Great site and fantastic information. I've recently ordered a DA Porter Cable polisher with some polishes and sealents recommened on this site. I've never used a machine polisher before. I talked to a local detail shop today and they told me that since polishing took a some of the clear coat it could not be done more than twice in the lifetime of a car. Is this true? This detailer is well respected in the city and suggested instead just sticking with glazes and sealants. What do you guys think?
I think the guy at your local detail shop should stop smoking so much in his enclosed office. I think the fumes of laquer thinner are going to his head. It all depends how aggressive you go. There is a difference between polishing with wool vs. a final polish. It also depends how much clearcoat you have on your paint and how much has already been taken off. Obviously, the less you polish the better. I have only polished my truck ONCE since I bought it and it still looks great after careful washing and drying over the years. I always heard that the rule of thumb was one or two light polishings a year and you should be in good shape for the next 5-7 years. But then again, there are so many variables at play that it's tough to estimate.
I met with the detailer today to show him my car. It is a black bmw and has lots of fine swirls and a few deeper marks that are just through the clearcoat. He said that after they polished it the upkeep would be very high because it would need to be waxed/glazed every month otherwise lots of marks would show through. I'm guessing that this means he is using too coarse a compound not doing finishing polish like you have suggested. Looks like I'm doing it myself now again...
do it your self! he sounds like a hack. dont matter if he is well known. he prob compound then glazes. bad practice.
? There are some people who have thier car polished once a year for several years. I think what this well repected detailer is not considering is that all polishing/buffing is not the same. If you are doing heavy compounding with with a very aggressive polish and 100% twisted wool then yes, you are removing a serious amount of clear and doing so repeatedly will eventually take off too much clear. Whereas if you are being careful with the maintenance of your car throughout the year and you are only using a finish polish and a finish pad once a year, you are removing such a small amount of clear that you should be fine for many years to come.
