Need some guidance on what steps to take to bring my car's black paint to life or put in the best condition possible

Car: 2016 Audi S7
Color: Black

I will try to give an overview of what steps I have taken but I think I might need to change up the product choice or pad or both but not 100% sure either way hence why I am here.

Machines available:

Torq Long throw 15mm DA
Torq FX10 DA
Torq Rotary

Have the following pads:
Hex Logic white, yellow, orange, black, blue, and red x 4 in 6.5 inch & 5.5 inch
3 inch yellow, red, orange Griots pads
Meg. DA microfiber discs 5 inch x 10
6 inch microfiber fast finishing pads x 30

Microfiber towels:
Chemical guys premium towels separated by function (by color (glass, interior, wheels, and exterior) x 80 (basically 20 each)

Compounds/Polish/Sealant I currently have:
3d One Polish/Cutting
3D Poxy Paint Sealant
Chemical Guys All-In-One
Chemical Guys: V7 Hybrid Optical Gloss
Chemical Guys: Jet Seal
Chemical Guys: Polish & Compound kit (includes V38, 36, 34, 32)
Glossworks Glaze
Wet Mirror Gloss Glaze
Menzerna: 400, 1000, 2500, 3500
Jescar: Power Lock Sealant


On Order:
Meg. 2, 7 and 9

Looking for some guidance as I have ceramic coat on the way and want to get things looking sharp before applying ceramic.

For the microfiber clothes I use Chemical guys cleaner only.
For the microfiber pads I use a compressor as I go with a brush to fluff the brushes.

For the pads use Chemical guys pad cleaner and soak in a separate bucket then brush and soak in another bucket & air dry.

I wash the microfiber separate of each other as well.

Thus far I have used the Menzera stuff but need guidance from the pros!

Sorry for the long post but trying to lay out what I have at my disposal in terms of materials to make the magic happen.

I have been doing section by section with approximately 3 passes. I go back & forth (up & down) then from left to right then a final pass up & down when working the materials.

I think what would also help is what are you dealing with and ultimate goal (yes I read your opening statement). Put the rotary away, you will get yourself in trouble with it.

Add some pictures.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by kb2ehj

I think what would also help is what are you dealing with and ultimate goal (yes I read your opening statement). Put the rotary away, you will get yourself in trouble with it.

Add some pictures.


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline

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Will take some pictures later today. Also not a newbie to using rotary as I got it for small sections (I use it primarily with the 3 inch pads) and use the long throw for large areas and the other for everything else.

I'm not familiar with the polishers your using or any of the polish/compounds you have on hand, but the Menzerna polishes should serve you well. They will be a bit oily, so be sure to use plenty of surface prep spray before applying the coating.

If you are going to apply a coating don't use the glazes either.

Looks like you have a great all around compound in the 3D One. I would try it with your 15mm DA and start with the least aggressive pad to see what level of correction you can achieve with out removing much clear coat. That is assuming you have followed the proper steps wash decontaminate the painted surfaces first.

You are going to have to test spot to see what you really need to do. 3D one is a versatile product and its cut and finish are pad dependent. So give that a go first.

What coating are you planning to use? As mentioned get yourself a prep product to remove polishing oils.

When you say you have Meg's 2, 9 and 7 on order are these the Mirror Glaze products?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PJII

Looks like you have a great all around compound in the 3D One. I would try it with your 15mm DA and start with the least aggressive pad to see what level of correction you can achieve with out removing much clear coat. That is assuming you have followed the proper steps wash decontaminate the painted surfaces first.

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Before after DA touches the car it would get a full wash and clay bar.

I previously clay bar the whole car.

how many passes should I do on each section?

I usually start with two passes to test the level of correction. The difference will be end up being how much correction you need to achieve. The cross hatch method which is up and down, then left and right moving at about one inch per second. You will want test a spot to determine which pad and how passes you will need to make as well. Check out this video :YouTube

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Desertnate

I'm not familiar with the polishers your using or any of the polish/compounds you have on hand, but the Menzerna polishes should serve you well. They will be a bit oily, so be sure to use plenty of surface prep spray before applying the coating.

If you are going to apply a coating don't use the glazes either.

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Links for polishers:

Long throw DA 15mm: TORQ15DA 15mm Long-Throw Random Orbital Polisher |
Torq 10FX DA: TORQ10FX Random Orbital Polisher |
Torq Rotary: TORQ R Rotary Polisher |

A lot of the products are from the Chemical guys line:
The V polishing series: V Line Polish & Compound Kit For Light to Heavy Swirls & Scratches |

Pics