autogeekonline car wax, car care and auto detailing forum Autogeek on TV
car wax, car care and auto detailing forumAutogeekonline autogeekonline car wax, car care and auto detailing forum HomeForumBlogAutogeek.net StoreDetailing Classes with Mike PhillipsGalleryDetailing How To's
 
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 20
  1. #1
    Super Member Dan Tran's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Portsmouth, NH
    Posts
    1,055
    Post Thanks / Like

    Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    For the second time as a professional detailer, I felt defeated. I didn’t take pictures. But for the record the paint was HAMMERED with bush brushing on the sides etc...and it still is hammered. Just more refined.

    The goal was to prep the paint for a coating. Which technically I did. The the point and question I want to focus on more is:

    What pad and polish combo have you found that has worked for you.

    I spent over an hour trying to figure out my test spot on a 2017 Model X in black. No matter what I threw at it either marred the paint, lightly hazed, and/or made no amount of correction at all.

    I even tried a supplemental wetting agent along the way.

    I possess:

    RUPES 15 MK III, Mini, and Nano iBrid
    RUPES Blue & Yellow Wool Pads
    RUPES Yellow Foam Pads
    RUPES Zephir & Keramik

    Also,

    Optimum Hyper Twin.

    I toggled between speed 4-2 1/2 on the machines and experimented mostly with RUPES Yellow Foam Pad and with either RUPES Keramik or Optimum Hyper Polish.

    The goal was to really prime the surface for a coating. But again, no matter what I did, I felt I was new to all this all over again. The results just didn’t exist. Please help me for next time.

    Is Tesla paint truly that finicky to work with all the time? I am starting to believe it now.




    High-End Paint Correction and Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings * Portsmouth, NH

  2. #2
    Super Member TTQ B4U's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    5,437
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    Hmmm.....I've done a number of them without issue. CarPro ClearCut on one for compound, but the polish has been either CarPro Essence or GYEON's Primer as all of them were coated. Never a Model X, mainly S and 3's. Machine wise, either a Mille or 3401 with Mille pads or Hybrid Force on the Flex.
    2019 Pearl White Accord 2.0T Touring (mine)
    2023
    Snowflake Pearl White CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus(wife)
    2010 Urban Platinum Metallic CRV EX-L & 2014 Mica Black Metallic Toyota Corolla S (kids)

  3. #3
    Super Member Dan Tran's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Portsmouth, NH
    Posts
    1,055
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    I typically am a fan of CARPRO Clearcut & Essence. No longer in my stock currently.

    All in all, no problems on black Tesla paint?

    Word has it is that black Tesla paint is the softest one in production. Described as “SUPER SOFT”.


    High-End Paint Correction and Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings * Portsmouth, NH

  4. #4
    Super Member TTQ B4U's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    5,437
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Tran View Post
    I typically am a fan of CARPRO Clearcut & Essence. No longer in my stock currently.

    All in all, no problems on black Tesla paint?

    Word has it is that black Tesla paint is the softest one in production. Described as “SUPER SOFT”.
    I've not heard either way in regards to their paint. No, no issues on black.



    Here's a more recent black 3. It wasn't too bad. Essence only on this one










    This one was hammered a bit but it turned out great too.







    2019 Pearl White Accord 2.0T Touring (mine)
    2023
    Snowflake Pearl White CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus(wife)
    2010 Urban Platinum Metallic CRV EX-L & 2014 Mica Black Metallic Toyota Corolla S (kids)

  5. Likes UncleDavy liked this post
  6. #5
    Super Member Dan Tran's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Portsmouth, NH
    Posts
    1,055
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    INTERESTING.

    I would say that the Tesla I had yesterday was more hammered than that. But all in all, that looks great.

    How many passes? Which pad specifically?


    High-End Paint Correction and Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings * Portsmouth, NH

  7. #6
    Super Member TTQ B4U's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    5,437
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Tran View Post
    INTERESTING.

    I would say that the Tesla I had yesterday was more hammered than that. But all in all, that looks great.

    How many passes? Which pad specifically?


    High-End Paint Correction and Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings * Portsmouth, NH
    I can't recall all the details but overall I compound with LC Blue Wool on my Flex 3401 with ClearCut. Typically it only takes a 3-4 passes, not much. Polishing wise, typically Yellow Mille Pads on the Rupes Mille.
    2019 Pearl White Accord 2.0T Touring (mine)
    2023
    Snowflake Pearl White CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus(wife)
    2010 Urban Platinum Metallic CRV EX-L & 2014 Mica Black Metallic Toyota Corolla S (kids)

  8. #7
    Super Member Colinpd137's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    New Braunfels, TX
    Posts
    466
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    I work on Tesla's all day, can't really go into more detail than that. BUT, 99% of the time I get great results with Megs D300 on a megs MF cutting pad. Finished off with a rupes yellow pad and Megs 210 Polish. (On Rupes 21 MKII) If I have to do any wet-sanding i'll reach for a heavier compound and a rotary, but always go back and finish up with the two listed above. Indeed paint is soft so ladder pressure on passes is a good thing to follow through with.

  9. #8
    Super Member Eldorado2k's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Los Angeles, California
    Posts
    13,659
    Post Thanks / Like

    Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Colinpd137 View Post
    I work on Tesla's all day, can't really go into more detail than that.
    Ok, so you’re either Elon Musk’ personal detailer, or you work for the Tesla dealership.. You gave yourself away too easy man. Secrets out. Lol.

    Of did you mean Teslas paint is so wickedly soft and a never ending PITA that no one could ever imagine going into a job and performing the amount of work it takes to detail a Tesla? I’ve heard if 1 of their cars batteries catches on fire it could take nearly a half day to extinguish, so I wouldn’t doubt if correcting the paint somehow turns into a nightmare never even imagined. Lol.

  10. #9
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Sweden
    Posts
    3,022
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    Dan Tran did you want to 1-step it?

    As a finishing polish step should clear it up. Like mentioned Carpro Essence and Gyeon Primer Polish is great on softer paints. And it seems like it works great with M210 which is made specific for the softer paints.

    Colinpd137 do you have the knowledge if M110 and M210 where kind of developed to sort out the new car polishing on Teslas? As they did have a problem on the manufactures plant to get it acceptable and asked Meguiars for help. Have heard this from a Meguiars source but would be interesting to know from someone else with the knowledge about it. Or that's maybe a secret.

    Eldorado2K. If a Tesla or any other electric car caught fire so it's battery is on fire. The fire squad here in Sweden let it burn down until it self extinguish. Cause the heat gets so high and they don't have anything that helps to stop it. And they just makes sure so the fire don't spread to the surroundings. Have seen the damage of such a fire on a Tesla on the asphalt road the asphalt was gone for a yard or 2 around it. We have also a lot of public transportation busses that goes in the cities and also some vehicals that goes on natuaral gas. If the fire squad don't see the gas tank and that safety marks or how to describe it or if it's too long gone when on fire so these marks on the tanks shows it. They are ordered to not go near them no matter what the situation is. And from the safety distance that's needed the fire extinguish equipment don't reach the vehical on fire. It's scary that it is so. We had a buss driver that just drove by the GPS in the capitol Stockholm here in Sweden. So he didn't take notice of that the bridge he was driving under was to low. And with poor maintance of the natuaral gas tanks so it's safety feature didn't work as they are going to empty their self. It where a huge explosion and luckily there where no passengers on the buss and the buss drive got out far enough to not get that much hurt. Was a very scary thing that happened in a very puplic place. But just material damages. This was little over a year ago IIRC.

    / Tony

  11. Thanks Eldorado2k thanked for this post
  12. #10
    Super Member Dan Tran's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Portsmouth, NH
    Posts
    1,055
    Post Thanks / Like

    Tesla Paint is interesting. What is your take on it?

    I used a fine polish, but not an ultra fine polish if that makes any sense.

    Yes, I did try to one step it.


    High-End Paint Correction and Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings * Portsmouth, NH

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Interesting use of Rupes on Subaru paint...
    By Eric@CherryOnTop in forum RUPES BigFoot Oribital Polishers
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 02-16-2016, 04:25 PM
  2. My 2nd Tesla With Interesting One Step
    By richy in forum Show N' Shine
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 07-31-2014, 12:51 AM
  3. Replies: 5
    Last Post: 11-19-2012, 08:24 PM
  4. Interesting new paint
    By sparkie in forum Off-Topic
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 10-23-2009, 07:15 PM
  5. Scratching paint with high pressure water....... interesting?
    By Thejoyofdriving in forum Auto Detailing 101
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 08-14-2007, 11:25 PM

Members who have read this thread: 1

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

» March 2024

S M T W T F S
2526272829 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 123456