please take a look at my test spot on this single stage paint

[Busy mind]

Hello Mike and fellow detailers. I have a question about these funky chicken scratches (well thats the name i've given them). Close up shot is the last pic.
So I'm working on a 1950 Pymouth Suburban. My process so far on this test spot has been;

waterless wash

clay

M#7 applied with terry cloth. I only let it soak for a little over an hour since I was too anxious to see what it would look like after polishing. I'll give it 12-18 hours once I do the whole car.

Polish with fg400 on an orange BS pad using my Torq. I have not tried my Flex yet because i'm paranoid about getting too aggressive on this mystery paint. I'm referring to Mikes article on the 1973 Lincoln where he emphasizes single stage paint being extremely thin... After removing the dead paint, I'm greeted with some super swirls.

Before pic on the roof.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100733

This is after applying M#7. Dead paint is mostly removed but left shiny swirled paint. Did I rub too hard with the terry cloth and M#7, or is this just really bad paint under the oxidized layer?

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100731

This is after doing a few passes with FG400

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100732&size=1
Zoomed in shot of scratches. These scratches are whats puzzling me. They remind me of bondo that has dried up and shrunk under the paint.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100734
I am told that this paint is original besides the spots that have been poorly touched up. It's definitely another mystery vehicle so I'm treading lightly. I'd like to get some feedback on my test spot so far before trying anything else.
Your time is very much appreciated.

[2black1s]

Those are not scratches and that area shown is most likely not the original finish. It appears to me that is paint failure (cracks) caused by:

- excessive primer and/or paint film thickness applied during the repair

- inadequate dry time between primer and/or paint coats during the repair

- priming and/or painting over an unstable substrate during the repair

There is really no certain way to fix that area withoput completely stripping and refinishing.

Your choices at this point are really limited to living with it, attempting to sand and polish although the risk factor of sanding through before removing the defects is extremely high, or strip and refinish the panel.

[davey g-force]

I dunno... they look like magnified scratches to me!

It's hard to say, but they may well have ben caused by getting too agressive with the terry cloth. How hard did you rub?

IMO your process is not pulling out the scratches, so you need to get more aggressive if you want to remove them. BUT be very careful due to the age of this paint. A PTG would come in handy here...

[AnthonyGXP]

You don't need to get more aggressive, you need to change up your technique and ditch the terry cloth and go with a machine and a cutting pad with something like FG400 or M105.

[Fast Eddie]

Looks like paint shrinkage to me. Original paint that old...make it clean, shiny and enjoy the "patina".

[2black1s]

No way those defects were caused by a terry cloth application of M7.

[davey g-force]

You don't need to get more aggressive, you need to change up your technique and ditch the terry cloth and go with a machine and a cutting pad with something like FG400 or M105.

He has already done that, see below:


Polish with fg400 on an orange BS pad using my Torq.

The terry cloth was just to apply M7 beforehand.

[Busy mind]

Thanks for the responses so far.
I rubbed the M7 until my arms were sore and sweating.

The customer understands that the paint has many defects. I can live with the cracks, but the swirls are not something I can send out with my name on it, even though this is a VERY tight budget detail.

I came back to the shop tonight so I don't lose sleep over this. I tried the least aggressive with a black hex logic pad and m205. I did 2 sets of 5 passes. This didn't seem to change the outcome.

I got the flex out with an orange and a yellow B&S pad and fg400 again. Maybe 25 passes in total between those 2 combos. Looks like I'll have to lose some sleep over this for now and wait for my hybrid pads to dry out.

On a side note, I did test a spot with same process minus the M7 rub down...Still got the same results of shiny paint with the same style of swirls.