Gloss vs Glow, are all paints created equal

[TTQ B4U]

To answer your question, I think there probably is something to the type of paint system / brands being used but the reality is once they are in-use, the resulting care is going to determine more about the quality of paint condition and that will impact things more noticeably.

Pure darker colors will tend to look richer and deeper. Thicker clear coats and finishes with less orange peel will reflect and glow a bit more. I don't focus on it all too much as in the end customers and even owners themselves will work with what they have and not worry about seeing the differences between a fully corrected vehicle that's a show queen and one that's 80-90% corrected. I don't look at a vehicle through my eyes when discussing with someone what they are looking to achieve, I listen and look through their eyes. I do however show them on my own personal vehicles what can be done from 75-100% correction and they then decide.

Threads like this need pics, so let's kick it off.


My previous Audi. Fully corrected, pure black, awesome depth.




Same car, reflection off the door. Near zero orange peel, great clarity and thus reflectivity.




My Metallic Infiniti. Perfect correction but the paint won't appear as dark or deep due to the flake.





Same Infiniti, very slight orange peel but not as clear as Audi. Reflectivity still super strong.




20yr old BMW M3. Pure Red Color with Full correction and no orange peel. Haze is simply from the light used and cell phone camera.



Same BMW, dripping wet even before the Ceramic was applied.



Flipping over to perhaps some of the worse finished paint on any manufacturer I've seen, and I have done many of these, Tesla. Loads of orange peel, meh quality overall, but one can still make it reflect and bend light quite well. It just won't have that deep black perfect look as others when viewed up close.

[Desertnate]

The comment on the hardness vs. softness is a great point. The Japanese cars in my family (Honda, Toyota) don't ever seem to get the same gloss I get out of my BMW, no matter how much time I spend polishing them.

I think the application of the paint has a lot to do with it too. My BMW has quite a bit of orange peel in the paint, but when I worked on a neighbors Porsche Cayenne the paint was flawless and the results of polishing were amazing.

Some of the paints also have tinted clear coats or other mult-layer applications which make for amazing results. Mazda's Soul Red, I think the dark red on the C7 Vette, and Alfa Romeo's Rosso Competizione are examples which come to mind. I seem to remember both GM and Ford having other "tint coats" but I don't remember the color or the names.

[chilly]

This is the etching on the hood. Sorry for the crappy pic. The phone always wants to focus on what’s in the reflection which is fine for a glory shot but sucks when you are trying to focus on the defects.





Here’s a closer shot. The etching almost looked like frost crystals.

Again, sorry for the crappy pic. Phone is smarter than I am




This is after correcting and shooting back up at the same lightning.



IDK


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[chilly]

I went down to Sonax Perfect Finish and a RUPES Yellow foam pad and ran out of time so I threw on a coat of Megs HCW to protect it until I could get back to it. It gets so windy up on my hill that I can only work on paint during the early morning hours so any job like this is a MULTI day affair. Hawaiian red dirt is not your friend, trust me.

[Rsurfer]

This is the etching on the hood. Sorry for the crappy pic. The phone always wants to focus on what’s in the reflection which is fine for a glory shot but sucks when you are trying to focus on the defects.





Here’s a closer shot. The etching almost looked like frost crystals.

Again, sorry for the crappy pic. Phone is smarter than I am




This is after correcting and shooting back up at the same lightning.



IDK


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome!

[chilly]

Awesome!

Wow, thanks...

I am kind of in a quandry now as to how to proceed and would appreciate input

I mentioned in another thread that ONLY the hood sustained this etching and I cannot understand why or how

Regardless the rest of the car just has normal minor swirls, love marks, etc compliments of the dealer's top notch crackerjack DETAILERS (lot boys) and an Alaskan winter with touchless car washes

I don't see the remainder needing much more than an AIO although I could hit it with the Sonax Perfect Finish as well

I guess I am concerned that if I just go to an AIO for the remainder of the car then the hood will look different than the rest

I could hit the hood as well and maybe the AIO would refine it even further

I know, I know.... TEST PANEL!!!

lol

What do you guys do to "blend" a single panel with the rest of the car when the whole thing doesn't need the same level of correction?

[Rsurfer]

Wow, thanks...

I am kind of in a quandry now as to how to proceed and would appreciate input

I mentioned in another thread that ONLY the hood sustained this etching and I cannot understand why or how

Regardless the rest of the car just has normal minor swirls, love marks, etc compliments of the dealer's top notch crackerjack DETAILERS (lot boys) and an Alaskan winter with touchless car washes

I don't see the remainder needing much more than an AIO although I could hit it with the Sonax Perfect Finish as well

I guess I am concerned that if I just go to an AIO for the remainder of the car then the hood will look different than the rest

I could hit the hood as well and maybe the AIO would refine it even further

I know, I know.... TEST PANEL!!!

lol

What do you guys do to "blend" a single panel with the rest of the car when the whole thing doesn't need the same level of correction?

You probably will not see a difference and if you do, polish the other panels.

[chilly]

I can do that

Thanks!


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[PaulMys]

You probably will not see a difference and if you do, polish the other panels.

^^^This^^^