dayum! id be too paranoid to drive my car if it was that shiny lol

im speechless Matt

Man, that is simply amazing!!! I have never seen paintwork look so good, not even on top end cars!! You just have to be proud of what you have accomplished.

thank you all, I'm extremely proud of what I can achieve but also humble as I there is always someone or others smarter, faster and better than me

Good attitude Matt. Thats the way

For those wanting to know how to buff properly, here is my technique for final abrasive polishing (before the non abrasive stuff begins) with menzerna PO85RD 3000 grit finishing polish

Sorry about the crummy music in the background!
this is part 1 of 2 - total work time on that section was 16 mins
Even slow smooth overlapping passes at 600 then 900 and finally 1200.
once broken down I switch back to 1100 for a few passes then 1000 and 900
A small bead of product is then added and I jewel the finish down at 900 rpm for a while and finish it all of at 600.

this ensures no buffing swirls aka buffing trails aka holograms and a great finish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjxc7L56CmM

I am not sure if I have given this tip out before but just in case, here goes
Understanding the chemistry of Levellers, Compounds, Polishes and Glazes

Abrasive's
The common formula for abrasive levellers, compounds and polishes is the following

Aliphatic Hydrocarbons, Calcined Kaolin clay,Parrafin oil, Glycerin, Stoddart Solvent, water and aluminium oxide
Now what we all absolutely hate are products that leave dried up cakey white residue in the cracks and panel gaps
What causes this - Kaolin clay
What else you need to know is that there are two types of this - kaolin clay and calcined kaolin clay
One of the two is a good abrasive but dusty and does leave cakey residue, the other is a pretty good filler that will wash out in two to four weeks, possibly sooner

If you want easier and less dusty polishing performance and desire to not leave any residue, steer clear of any product that contains both of these clays.

How good the polish works depends on how well the abrasive oxides have been milled
They must be uniform and of either very large particles or very fine
The other types of abrasives are

Diatomaceous earth - usually found in soft polishes and finishing polishes
Crystalline Silica - this one is rare now as it can cause health problems and is not a very good performer

The shape that the abrasives are determines how fast they correct paint (ie remove it)
Some have a rounded edge whilst others are very sharply faced, almost sawtooth like
The sharper ones should not be used on Japanese paints as they do not have the abrasive resistance to take it and some marring will occur

CONTINUED

I see the future of abrasives as being made from Zirconium oxide and other types of naturally occuring materials. Myself and a new partner who is joining me from the USA are going to do is make our own products from Paint refinishing to Detailing

We have had enough of hardly any progress being made in our industry and we want to achieve never before seen custom finishes regardless of the age or quality of the paint

To help you with abrasive and non abrasive paint correction, polishing, glazing and protecting paint, here is a rundown of what product to use for the different paints, whether solvent or waterborne, soft or hard

Soft paint - Japanese and some Euro Paints (Vauxhaull Astra's especially)
Prima Finish, Menzerna PO87MF, Gtechniq P1, Optimum

Medium paint - Prima Cut, Swirl, Finish, Menzerna PO106FF, PO85RD, Gtechniq P1, Xpert, Meguiars, Optimum

Hard paint - Menzerna PO106FF, PO85RD, Driven to Perfection Finish Restorer, Meguiars, Optimum and more.

GLAZES - I recommend Poorboys Black Hole, Prima Amigo, Blackfire Gloss enhancing polish and all the GLARE products

OUR COATING SYSTEM OF CHOICE IN THE NEWS


Melbourne based Automotive Burg Design Pty Ltd, a bodyshop product supplier, claims that Gtechniq is now the leader in the quest for the ultimate paint protector.

Automotive Burg Design Pty Ltd says that Gtechniq's two part process prepares the paint surface (old or new) to perfection, then seals it in with a choice of two protective sealants. Even without the sealants the surface effect is swirl free and will not hold water. Driven in rain, a car finished in Gtechniq will shed 90 per cent of the dirt from its treated surfaces.

Managing director of Burg, Ray Graham, says that Gtechniq has achieved spectacular results on a number of luxury cars, including the Rolls-Royce fleet at the Peninsular Hotel in Hong Kong.

Utilising nano technology, the process begins with a low speed wool buff to apply the P1 preparation product - which is surprisingly low priced at $250 a gallon. Either C3 sealant can then be applied (also costing about $250 a gallon) or the more exotic C1 finish which costs around $400 per car, plus labour.

Once applied and, with reasonable care, the paint is protected for the life of the car.

Graham says that the process is not suitable for a single panel because it enriches the paint colour and would show up the rest of the vehicle.

This is basically what I want to do once my paint is at a point where Im happy

man if i ever get a chance to drop my car in next time im in adelaide il be ringing to book in

or if ya ever feel like comming to the end of the earth (Ceduna)

with your skill you could go on a working holiday.

have scanned through most of your posts do you have any prices for a bf sedan, if each quote is unique a round about price.

my paint is in great condition except the swirl marks that one of the panel beaters here reckons are just about impossible to get out.

thanks.

This is what I can offer for a BF sedan

Trim Dream on exterior trim molds
Paint correction and polishing
Glare Paint treatments - before and after paint correction or on it's own
Orange peel reduction - if it's in the clear - no paint is removed (permanent)

Pricing - paint correction - $450 - 700 depending on damage
Orange peel reduction - $100
Trim Dream - $80 dollars
Glare Treatments - basic $250 medium $ 350 advanced - $500 (rotary used)

$350 to 700 is the norm but lately each car I've done has been $1,000

Tell me what you want to spend and I'll give you the absolute best service I can for that amount.

Glad to see you back around again Matt. I do love reading your posts and I am learning a LOT about this sort of thing.
One small question, Falcons with metallic paint, the clear over the top always seems to peel back more than other cars, is this normal or am I not looking hard enough at other makes?
Mate has 2 ED's each with metallic paint and with varying degrees of peel on the clear, if I were to use an orbital polish machine (the type you can buy from Super cheap) would this aid any or would I make it worse?

Thanks in advance for any help mate and keep them LOVELY pics coming.

cheers thats great.. not heading towards adelaide till after xmas, but i guess it will give me time to save. i think the colour is ok(being only 2 years old), it just seems to have swirl looking marks in the clear coat due to my stupidity .

oh was looking around $400 mark as i dont think the paint needs correcting
can kinda see some swirl marks in a couple of these pictures

http://www.fordmods.com/commercial-sponsors-forum-f53/from-one-ghia-to-another-t77400.html

Cheers