because of this you have to be very careful in 1st and 2nd gear or you'll destroy the tranny in no time.:(

[Surfer]

LMAO Rapidity....I wasn't sure if I would even be able to get the marring to show up on camera so I took the pics from ultra close.:)


Surfer....There is definately no shortage of power, mine has the Race ECM, K&N's, high flow Cats and straight pipes. I believe at .85 bar of boost I am at 440hp & 400 lb/ft TQ at the crank.

Transmission is by far the weakest point on these cars, specifically the 1st - 2nd syncromesh and the overhung 5th gear. Unfortunately because of this you have to be very careful in 1st and 2nd gear or you'll destroy the tranny in no time.:(Yup, that sounds like what he had, similar power numbers. And yes, I know about that weak transmission as he blew it twice on the race course and stopped running it after that lol, weren't some people swaping in different trans or something to beef up that Renault box? If it were possible imagine a T56 in there, sharp shifting and bullet proof. I know his and other Final Editions had a bump in power that wasn't listed as well so they were fairly underrated, and being so light, with those mods, it was damn quick from a roll.

[Reddwarf]

Love the lotus! post more pictures, but maybe a bit smaller next time :-)