http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Magic-TR-...DateDescending. Here's the amazon link. Check out the reviews.

 

I have to paint. I have to grind, fill and sand first. The rust at the Alpines is too pervasive. But the tr3 is interesting although the first negative review was an oxidized black roof that didn't work. Below the roof line is what I need to polish.

 

I've used the TR3 as well, and while it is a good product, you get to a point where there is not much left to work with. Pass the Rustoleum...

I did use some Sherwin Williams 2 part marine epoxy paint in my shop this week, about $110 a for 2 gallons (combo of part A and part B) - made for chemical environments, inside of tanks, very thick film. Macropoxy 646. Works on marginally prepared metal.

 

I'd say that size bottle would be good for one or two vehicles if you dont get to crazy with it. I buy mine by the case but I use a ton of it so it only makes sense to stock up. It doesnt take much product per panel to get good results, just let the buffer do the work for you. If you end up having to rub any off by hand you either put way to much on or didnt buff it good enough. If you see a ton of swirls and imperfections after the cutting creme dont panic, that stuff is abrasive and leaves a mess behind. Each following product will remove the imperfections a little more as you work along.

That TR3 stuff is the same as most products of that nature, it looks good when finished but doesnt fix anything. It just fills and hides most of the imperfections which doesnt do anything to restore or protect the finish. It's good for someone in a hurry or on a budget but the long term benefits are zero. All of that one step restoration in a bottle stuff is the same, it looks good at first but it's just a band aid. Not trying to beat on the product or anything, it's fine if you just want to make something look a little better for minimal effort and investment. Like most things though there is no cheap one step miracle juice for fixing your problem. It just simply doesnt work for the long term and sometimes piling that crap on just makes it harder when you finally decide to do it right.

When you wetsand it's not a bad idea to add a touch of dish soap to the water you're using. It helps cleanse all of the crap out of the surface and makes buffing much easier. Just be sure to wash the vehicle well afterwards. Also be very very careful in areas where the clearcoat is thinner or fading, it's real easy to break through all the way to primer if you arent cautious.

As far as different products the 3M perfect it line is decent but pricey. The good thing about that stuff is you can buy it anywhere, the Presta stuff almost always has to be ordered unless you have a paint shop nearby that hates 3M as most refuse to carry competing brands. Whichever you use be very careful on the rpms when you operate the buffer, cranking it up will burn the heck out of your finish real quick. It's better to take it slow andgo by the recommended rpm on whichever products you use if not a touch lower.

 

Slooo...thanks for the time and explanation. I tend to agree with you and am going to follow your lead. I'll go today to the autobody store and see what they have. I know they carry 3M but maybe they have something else. I still need a polisher so maybe I'll order the whole thing online. In terms of quantity is there a reason I need so much more glaze. Do you use more glaze?

In the ten or so years I owned her, I've never really cleaned her properly and surely never compounded so hopefully I've got a lot to work with here and can make her look good again for a few hours.

I'm steady and careful with power tools so while i recognize there is a danger of taking off too much I hope I can manage that without any obvious damage. I have some practice area to get used to it fast....hood scoop and roof.

 

Sure man no problem, paint and body have been a hobby of mine forever so I'm always up for sharing some tips and advice. I use a lot more of the glaze versus the other products because it can be used every few weeks as a regular polish/sealant as opposed to using wax. The other stuff you really only need to do once in a blue moon but the hand glaze can be used regularly just as you'd use any other polish or wax. I use it every other week on all of my vehicles and I give a bottle to every customer that brings me something for paint or resto.

No matter what you end up buying, 3M or Presta, both systems are great and you'll be very happy with either. I mainly went from 3M to Presta because I like how it performs on fresh paint, it's not quite as aggressive as the 3M so while it may take a bit longer, it's a lot more forgiving on the things I work on. In all honesty you can check out youtube if you want to actually see someone run a buffer so maybe you can get a better idea of how it goes. Things like "spinning" off the edges of the panel, "pulling" the product and taping off certain areas are all covered in videos as well as on sites like autobody101.com . The main thing is applying steady even pressure to the buffer and moving in a uniform pattern. No matter what you do, keep that buffer pad almost flat on the surface and keep it moving. The most common cause of damage is when folks stop moving the buffer or kick the pad up on a steep angle. Real easy to destroy paint that way. On the up side of that though old paint is much more forgiving than fresh paint.

I will warn you though, the process you're going to do makes a mess so take extra care. Covering the windows with cardboard and taping up the seams you dont want it in helps a lot. No matter how careful you are you'll always sling stuff somewhere like on your glass or wheels. It washes right off but it's a pain if it gets into a tight spot like a wheel well or door jamb.