Paint correction on Toyota Corrola - Overwhelmed with Choices

[crg001]

Hello!

I have a 2022 Toyota Corolla (black sand pearl) and am looking to do a paint correction to repair scratches after washing it at work with the brush used to clean dirty pickup trucks (yeah, I know...). Here are some photos to give an idea of what I am working with: Imgur: The magic of the Internet.

I have finalized the following (please provide feedback if something glaringly a bad decision) but am having difficulties choosing a polishing compound:

- Griot's Garage G9 with 5" backing plate
- Lake Country SDO Orange pad
- Lake Country SDO Black pad (If I decide on a non-spray wax/sealant)
- Riccardo light blue detailing clay bar
- Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine (Clay lubricant)
- CarPro Eraser

For the compound, I have been drawn toward Sonax Perfect Finish but have also read that Griot's Boss lineup would be better. 3D One is another one I have consider. Overall, I am looking for something that is most likely to give me good results with this project and will not hinder my progress as I hope to experiment with stand-alone scratch repair.

Also, any suggestions on a sealant/wax would be appreciated. I am not keen on locking myself into ceramic coating but also want it to last longer than a month.

Thanks!

Hey! I think I responded to your post on reddit with some suggestions like the SDO pads and Griot's BOSS polishes. I will stand by those recommendations here too!

Here's an example. This is my Nissan SUV with super soft gloss black paint. I corrected it early last year with my G9 with 5" backing plate and a Buff and Shine yellow Uro-Tec pads (maybe around the same cut as SDO orange). I used Griot's Correcting Cream as my polish and did the whole vehicle in one step. The left side of the photo is uncorrected (drivers door) and the right side (back door) is corrected with a few passes at medium speed. As you can see, Griot's Correcting Cream can finish very very well even on the softest, stickiest, most picky of aged paints I have yet to experience.



If you were to only pick one polish I would definitely go for Correcting Cream, as it can deliver a punch with a stiff pad if you need it but still have no issues finishing on even the worst paint. I've also used 3D One and it is very comparable to Griot's CC, maybe with a bit more cut and longer work time at the expense of leaving a more oily residue that can be difficult to wipe off on some surfaces. 3D One does finish very well too though. Ease of use definitely goes to Griot's.

For your Last Step Protection (LSP), I would check out Griot's 3-in-1 ceramic wax if you want ease of use. If you want to try something a bit more advanced (and get way better results and longevity), check out Gyeon Can Coat. It truly is an awesome coating that is easy to use as long as you follow directions and apply thinly.

For your pads, SDO pads are great. I would say for a small car you can get away with 5 pads of the same type but 6 is more ideal for best results. If you're taking several days, 3 should be good provided you clean and dry them between uses. The orange SDO should be all you really need. You can get a couple blue pads in case you come across some defects that need a stronger punch. The cut level of Griot's CC is dictated by the pad so options are good to have.

[noorth]

Hard to go wrong with LC orange and 1 step polish like sonax perfect finish to get your feet wet. 3D one cuts a bit more but i don't like the wipe off and i do think perfect finish is a bit more glossy.

I only used a 2oz sample of griots CC, it's very runny IME. I didn't like it.

But all 3 will work and enhance the paint.

And there are a LOT of choices lol

edit: I have noticed the last 2 years or so a trend that people remark on perfect finish's cut. I know from direct experience i got some nasty scratches out of a toyota camry using a free spinning 15mm DA with the very coarse white BOSS foam pad. It can cut.

[Bornin1992]

Hard to go wrong with LC orange and 1 step polish like sonax perfect finish to get your feet wet. 3D one cuts a bit more but i don't like the wipe off and i do think perfect finish is a bit more glossy.

I only used a 2oz sample of griots CC, it's very runny IME. I didn't like it.

But all 3 will work and enhance the paint.

And there are a LOT of choices lol

Darn. I came on here to say I had decided on Griot's CC and now your comment has me second guessing. But, like you said, I suppose all three options will work and enhance the paint. Does the fact it is "very runny" make it more difficult to work with?

[Bornin1992]

Hey! I think I responded to your post on reddit with some suggestions like the SDO pads and Griot's BOSS polishes. I will stand by those recommendations here too!

Here's an example. This is my Nissan SUV with super soft gloss black paint. I corrected it early last year with my G9 with 5" backing plate and a Buff and Shine yellow Uro-Tec pads (maybe around the same cut as SDO orange). I used Griot's Correcting Cream as my polish and did the whole vehicle in one step. The left side of the photo is uncorrected (drivers door) and the right side (back door) is corrected with a few passes at medium speed. As you can see, Griot's Correcting Cream can finish very very well even on the softest, stickiest, most picky of aged paints I have yet to experience.



If you were to only pick one polish I would definitely go for Correcting Cream, as it can deliver a punch with a stiff pad if you need it but still have no issues finishing on even the worst paint. I've also used 3D One and it is very comparable to Griot's CC, maybe with a bit more cut and longer work time at the expense of leaving a more oily residue that can be difficult to wipe off on some surfaces. 3D One does finish very well too though. Ease of use definitely goes to Griot's.

For your Last Step Protection (LSP), I would check out Griot's 3-in-1 ceramic wax if you want ease of use. If you want to try something a bit more advanced (and get way better results and longevity), check out Gyeon Can Coat. It truly is an awesome coating that is easy to use as long as you follow directions and apply thinly.

For your pads, SDO pads are great. I would say for a small car you can get away with 5 pads of the same type but 6 is more ideal for best results. If you're taking several days, 3 should be good provided you clean and dry them between uses. The orange SDO should be all you really need. You can get a couple blue pads in case you come across some defects that need a stronger punch. The cut level of Griot's CC is dictated by the pad so options are good to have.

Yes, you did! I found that SubReddit was much less active (and unfriendly as my post got downvoted) and decided to join this forum.
I think you have definitely sold me on the 3-in-1. Do you think correcting cream and a few orange and blue SDO's would let me tackle most problems I am to encounter?
Also, would doing a second go of the entire car with perfecting cream give a noticeable difference or would it be a waste of time/money? Finally, if I went with perfecting cream, would the orange SDO pad be fine or would I want to get a black one? Would I start with perfecting cream or correcting cream? HaHa.
I guess at the end of the day, given I am in Canada and minimum shipping rates, I want to place an order for everything I could need in one go.
Many apologies for all the questions. I like your example photo, by the way.

[noorth]

Darn. I came on here to say I had decided on Griot's CC and now your comment has me second guessing. But, like you said, I suppose all three options will work and enhance the paint. Does the fact it is "very runny" make it more difficult to work with?

You just need to make sure it's absorbed in the pad so it doesn't fling. You can simply use your finger and/or hold the pad on the paint for a 5 sec or so.

When i used it no matter what i tried it would run down the pad while i was rotating the polisher -(from the pad facing up towards the sun back to the paint.) So i would just smear it in with my fingers first to see how it goes. It shouldn't be a big deal at all.

[NoClue]

Thanks for your response. It doesn't really answer the question, though...

Didn't read a single question in your first post, my apologies...

[Desertnate]

I only used a 2oz sample of griots CC, it's very runny IME. I didn't like it.

When i used it no matter what i tried it would run down the pad while i was rotating the polisher -(from the pad facing up towards the sun back to the paint.) So i would just smear it in with my fingers first to see how it goes. It shouldn't be a big deal at all.

If your sample was runny there was something seriously wrong with it. I can put some dots of product on my pad and hold them upside down with no effect like a DQ Blizzard!

None of my BOSS products are runny at all. In fact, I noticed they were easily some of the thickest products I've used, they are very much a cream in more than just name. They also don't seem to separate like others I've used either. I've had my bottles for a couple years and while I might shake them out of habit at each use, it isn't really needed they are so thick.

[crg001]

If your sample was runny there was something seriously wrong with it. I can put some dots of product on my pad and hold them upside down with no effect like a DQ Blizzard!

None of my BOSS products are runny at all. In fact, I noticed they were easily some of the thickest products I've used, they are very much a cream in more than just name. They also don't seem to separate like others I've used either. I've had my bottles for a couple years and while I might shake them out of habit at each use, it isn't really needed they are so thick.

Yeah, my experience with the BOSS polishes is the same. Very thick and creamy consistency. I think I recall reading about some other people experiencing a runny batch of product though. If that's the case, Griot's customer should be able to sort that out and get a proper product to those with a questionable batch.

Yes, you did! I found that SubReddit was much less active (and unfriendly as my post got downvoted) and decided to join this forum.
I think you have definitely sold me on the 3-in-1. Do you think correcting cream and a few orange and blue SDO's would let me tackle most problems I am to encounter?
Also, would doing a second go of the entire car with perfecting cream give a noticeable difference or would it be a waste of time/money? Finally, if I went with perfecting cream, would the orange SDO pad be fine or would I want to get a black one? Would I start with perfecting cream or correcting cream? HaHa.
I guess at the end of the day, given I am in Canada and minimum shipping rates, I want to place an order for everything I could need in one go.
Many apologies for all the questions. I like your example photo, by the way.

This forum is a much better place, lol. I really think the Correcting Cream is all you will need. It's really intended as a happy medium single-step type of polish that doesn't require a follow up. Perfecting cream would be good if you were polishing with the Fast CC on microfiber or a coarse foam pad as that would leave some light haze behind. CC on a medium foam pad finishes just as well as Perfecting Cream (most of the time). My first time using it, I polished my GLI and then came around with my second step of CarPro Essence to "jewel" the paint and prime it for CQuartz, but it literally made zero discernable difference on the harder VW paint. On my soft Nissan black paint, it finished crystal clear and I didn't even bother to go another step before coating it.

[Desertnate]

I really think the Correcting Cream is all you will need. It's really intended as a happy medium single-step type of polish that doesn't require a follow up. Perfecting cream would be good if you were polishing with the Fast CC on microfiber or a coarse foam pad as that would leave some light haze behind. CC on a medium foam pad finishes just as well as Perfecting Cream (most of the time).

Based on the pictures CC will probably be the best bet to clear up all those swirls. However, after that because Toyota paint is so soft, I'd bet he could use the Perfecting Cream as a one-step polish in the future.

With our Highlander I can very easily correct it with Perfecting Cream, Hyperpolish, Blackfire Polish, or other mild polishes and a medium polishing pad like a Lake Country White ThinPro or Rupes Yellow. The paint is incredibly soft and corrects really easily. Sadly, it swirls just as easily if you aren't careful...

[dgage]

I use the Griots Fast Correcting Cream most and really like it. No issues with it running. And I have used it alongside Sonax Cutmax and Perfect Finish, Menzerna 400/2500/3800, Rupes Coarse Compound and Pure, and Meguiars M105/M205, D300/302 so I’ve definitely compared it to some great polishes and I think it works great regardless of price but with price, it is really, really good. But you can be successful with any of the suggestions provided.

My most used polishers are the Flex XCE125 CBeast and the Flex PXE80.