How to get metallic black clearcoat point to 'pop' more?!

**luckydawg** · 06-11-2022, 10:58 AM

You need to finish down better, wether that is your polish, pad, or technique, thats where the difference will be made up.
I have good results with CarPro gloss pad & reflect for a finishing polish on a free spinning random orbital.

Also there are a few LSP's out there that will give the appearance of darker paint-- a darkening effect.

**Icarus** · 06-25-2022, 02:57 AM

I gave it another polish today with the Sonax 04-06 and another coat of Meguairs Ultimate Wax. It's a bit better, hopefully it lasts till the fall and I'll put PNS on it for the winter... *shrugs

**Icarus** · 10-10-2022, 06:02 PM

Did a light polish on it this weekend and a coat of PNS. Using white B&S Euro polishing pads and the Sonax 04-06. Still not popping as much as I'd like. Might buy some new stuff over the winter to try out in the spring, though I'm probably just being to picky...

**2black1s** · 10-10-2022, 09:01 PM

Paint it straight black!

Just kidding, but I've never liked any black metallic for all of the reasons mentioned in this thread. The only thing black metallic has going for it in my eyes is that it doesn't show defects and dirt as much as straight black.

**Lance Mark** · 10-11-2022, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by 2black1s

Paint it straight black!

Just kidding, but I've never liked any black metallic for all of the reasons mentioned in this thread. The only thing black metallic has going for it in my eyes is that it doesn't show defects and dirt as much as straight black.

my bike is a combo of two metallic paints, Deep Slate Candy and Arctic Black.....and my next bike, will not be black, or anything close

I've done a lot of black, and what I tell folks is this...."I literally just did the final buff.....enjoy because it will look good for about 20 minutes."

but for that 20 minutes....it'll sparkle

**noorth** · 10-11-2022, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by Icarus

Did a light polish on it this weekend and a coat of PNS. Using white B&S Euro polishing pads and the Sonax 04-06. Still not popping as much as I'd like. Might buy some new stuff over the winter to try out in the spring, though I'm probably just being to picky...

Microfiber pad? Have you tried something like gyeon primer?

Edit: The euro white are course foam pads? Have you tried something softer?

Esoteric put a video out close to a year ago about the B&S red euro cell i think its called. Its a closed cell pad. They stated - for them- it's one of the best finishing pads on the most difficult paints to finish.

Esoteric seem very selective over their product line. For instance the recommended microfiber cutting pad is from megs, the polishing pad rupes and the red b&S eurocell for anything the rupes yellow can't finish out on. Worth a try maybe.

**dcjredline** · 10-12-2022, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Rsurfer

Do the front fender with Sonax Perfect Finish and see if there's a difference between the fender and the untouched hood. Final looks of paint is 90% from polishing and not using LSP.

EXACTLY! The prep is way more a factor in the look of the paint. Thats total BS that one sealant looks so much better than the rest. Id challenge anyone to pick out PNS or Ultima in a line up!!!!

**2011 302** · 10-12-2022, 09:15 AM

Polished with pa Invincible primer ,topped with viking coat.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

**dlc95** · 10-12-2022, 02:29 PM

Some of the vehicles that come through the shop are wildly varying in finish texture.

The Ford mustangs are really terrible for whatever reason, and regardless of the polish, pad, or tool they just don't want to "pop". These Mustangs and s9me other vehicles also exhibit strange behavior with coatings too. Usually when I apply the coating and wipe it off, it's incredibly slick once applied, but some of these other paint systems still feel grabby and somewhat "rough" (even after ironx, clay, and machine polishing) after wipe off. Obviously you can still feel a difference between the coated and bare paint, it's just not as stark a contrast with those "tighter" finishes.

Now, I'm just guessing here but in my mind it could be from just having "larger pores" in the paint itself. The irregularity in the level of the surface isn't going to help with the gloss or the texture.

Outside of wet sanding (I wouldn't even dream of it on a factory clear), I would give a good coating a shot, especially one that likes to be layered, because that first coat can sink into the microscopic pores, essentially evening out the surface, and the second coat will sit on top of that - possibly. Remember this is all just theoretical scenarios running through my head.

If I was personally faced with that situation I'd do two coats of your coating of choice, use their topper and see how it goes.

My favorite coatings are Optimun Gloss Coat, CarPro Gliss, Lite, and UK 3.0. Cquartz UK 3.0 likes to be layered, and Cory Caruth even talks about my theoretical assessment (he actually confirmed it for me) I mentioned above in their instructional video on how to install UK.

You might also get away with a sealant or wax to do that, but they just don't create the same film build that a coating can. Plus, you get all the boosted performance characteristics of a coating. If you like messing around with pure finishing waxes and sealants (I'm looking at you Optimun Car Wax and Opti Seal) Optimun Gloss Coat (2 layers) might be the way to go, because they state that it's perfectly fine to do so, even if it's shed from the surface in about a week.

As far as polishing, most of the cars I do are finished with an orange LC HDO, or Yellow Buff and Shine, and 3D ONE or 3D AAT502. Rarely do I need a black HDO, or AAT502 even. Eventually I'll probably be moving to the HDO CCS line, not that it matters here.

**Icarus** · 10-14-2022, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by noorth

Microfiber pad? Have you tried something like gyeon primer?

Edit: The euro white are course foam pads? Have you tried something softer?

Esoteric put a video out close to a year ago about the B&S red euro cell i think its called. Its a closed cell pad. They stated - for them- it's one of the best finishing pads on the most difficult paints to finish.

Esoteric seem very selective over their product line. For instance the recommended microfiber cutting pad is from megs, the polishing pad rupes and the red b&S eurocell for anything the rupes yellow can't finish out on. Worth a try maybe.

I used these: Foam Pads 6" European Foam - 6515HWG - Buff and Shine Mfg.

Supposed to be foam polishing pads.

The pads I used for compounding were Meguiars microfiber...