Okay so I bought my car May of last year (black of course) and the paint has since received many minor scratches and scuffs as the car is my daily driver, sits outside, and is driven in the winter.

The paint still looks really good it's just getting a little rough as far as small scratches, swirls etc go.

I have a few things to clean this up, although it's my first time doing it and I'm going to be extremely careful. I've done some reading on what's decent stuff so I picked up some stuff but not all, hopefully you guys can chime in on that part.

Currently I have:

-Harbor Freight DA Polisher (I bought a new backing plate for it as the one it comes with sucks, I think it's a ChemicalGuys 5" plate)

-6" Orange Cutting Pads
-6" Blue Polishing Pads
-6" Black Finishing Pads (For wax application)

-Clay bar kit (I've done this before)

-Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash

-Microfiber towels, chamois, etc

-Zymol Carbon Wax (apparently some of the best for a black car)



The only thing I don't really have currently is the cutting and polishing compounds, that's where I'd like some recommendations on some good quality stuff. I know I'm going to need to tape off my plastics and rubber trims, this is going to be my first time doing an exterior detail job of this extent, and from what I heard the Harbor Freight DA is a great tool for a DIY'er that just does their own cars....obviously a professional would be using a PC, Rupee, Flex or some other higher-end polisher, but I've heard plenty of good things about the Harbor Freight, and it's half the price of the Griot's Polisher....as long as it lasts for a few bi-annual detail jobs I'd call it money well spent.

I've heard horror stories about burning through paint, and I know to avoid corners hardcore, but truly how much damage can you do with a moderate cutting compound and light pressure at best? Because really that's all I think I'm going to need. Chime in though gents, I could use a bit of advice.

get the turttle black box its a pain in the ass to do but damn it works wonders on black cars.

You can do a lot of damage, in an instant if you aren't paying attention.

keep the pad moist (not wet) and keep the polisher moving at all times.

Yeah, avoid body lines like the plague.


Chemicalguys is one of the better suppliers.

You also can't go wrong with McGuires products either.

You can never buff too slow, you can certainly buff too fast.

You NEVER want to exceed 2500 rpms.

Initially it will appear duller than it was, but as you work your way around, and step up the compound to finer/polishing you will start to get that wet glass look. That depth, where it looks like you can reach into the paint.

Good advice. Apparently the paint on these Hondas is incredibly thin (2011 Civic Si) so this probably wouldn't be the best car to learn on, but whatever. As long as I take my time and do the proper preparation I think I'll do okay. Of course I'll be doing extensive reading before I do anything lol.

Seeing people use clay bars makes my day!

I cant even begin to count how many people that i've talked to at car shows have never even heard of them...

With a DA it's pretty fool proof so long as you can accurately gauge which pad and compound to use. If in doubt, go lighter. Work in small sections between 2 and 4sq ft. Apply light pressure and make horizontal passes. Once the whole area is covered make vertical passes. Check the blemishes often to make sure you don't go deeper than necessary. I like pinnacle products but you don't have to go that pricey. The meguiars professional lineup will work fine for you. Buy some pad lubricant spray or you can use a quick detailer to keep it moist. The blue pads probably won't have enough cut. I'd use the orange pad with very light pressure and a medium grit compound to start. Start slow. You will get faster as you learn your equipment. I only use the top 1/4 speed range on my PC when i'm on a completely flat panel that i can work quickly.


I have a PC 7424XP, lake country flexible backing plates, lake country CCS pads, and i use Pinnacle products. Nothing but great results. If i had a camera capable of doing the finished product justice i would show you.

Remember, start slow, follow product instructions.

This post was edited by FMX_89 on Aug 24 2014 06:49pm

This is why I own cars that play in the dirt, I don't have the patients or time do do this kinda stuff lol


Maybe it's the I don't care so much about how it looks, but about how it performs

This post was edited by KoJ on Aug 25 2014 01:19am

That's the reason to invest in good equipment. With a 6.5" pad on a DA polisher you can compound, polish, and wax an average size car in a couple hours.





I'm going to tackle a full paint correction on my truck after i get the Trans Am painted. I will do a little tutorial with it.

I would be interested in this, I have had my PC da for 2 years now and just never been man enough to start using it in fear of messing up my paint. And my results by hand have always been really really nice.

There are really good how to videos on autogeek.net