Here was my process:

- Wet sand with 3,600 grit micro mesh sand paper
- Wet sand 6,000 grit
- I did about 3 passes with Menzerna Powergloss on Yellow cutting pad.

The powergloss seamed to take a lot more effort to take off, and dried up much quicker than on other cars I've done, so I was a little currious about that.

When I took it out in the sun, I was absolutely amazed... however I was still a little concerned about the powergloss taking so much effort. Regardless, the difference between each side is..... I don't even have a word!

Now here's where it gets weird... I drove the car around the building, and had to park it for a little bit in the sun, and when I went to continue the car, I noticed on the right side THE SAME EXACT scratches/swirls/etching as before.

So my only conclusion is that there was some kind of chemical or paint thinner on the hood, and that's how all those scratches got there. And it's so embedded that when it warms up it etches the surface more.

Any thoughts on would it could have been?

Well... at any sense, it made a freakin SWEET before/after photo. Enjoy!

And either way you look at it... Menzerna powegloss does wonders. Period. The pictures speak for itself.


http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/6430/hoodcloseup1lowres9kx.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

HIGH RES:
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/8162/hoodcloseup1medres9vn.th.jpg (http://img261.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hoodcloseup1medres9vn.jpg)

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3151/hoodcloseup2lowres5bq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

HIGH RES:
http://img286.imageshack.us/img286/4205/hoodcloseup2medres2sw.th.jpg (http://img286.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hoodcloseup2medres2sw.jpg)

CLOSE UP OF ETCHING/SCRATCHES!
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3885/closeupofchemicaletching1lowre1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

HIGH RES:
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/2707/closeupofchemicaletching1highr.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=closeupofchemicaletching1highr.jpg)

ahh crap.. can a mod edit the title to "the ONLY before/after photo you'll...."

That's freakin impressive. :eek:

wow that is impressive

Pretty cool.

What a difference! But you still have swirls...

you missed a spot

seriously nice work. how much clear is left? if any? and what in gods name can do something like that to paint to destory it like that?

What a difference! But you still have swirls...

Thats after powergloss. Also, if you look at the close up of the etching, those long striding swirls are actualy deep scratches... and it'd be impossible to get rid of every possible scratch.

However, I still had intensive polish to go after that... but the chemical (whatever it was) ate away at the paint and made everything come back, so I didn't continue.

you missed a spot

seriously nice work. how much clear is left? if any? and what in gods name can do something like that to paint to destory it like that?

Actualy, I have access to an electronic paint thickness meter, I will try and check tomorrow if I remember.

On my personal car, on one section that I did two passes with Powegloss, and 2 passes of Intensive polish, it still showed up 4.0 on the meter, and the rest of the car was 4.0. The only other thing I used on this car was 3,600 and 6,000 grit micromesh wetsandpaper, which wouldn't have taken too much off. My guess it will be around 3.2-3.4?

That is incredible. Had you not only done half of the hood I wouldn't have believed that it was the same car.

:eek: Absolutely amazing.

Actualy, I have access to an electronic paint thickness meter, I will try and check tomorrow if I remember.

On my personal car, on one section that I did two passes with Powegloss, and 2 passes of Intensive polish, it still showed up 4.0 on the meter, and the rest of the car was 4.0. The only other thing I used on this car was 3,600 and 6,000 grit micromesh wetsandpaper, which wouldn't have taken too much off. My guess it will be around 3.2-3.4?

to bad your so far away. i really want to check how thick mine is. im sure its so bad that even wax is risky :confused :eek:

to bad your so far away. i really want to check how thick mine is. im sure its so bad that even wax is risky :confused :eek:

I believe if you are above 3.0 you're safe. We'll see today.

congrats on a job well done. i'm glad this turned out well for you. some people who don't have experience with wet sanding can really f- up their car trying.

disclaimer at the top?? :dunno

anyway, congrats and the pics look fantastic!! :D

-mike

disclaimer at the top?? :dunno


?


Also, about the wetsanding... wetsanding with proper sand papers isn't all that hard. The problem is people will tend to use too low of a grit. Using 3,600 grit wetsandpaper will take a little more effort than say, 1,500, but it will be much more safe. Don't forget that if a good polish can take out 1,500-2,000 grit sand marks, a good polish will DEFINATELY take out 4,000-6,000 to a much better shine.

The sandpaper I have is a kit from www.stewmac.com (guitar making supplies). It's a kit with 2 3" X 6":

- 1,500
- 1,800
- 2,400
- 3,200
- 3,600
- 4,000
- 6,000
- 8,000
- 12,000

go here:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Abrasives,_polishes,_buffers/Micro-Mesh_Sandpaper_Kit.html

For the money, this thing is well worth it. They last 10 times longer, and are almost idiot proof. If you use them with water, they do a good job, but if you use it with a high lubricant soap, you can polish with these. The 12,000 grit used with soap actualy will (and I've done this) polish to a brilliant shine, no swirls.

I'm actualy going to pass this on to some of the detail supply vendors cuz this stuff makes Meguirs high grit sandpaper look like crap.

totally amazing, props

Yeah, that micro-mesh sanding cloths are the same one's modelers use on model car paint jobs. the stuff is good!!

That is impressive.

too bad it came back. wonder what it is.

Wow noice job

its been photoshopped! ;)

great job mate...looks stunning

Thanks a lot guys, appreciate it :buttrock

Did you seal the paint before it came back?

Did you seal the paint before it came back?

I wasn't done with it. I still have Intensive polish, as good as it looks, there was still a decent amount of swirls left. I just had to leave the car for a moment, and it warmed up. I doubt sealing it up would have done anything.

Woah, cant believe it.

I hope you havent started some BFC wide sanding spree.

It is pretty unbeliveable.

What part of florida are you in? I want to learn how to do it in my car, but I want to see somebody doing it first. I am a visual kind.

It is pretty unbeliveable.

What part of florida are you in? I want to learn how to do it in my car, but I want to see somebody doing it first. I am a visual kind.

I live in Ft. Lauderdale, unfortunately. I'd love to show you.

If you want to get like a detailfest day with a couple other people, that'd be a reason to drive up there. I'd do a DIY, but I am rather busy. Let me know

Woah, cant believe it.
I hope you havent started some BFC wide sanding spree.

:rofl

wow, nice job!! :eek:

Very impressive!!!

Thanks for all the comments guys :)

I think if I intend on sending some flyers for detailing in my local neighborhoods, this will be the picture that goes in it. :redspot

Would you be able to post pictures of what it looked like after the symptoms came back?

it's a little hard to believe that after all that clear stripping, the sanding effect would magically come back.

Would you be able to post pictures of what it looked like after the symptoms came back?
it's a little hard to believe that after all that clear stripping, the sanding effect would magically come back.

No I don't. I wish.

Well, in my opinion, whatever it was that ate away at the paint might have been able to be taken out. This would have required more abrasive sandpaper, like 1000 grit. I don't have enough experience to go at something with 1000 on a BMW just, which is why I stick to over 3,600... It's safe. I wouldn't want to take the chance of eating away too much clear coat, which would mean it would need repaint.

I will probably go and get some crap hoods from junkyards to practive reviving touch projects like this. I'll take plenty of pictures of that though :)

So did your paint look as shitty as the left side to begin with? Or is that after sanding it without polish or something.

So did your paint look as shitty as the left side to begin with? Or is that after sanding it without polish or something.

Yes, the right side looked the same as the right. I split the sides apart with a piece of tape.

That is after wetsanding and polishing.

WOW, simply amazing. Forgot wether or not you mentioned if you were done with the process or not, but when you perfect it definatley give us some tips.

Crap man, I cannot believe it, it is too good to be true. Extremely good job!!!

That is insane. O_O

nice work man

If you use 2000 you can get pretty much everything out. if you do it right you can remove all of the 2000 grit marks with a medium cut polish. If you are going to charge people make sure you charge enough. good job man

nice work man
If you use 2000 you can get pretty much everything out. if you do it right you can remove all of the 2000 grit marks with a medium cut polish. If you are going to charge people make sure you charge enough. good job man

Well in this situation, it was completely differen't. I wish I could still see the car. Another person tried using 1,000, then 1,500 then compounding. Apparently they got it to a mirror finish. THEN... as I would have guessed, the stuff started coming back in areas that looked like little water spots. Then the rest of the hood started to come back as a whole. So who knows what the hell it was on there, but my guess is that even 500 grit wouldn't have done the job.

About using the 2000 grit: since I have such high grit wetsandpaper, It's always smart to start with a higher grit and see if it works, and if it doesn't work, then work your way down. No sense having to take out 2000 grit scratches, when you can take out 6,000. Obviously a compound that can take out 1,500-2,000 will take out 6,000 without effort.

Thats my logic at least :)

probably could have saved some work by going up to 2000 grit or at the very highest, 3000 grit, then following up with 3M medium cut rubbing compound (no petroleum products in it), then 3M perfectit II swirl mark remover.

I wouldn't worry too much about the depth of the clear coat as long as you didn't take off too much - it doesn't take much to get rid of those microscratches. I wetsanded my hood in preparation for paint, and it actually took a fair amount of time to get past the clear - even with 600 grit.

probably could have saved some work by going up to 2000 grit or at the very highest, 3000 grit, then following up with 3M medium cut rubbing compound (no petroleum products in it), then 3M perfectit II swirl mark remover.
I wouldn't worry too much about the depth of the clear coat as long as you didn't take off too much - it doesn't take much to get rid of those microscratches. I wetsanded my hood in preparation for paint, and it actually took a fair amount of time to get past the clear - even with 600 grit.

Well I will again agree and disagree. I personaly prefere to use HIGHER grits before going down to lower grits.

If I still had the car, I'd attempt to try lower grits, but the reason I didn't use lower grits is becuase I didn't have the chance to becuase everything came back, and I concluded it was an unpenetrable chemical. Had I been able to work on the car again, I would go with a lower grit, but this SITUATION was entirely differen't. I doubt ANYONE will ever encounter something like this. Who knows what hellish thing was on that hood.

Well I will again agree and disagree. I personaly prefere to use HIGHER grits before going down to lower grits.
If I still had the car, I'd attempt to try lower grits, but the reason I didn't use lower grits is becuase I didn't have the chance to becuase everything came back, and I concluded it was an unpenetrable chemical. Had I been able to work on the car again, I would go with a lower grit, but this SITUATION was entirely differen't. I doubt ANYONE will ever encounter something like this. Who knows what hellish thing was on that hood.

It sounds like in the end you didn't use an abrasive enough finishing compound to get rid of the swirl marks from the wetsand. Some fine cut rubbing compound followed by swirl mark remover I think would have done the trick in the end.

6000 grit is insanely high grit, pro bodyshops rarely go above 3000 grit on new paint jobs to get final imperfections out.

It sounds like in the end you didn't use an abrasive enough finishing compound to get rid of the swirl marks from the wetsand. Some fine cut rubbing compound followed by swirl mark remover I think would have done the trick in the end.
6000 grit is insanely high grit, pro bodyshops rarely go above 3000 grit on new paint jobs to get final imperfections out.

I don't think you get it. Go look at the pictures of the problem. It wasn't just a bunch of scratches. It was some sort of harsh chemical that penetrated the surface deeply. Then if you read my previous post, another person had the car after me, and tried to use 1000 grit, then 1,500, then compounded. They supposedly got it to a mirror finish...

HOWEVER

It came back, even after all that.