Is Ford performance blue paint hard or soft?

[flugufrelsarinn]

I am looking to detail out the dealer installed buffer marks in my 2014 Fiesta ST. Has anyone here detailed Ford Performance Blue paint? I am looking at using a 1 step product so I don't know if I should buy menz 400 or 2500.

[FUNX650]

I am looking to detail out the dealer installed buffer marks in my 2014 Fiesta ST. Has anyone here detailed Ford Performance Blue paint? I am looking at using a 1 step product so I don't know if I should buy menz 400 or 2500.
Each vehicle's paint can respond differently to being buffed.
A "test spot" is the most assured way of finding the products that work on any given vehicle.


Bob

[Tato]

That's what Bob said,

But I know the kind of information you are looking after, may be someone can chime in.

It's like, Honda paint, expect it to be soft... Toyota, some say it's damn soft, but 2 Toyota I've worked were the most hard paint I've faced so far.

I mean, even if someone chimes in with 'general info' you're looking for (which I consider is very important though),

you'll only know what you're dealing with when 'Asking the Paint', and that means doing the test spot.

Do you have any pics of the general state of paint so I can shoot more closer?

My suggestions (blindly) would be white pad and PF2500.

This is a conventional polishing setup, and you'll easily know from there how you should proceed.

Any effect (or veeeery little) on defects?

You'll need a huge step up like a cutting pad and FG400. Sure, it's assuming you're using perfect technique.

Slight effect, but not the level you want? Use FG400 on white polishing pad.

100% correction, ~not so good finish, maybe step to SF4000 (finer polish) on same pad...

Or correct with PF2500 and then finish down with a finishing pad and polish, just a few passes to the glory.

- Or slow down polisher speed, reduce arm pressure a bit, there are so many variables that only testing you will be able to see.

- Or speed up polisher, use more pressure, slow arm speed (if needed more power).

Those last two lines may be read as 'to adequate' technique to situation, that means playing with the variables until finding what works best on the actual car you're working on.


Please, let us know if you have further information so we can help you out better.

Kind Regards.

[GreatAvalon]

Menz 2500 is awesome. If it's just dealer installed them 2500 will probably be able to get it up with the right pad

[flugufrelsarinn]

Do you have any pics of the general state of paint so I can shoot more closer?


It is hard to see in photos, but if you look on the front passenger door about halfway down you can see what I am talking about. It isn't swirls, it looks like someone used a dirty buffer pad or something. They are only visible at certain angles.

http://i.imgur.com/7IKzVt5.jpg

[Pirate Bman]

If thats the paint. Than it shouldn't matter greatly which you choose. I have worked on countless cars like this at the Ford dealership and we always just use a sealant if its in new or very pristine condition. otherwise polish and wax.

[Tato]

Wow, nice Fiesta you have in there.

I've worked on a white '14 Fiesta not so long ago, you can see it here:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/78351-2014-0km-white-ford-fiesta-coating-but.html

In no way it's finish compares to yours, your car looks gorgeous.

The thread is not exactly a show and shine, car had a dealership / someone else repair at whole driver's side extending to rear bumper which would made a full correction attempt expensive for the owner (with me, at least, I charge high to undergo a risk like this), he just gave up correcting the mess this time and we followed by coating after slightly 'minimizing the damage' a bit for this time.

So I've used PBL cleansing polish and then coated, topping with Souveran after coating cure as agreed with customer at the start. End results makes him very happy and he already came back for maintenance wash, which means he truly liked the outcome and the way I've dealt with situation.

If I had truly worked on this car (being asked and paid for correcting imperfections), I would give you a better idea of how the paint answered, but being the owner not interested I just let it alone after fine polishing, and called my autogeek friends to help me dealing with the non-100%-accomplished feeling that was hurting me...

Also, working on a repaired area would not give me the exact feel as well.

Sure, it was a huge lesson, including trying to meet customers expectations even when we couldn't meet ours.

One thing I suggest for you is to order a Swirl finder light so you can inspect your finish better.

Have seeing your picture (without seeing any defect from this angle), I'd suggest you to start even lower than suggested earlier, maybe also in a polishing pad, but try a finishing polish at first. Try a finishing pad if you can, at least the first test spot.

I say this because it may be overkilling for you to use a more cutting polish like PF2500 and letting your finishing needing a re-finishing step to 'pop' again... that said, if you can solve up things with a finishing polish you'll be not just getting rid of defects, but also improving the finish to the last drop of shine you can extract from it.

Menzerna SF4000 has a cut of 4/10, and 10/10 for shine, so it's a fair cut for new finishes like yours, while offering the maximum shine possible (what we beg for!).

Also, Don't forget to clay it.

To always work clean and forwards (not backwards), do a gentle claying step (yet effective), takes a bit more time in claying, but then you gain time when polishing not having to deal with huge clay marring mess. Claying is as essential as polishing and applying LSP. Every step will add you a bit more that will represent together a tad more at the end.


Again, those above are just suggestions for helping you to form an opinion on what you may do.

Hope that helps,

Kind Regards.

[Rsurfer]

It is hard to see in photos, but if you look on the front passenger door about halfway down you can see what I am talking about. It isn't swirls, it looks like someone used a dirty buffer pad or something. They are only visible at certain angles.

http://i.imgur.com/7IKzVt5.jpg

What you are seeing are probably holograms when prepping your ride with a rotary (DISCO).

[Tato]

Dear,

I also invite you to take a look at one of the recent jobs I've posted on AG, on what a finishing polish and a finishing pad (paired with proper technique) may do to those dealer instilled defects on newer finishes.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/79342-2013-honda-civic-full-detail-pbl-coating-coating-booster.html

See, those defects looks like needed more cutting polish, but test spot told me a finishing pad and a finishing polish would 100% remove them all.

That said, I could take advantage of, in one step, remove defects while making the finish a 10/10 for gloss with Menzerna.

Again, just suggestions, I look forward to hear what you decided to do and what you actually done!

Good luck my friend,

Kind Regards.

[Coopers ST]

I really like that blurple color. I have the same swirl marks in my PB Focus ST