Paint feels like sandpaper

[drumr_102]

So I detailed a guy's car today and it felt very rough to the touch. Even after being washed. I thought maybe it was the fact that it hadn't been clayed before, so I clayed the crap out of the car and it softened some parts, but still not perfect.

The car is a white 2012 Acura TL with silverish metal flakes in the paint, he's the 2nd owner, but washes it regularly. I'm not sure if it's rough paint or if there's something on there I'm not removing. It's not a consistent roughness, but the whole car has it. I would attach pictures, but there's really nothing to see, it just feels rough.

The owner was extremely happy with the results, but he was the one that mentioned the rough paint and is a repeat customer that brings good business so if it's possible to fix the roughness at all I would like to do that for him.

Here is the car just because every thread needs at least one picture:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=90742

[rbss]

Hard to tell without seeing it. Maybe overspray? Try a APC/wash, Iron X then clay.

[Kamakaz1961]

Do a test spot with a compound and then a polish (2-Step) and see if that will get smoother.

Is it original paint or re-sprayed? If you have a DA and FG400 (or equivalent) and SF4500 (or equivalent) with Orange and White Pad from Lake country or equivalent. My guess is that is needs the 2-Step.

[drumr_102]

Owner is not aware of repainting, but it seemed like there was some over spray on plastic pieces above the rear license plate

[rbss]

If it is indeed overspray and you have clayed do what Kamakaz1961 said in the above post.

[fly07sti]

Which clay did you use? Maybe your clay was not aggressive enough. Do you have any Iron X?

[drumr_102]

My clay bar is medium grade. Iron X came to mind, but I don't have any. I may have to pick some up and try it.

I currently don't have a DA, but I plan to get into paint corrections in the near future so I'll definitely keep that option on my mind. Not sure if he cares enough to have it compounded and polished anyway.

[Jaretr1]

My clay bar is medium grade. Iron X came to mind, but I don't have any. I may have to pick some up and try it.

I currently don't have a DA, but I plan to get into paint corrections in the near future so I'll definitely keep that option on my mind. Not sure if he cares enough to have it compounded and polished anyway.

You need to get one! A one step will do wonders to that color! Mike Phillips has an article on how important it is to clean paint and on white its the most obvious. Claying removes contaminants, but not dirt off the surface.

If the paint was still rough, there is overspray or something else you were not getting off. A proper paint finish is not normally rough.

It seems as a professional detailer, to not be offering polishing you are limited how much revenue you can earn. On that TL for instance, using a one step with a DA would get the paint clean, polish out light defects, and give a great shine and protection. The owner would have been blown away rather than just be happy. Then he would tell his friends about the magic you did on his car, and if one of his friends calls you, and you do the same for him...well rather than just doing hand washes...you are doubling or trippling your revenues and creating new stream of customers.

Just my opinion.

[Vegas Transplant]

Maybe the answer lies in all of the trees in the background. Lone Star fauna wreak havok on vehicle surfaces. Are the mirrors and glass just as rough?

[drumr_102]

You need to get one! A one step will do wonders to that color! Mike Phillips has an article on how important it is to clean paint and on white its the most obvious. Claying removes contaminants, but not dirt off the surface.

If the paint was still rough, there is overspray or something else you were not getting off. A proper paint finish is not normally rough.

It seems as a professional detailer, to not be offering polishing you are limited how much revenue you can earn. On that TL for instance, using a one step with a DA would get the paint clean, polish out light defects, and give a great shine and protection. The owner would have been blown away rather than just be happy. Then he would tell his friends about the magic you did on his car, and if one of his friends calls you, and you do the same for him...well rather than just doing hand washes...you are doubling or trippling your revenues and creating new stream of customers.

Just my opinion.

A DA is definitely the next thing I'm buying. I've been looking at Griot's. I may have to get that over with and start learning.

Is a one step easy enough to do as a mobile detailer? Also, how do you normally price that/how long should one take?

Thanks!

[drumr_102]

Maybe the answer lies in all of the trees in the background. Lone Star fauna wreak havok on vehicle surfaces. Are the mirrors and glass just as rough?

The glass wasn't bad, but he had just taken it to the local car wash so maybe it was able to get it off the glass and not the paint

[Crispy]

What I do is test a spot with 1500 grit wet sandpaper. If that shows the orange peel or rough surface then next step is 3 step polish. I have had this problem on my rims where it is hard to apply paint at 90 degrea angle and the surface is rough. I sand and polish with decent results.